EP3314670A1 - Verfahren zur isolierung der kanten einer fotovoltaischen zelle mit heteroübergang - Google Patents
Verfahren zur isolierung der kanten einer fotovoltaischen zelle mit heteroübergangInfo
- Publication number
- EP3314670A1 EP3314670A1 EP16735926.4A EP16735926A EP3314670A1 EP 3314670 A1 EP3314670 A1 EP 3314670A1 EP 16735926 A EP16735926 A EP 16735926A EP 3314670 A1 EP3314670 A1 EP 3314670A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- photovoltaic cell
- edges
- stack
- conductive layer
- photovoltaic
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 43
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 64
- 230000001154 acute effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 35
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 claims description 24
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 claims description 15
- 238000010292 electrical insulation Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000000151 deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000002161 passivation Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethanol Chemical compound CCO LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007664 blowing Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000005229 chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000011010 flushing procedure Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 12
- 238000002955 isolation Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000005286 illumination Methods 0.000 description 6
- 229910021421 monocrystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 6
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 229910021417 amorphous silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000002800 charge carrier Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000000623 plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 description 4
- 229910052581 Si3N4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 238000002679 ablation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
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- KFZMGEQAYNKOFK-UHFFFAOYSA-N Isopropanol Chemical compound CC(C)O KFZMGEQAYNKOFK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910003460 diamond Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010432 diamond Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 2
- RHZWSUVWRRXEJF-UHFFFAOYSA-N indium tin Chemical compound [In].[Sn] RHZWSUVWRRXEJF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000003071 parasitic effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000001953 recrystallisation Methods 0.000 description 2
- HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon carbide Chemical compound [Si+]#[C-] HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910010271 silicon carbide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000010420 art technique Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
- H01L31/072—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
- H01L31/0745—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type comprising a AIVBIV heterojunction, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC solar cells
- H01L31/0747—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type comprising a AIVBIV heterojunction, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC solar cells comprising a heterojunction of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
- H01L31/1804—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E10/547—Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
- Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
Definitions
- the technical field of the invention is that of photovoltaic cells, and more particularly that of the electrical insulation of the edges of heterojunction photovoltaic cells.
- a photovoltaic cell is a semiconductor device that converts incident electromagnetic radiation, typically solar radiation, into electrical current by means of a PN junction.
- the latter is formed by the stacking of a doped semiconductor layer according to a first conductivity type, typically p or n, and a doped semiconductor layer according to a second opposite conductivity type, respectively n or p.
- the first technology is that of so-called "homojunction" photovoltaic cells for which the p and n layers forming the PN junction are composed of a single semiconductor material having the same crystallographic structure, for example monocrystalline silicon. In these photovoltaic cells, only the type and concentration of doping differ from one layer to another.
- the second technology is that of photovoltaic cells called "heterojunction" for which the p and n layers forming the PN junction are composed of semiconductor materials having different forbidden energy bands.
- the two semiconductor layers of the PN junction may be composed of semiconductor materials of different physical natures, or of the same semiconductor material but having different crystallographic structures, for example monocrystalline silicon and silicon. amorphous silicon.
- electrical paths also called “shunts" are formed on the edges of the photovoltaic cell. These shunts electrically connect the two faces of the photovoltaic cell. The charge carriers generated within the PN junction can then take these shunts instead of crossing the PN junction, which has the effect of reducing the intensity of the current supplied by the photovoltaic cell.
- HAUSER et al. "Comparison of Different Techniques for Edge Insulation,” 17 th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Kunststoff, 2001, discusses various techniques of electrical insulation of the edges of a homojunction photovoltaic cell.
- the latter comprises a PN junction formed by a p-doped silicon substrate and an n-doped emitter, and an antireflection layer composed of silicon nitride (SiN).
- SiN silicon nitride
- the n-type transmitter is responsible for the shunts in this homojunction photovoltaic cell, since it is formed by POCI diffusion 3 all around the p-type substrate.
- This document notably describes techniques consisting in forming an isolation trench on the front face or on the rear face of the homojunction photovoltaic cell.
- the depth of this isolation trench is at least equal to the thickness of the layer forming the emitter.
- the isolation trench may be made by means of a laser or a mechanical saw used for cutting wafers.
- This document also mentions techniques for ablation of the edges of the homojunction photovoltaic cell, that is to say that the SiN antireflection layer and the emitter located on the edges of the cell are removed.
