In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there are provided methods and systems for implementing damage-and-resist-free laser patterning of dielectric films on textured silicon. For example, in one embodiment, such means include means for depositing a Silicon nitride (SiNx) or SiOx (silicon oxide) layer onto a crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrate by a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) processing; depositing an amorphous silicon (a-Si) film on top of the SiNx or SiOx layer; patterning the a-Si film to define an etch mask for the SiNx or SiOx layer; removing the SiNx or SiOx layer via a Buffered Oxide Etch (BOE) chemical etch to expose the c-Si surface; removing the a-Si mask with a hydrogen plasma etch in a PECVD tool to prevent current loss from the mask; and plating the exposed c-Si surface with metal contacts. Other related embodiments are disclosed.

After forming an absorber layer containing cracks over a back contact layer, a passivation layer is formed over a top surface of the absorber layer and interior surfaces of the cracks. The passivation layer is deposited in a manner such that that the cracks in the absorber layer are fully passivated by the passivation layer. An emitter layer is then formed over the passivation layer to pinch off upper portions of the cracks, leaving voids in lower portions of the cracks.

Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a second, different, conductivity type is disposed on a second thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A third thin dielectric layer is disposed laterally directly between the first and second polycrystalline silicon emitter regions. A first conductive contact structure is disposed on the first polycrystalline silicon emitter region. A second conductive contact structure is disposed on the second polycrystalline silicon emitter region.

Methods of fabricating solar cells using a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer in foil-based metallization approaches, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a plurality of semiconductor regions in or above a substrate. The method also includes forming a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer above the plurality of semiconductor regions. The method also includes forming a metal seed layer on the metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer. The method also includes forming a metal conductor layer on the metal seed layer. The method also includes laser welding the metal conductor layer to the metal seed layer. The metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer protects the plurality of semiconductor regions during the laser welding.

A material for photo-electric conversion has a multi-layered diamond-like film including an upper layer possessing electrical conductivity of one type and a lower layer possessing electrical conductivity of another different type, and a photo-electric converter is provided with this material and converts light into electric current.

Disclosed are a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same. The solar cell with a graphene-silicon quantum dot hybrid structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a hybrid structure including a silicon quantum dot layer, in which a silicon oxide layer includes a plurality of silicon quantum dots; a doped graphene layer formed on the silicon quantum dot layer, and an encapsulation layer formed on the doped graphene layer; and electrodes formed on upper and lower parts of the hybrid structure.

The invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic solar cell having at least one hetero-junction, including the following steps: A) providing a semiconductor substrate having base doping; B) producing a hetero-junction on at least one side of the semiconductor substrate, which hetero-junction has a doped hetero-junction layer and a dielectric tunnel layer arranged indirectly or directly between the hetero-junction layer and the semiconductor substrate; C) heating at least the hetero-junction layer in order to improve the electrical quality of the heterojunction. The invention is characterized in that, in a step D after step C, hydrogen is diffused into the hetero-junction layer and/or to the interface between the tunnel layer and the semiconductor substrate.

The present invention provides a method for forming metal nanoparticle(s) onto an inner surface of one or more open volume defects within a substrate by providing the substrate containing the one or more open volume defects, depositing an immiscible metal on a surface of the substrate, and forming the metal nanoparticle(s) by diffusing the immiscible metal from the surface onto the inner surface of each open volume defect using a heat treatment. The method can be used to produce a substrate having at least one open volume defect with a metal nanoparticle formed onto an inner surface of the open volume defect, a solar cell, an optical switch, a radiation detector, or other similar device.

Photovoltaic devices are formed by laser drilling vias through silicon substrates and, following surface preparation of the via sidewalls, plating a continuous, electrically conductive layer on the via sidewalls to electrically connect the emitter side of the cell with the back side of the cell. The electrically conductive layer can be formed on portions of a base emitter within the vias and on the back side of the substrate. Alternatively, the electrically conductive layer can be formed on a passivation layer on the via sidewalls and back side of the cell.

A method for texturing silicon includes loading a silicon wafer into a vacuum chamber, heating the silicon wafer and thermal cracking a gas to generate cracked sulfur species. The silicon wafer is exposed to the cracked sulfur species for a time duration in accordance with a texture characteristic needed for a surface of the silicon wafer.