- the ablation of the edges is for example carried out by plasma etching, by abrasion, or by mechanical or laser cutting.
- the document EP2682990 describes a technique in which the edges of the photovoltaic cell are masked during the deposition of a conductive coating on the rear face.
- the masked area at the periphery of the rear face is important, which has the effect of reducing the electrical current produced by the cell.
- the document US 5935344 (SANYO) 24.10.1996 presents a technique using a laser to proceed with the ablation of the edges of the heterojunction photovoltaic cell.
- This technique has the particular disadvantage of reducing the active area of the photovoltaic cell, thus causing a decrease in the current produced by the photovoltaic cell.
- the use of a laser causes a recrystallization of the semiconductor substrate in the wake of the laser. This recrystallization leads to the creation of recombinant traps on the edges of the photovoltaic cell, with the ultimate consequence of deteriorating the form factor of the photovoltaic cell.
- the method according to the invention aims at solving the problems which have just been exposed by proposing a method of insulating the edges of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell limiting both the loss of active surface area of the photovoltaic cell and the defects created. in the semiconductor material.
- a first aspect of the invention therefore relates to a method of electrical insulation of the edges of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell having a front face intended to be exposed to incident radiation and comprising:
- a stack of semiconductor layers having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and side surfaces;
- a first electrically conductive layer transparent to the incident radiation placed on the front surface of the stack and on the lateral surfaces of the stack;
- a second electrically conductive layer disposed on the rear surface of the stack and on the side surfaces of the stack, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer being in electrical contact with the side surfaces of the stack;
- each abraded edge of the photovoltaic cell forms an acute angle with the front face of the photovoltaic cell.
- the abrasion technique allows precise control of the amount of conductive material removed on the photovoltaic cell edges.
- the fact of abrading the edges of the photovoltaic cell at an acute angle with respect to the front face makes it possible to remove more conductive material on the side of the rear face than on the side of the front face.
- the electrical contact between the front face and the rear face of the photovoltaic cell is broken while preserving the active surface of the photovoltaic cell, that is to say the collection surface of the photons on the front face of the cell.
- the insulation method according to the first aspect of the invention may also comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or according to the technically possible combinations:
- the acute angle between the front face of the photovoltaic cell and each abraded edge of the photovoltaic cell is between 50 ° and 88.5 °;
- the step of mechanical abrasion of the edges of the photovoltaic cell is carried out on a thickness of between 5 ⁇ and 50 ⁇ ;
- the stack of semiconductor layers of the photovoltaic cell comprises a semiconductor substrate textured on the surface by patterns, and the step of mechanical abrasion of the edges of the photovoltaic cell is carried out using an abrasive comprising grains having dimensions of the same order of magnitude as those of the grounds of the semiconductor substrate.
- the grains of the abrasive are grains of silicon carbide or diamond grains.
- a second aspect of the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a heterojunction photovoltaic cell comprising the following steps:
- a stack of semiconductor layers having a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and side surfaces;
- the manufacturing method being characterized in that it further comprises a method of electrical insulation of the edges of the photovoltaic cell according to any one of the preceding claims.
- the manufacturing method according to the second aspect of the invention may also comprise one or more of the following characteristics, considered individually or according to the technically possible combinations:
- the manufacturing method further comprises a step of cleaning the edges of the photovoltaic cell, the cleaning step being concomitant or subsequent to the method of electrical insulation of the edges of the photovoltaic cell;
- the step of cleaning the edges of the photovoltaic cell comprises an operation of rinsing the edges of the photovoltaic cell with water and / or alcohol;
- the step of cleaning the edges of the photovoltaic cell comprises an operation of blowing a compressed gas on the edges of the photovoltaic cell.
- the manufacturing method further comprises a step of passivation of the edges of the photovoltaic cell, the passivation step being subsequent to the method of electrical insulation of the edges of the photovoltaic cell;
- the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are deposited by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B are two cross-sectional views of an example of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell, respectively before and after the implementation of the method according to the invention
- FIG. 2 represents, as a function of illumination, the form factor (in relative values) of a photovoltaic cell whose edges have been isolated by means of the method according to the invention and by means of a laser.
- the figures are presented only as an indication and in no way limit the invention.
- This method is intended to electrically isolate the PN junction of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell efficiently while having a limited impact on the performance of the photovoltaic cell.
- the electrical isolation of the PN junction is intended to reduce electrical losses and thus increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell.
- FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of an example of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell, before the implementation of the method according to the invention.
- the photovoltaic cell has a front face FS intended to be exposed to incident radiation, typically solar radiation, a rear face BS opposite to the front face, and edges E surrounding the photovoltaic cell and extending between the front face FS and the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell.
- incident radiation typically solar radiation
- a rear face BS opposite to the front face
- edges E surrounding the photovoltaic cell and extending between the front face FS and the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the photovoltaic cell advantageously has a square or pseudo-square shape for which the angles are rounded. It then has four sides of identical lengths.
- front will be used to designate the surfaces arranged on the side of the front face FS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the term “rear” will be used to designate the surfaces disposed on the side of the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the photovoltaic cell comprises a doped semiconductor substrate 101 of a first type of conductivity, i.e. of type n or p.
- the semiconductor substrate 101 is preferably of monocrystalline silicon.
- the semiconductor substrate 101 is preferentially doped n.
- a heterojunction photovoltaic cell having an n-doped monocrystalline silicon substrate has a higher efficiency than a heterojunction photovoltaic cell having a p-doped monocrystalline silicon substrate.
- the semiconductor substrate 101 is covered with at least one semiconductor layer, doped with a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate, forming and a stack of semiconductor layers 1 10 and a PN junction.
- the stack 1 10 comprises, in addition to the substrate 101, a first semiconductor layer 102 and a second semiconductor layer 103.
- the first semiconductor layer 102 covers the front face of the substrate 101, and possibly a portion of the sidewalls of the substrate 101.
- the second semiconductor layer 103 covers the rear face of the substrate 101, and possibly a portion of the sidewalls of the substrate 101.
- the stack 1 10 has a front surface corresponding to the first semiconductor layer 102, a rear surface corresponding to the second semiconductor layer 103, and side surfaces corresponding to the sidewalls of the substrate 101, to a portion of the first semiconductor layer 102 or a portion of the second semiconductor layer 103.
- the first semiconductor layer 102 and the second semiconductor layer 103 are generally deposited on the semiconductor substrate 101 by means of a non-directive deposition technique, for example a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, also called PECVD for "Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition" in English, which explains why the semiconductor layers 102, 103 are also deposited on the sidewalls of the substrate 101.
- PECVD plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition
- the first semiconductor layer 102 has a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate 101, thus forming the emitter of the PN junction on the front face.
- the second semiconductor layer 103 is then of a conductivity type identical to that of the semiconductor substrate 101, thus forming a repulsive field on the backside, also called BSF for "Back Surface Field” in English.
- BSF Back Surface Field
- the second semiconductor layer 103 has a conductivity type opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate 101, thus forming the emitter of the PN junction on the back side.
- the first semiconductor layer 102 is then of a type of conductivity identical to that of the semiconductor substrate 101, thus forming a repulsive field on the front face, also called FSF for "Front Surface Field” in English.
- This configuration is commonly referred to as "reverse transmitter".
- the face of the photovoltaic cell comprising the repulsive field that is to say the base of the PN junction, is intended to receive metal contacts, at which the recombination rate of the charge carriers is very high.
- the role of the repulsive field is to move the minority carriers from the base of the PN junction.
- the semiconductor layer forming the repulsive field is preferably heavily doped to maximize this effect. She has such a dopant concentration of at least 10 20 cm "3.
- the semiconductor layers 102, 103 are in this photovoltaic cell example formed of amorphous silicon.
- the thickness of the semiconductor layers 102, 103 is for example of the order of 8 and 14 nm respectively in the inverted transmitter configuration.
- the stack 1 10 may comprise a larger number of semiconductor layers.
- each of the amorphous silicon semiconductor layers 102 and 103 may be juxtaposed with an intrinsic silicon layer, the intrinsic silicon layer being disposed between the semiconductor substrate 101 and the silicon 102-103 semiconductor layer. amorphous.
- amorphous silicon semiconductor layers 102, 103 The electrical conductivity of amorphous silicon semiconductor layers 102, 103 is too low to allow optimal transport of electrical charges. Thus, metal contacts can not be directly arranged on these layers. It is first necessary to deposit conductive layers electrically on the front and rear surfaces of the stack 1 10 to collect the electrical charges generated by the PN junction.
- a first electrically conductive layer 104 is deposited on the front face of the stack 1 10.
- the first electrically conductive layer 104 is generally formed of a transparent and conductive oxide, for example indium-tin, also called ITO for "Indium Tin Oxide" in English.
- a second electrically conductive layer 105 is deposited on the rear face of the stack 1 10.
- the second electrically conductive layer 105 may also be transparent, when it is desired to capture diffuse radiation from the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the second electrically conductive layer 105 is then generally formed of a transparent oxide and conductor, preferably identical to that of the first electrically conductive layer 104.
- a photovoltaic cell of this type is called "bifacial".
- the second electrically conductive layer 105 may be formed of a metal, for example silver.
- a photovoltaic cell of this type is called "monofacial".
- the first electrically conductive layer 104 and the second electrically conductive layer 105 are generally deposited by means of a non-directive deposition technique, for example by PVD .
- the electrically conductive layers 104, 105 have for example a thickness of between 50 and 300 nm.
- the first electrically conductive layer 104 and the second electrically conductive layer 105 are therefore also deposited on the side surfaces of the stack 1 10 forming electrical contacts. Therefore, the front face FS and the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell are connected by electrically conductive paths, called "shunts", located at the edges E of the photovoltaic cell.
- the photovoltaic cell is subjected to a method of electrically insulating the edges E of the heterojunction photovoltaic cell, in order to eliminate these conductive paths.
- a quantity called "shunt resistor" symbolizing the shunts between the two faces of the photovoltaic cell is increased.
- the isolation process comprises a step of mechanical abrasion E edges of the photovoltaic cell.
- material is removed on the edges E of the photovoltaic cell by rubbing an abrasive on the edges E of the photovoltaic cell.
- Figure 1B is a cross sectional view of the photovoltaic cell of Figure 1A, after the implementation of this method.
- the mechanical abrasion is performed so as to eliminate the first electrically conductive layer 104 and the second electrically conductive layer 105 disposed on the side surfaces of the stack 1 10 of semiconductor layers and forming the edges E of the photovoltaic cell. Contacts Electrical leads arising from the encounter between the first electrically conductive layer 104 and the second electrically conductive layer 105 are then destroyed. Thus, the front face FS and the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell are electrically insulated.
- the abrasion is performed so that each edge E of the photovoltaic cell forms, after abrasion, an acute angle with the front face FS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the active surface of the front face FS of the photovoltaic cell, face exposed to incident radiation remains maximum.
- the acute angle a between the front face FS and the edges E of the photovoltaic cell makes it possible to improve the quality of the insulation between the two faces of the photovoltaic cell by increasing the distance between them.
- the acute angle ⁇ is preferably between 50 ° and 88.5 °.
- the abrasion step is preferably performed in an automated manner to ensure better control of the angle.
- the abrasion of the edges E of the photovoltaic cell is preferably carried out over a thickness of between 5 ⁇ and 50 ⁇ , that is to say that 5 to 50 ⁇ of material are removed on the edges E of the photovoltaic cell. .
- This material removed corresponds mainly to the materials of the conductive layers 104, 105.
- the thickness of material removed is of the same order of magnitude as that of the conductive layers 104, 105.
- the thickness of the abraded material is sufficient to completely eliminate the first electrically conductive layer 104 and the second electrically conductive layer 105 on the E edges. of the photovoltaic cell while minimizing the loss of surface on the front face FS and the rear face BS of the photovoltaic cell.
- the prior art technique using a laser can remove up to 1 mm of material on the edges of the photovoltaic cell.
- the amorphous silicon semiconductor layers 102, 103 on the sides of the monocrystalline silicon 101 semiconductor substrate 101 are not completely removed to protect the substrate 101. This is not detrimental to the quality of the insulation, because these layers are much less electrically conductive than the conductive layers 104, 105 of transparent oxide. Thus, unlike Prior art isolation methods, mechanical abrasion limits the creation of structural defects on the semiconductor substrate 101.
- the abrasive used during the abrasion step is preferably in the form of a sandpaper.
- the semiconductor substrate 101 is textured, that is to say that it has patterns on the surface in order to reduce the reflection of the incident radiation.
- the abrasive comprises grains preferably having dimensions of the same order of magnitude as those of the surface patterns of the substrate. Thus, the elimination of matter is better controlled.
- the surface patterns of the semiconductor substrate 101 are generally of pyramidal shape.
- the dimensions of the surface patterns of the substrate, and therefore the grain size of the abrasive, are for example of the order of 10 ⁇ .
- the grains of the abrasive are, for example, silicon carbide grains or diamond grains.
- the method of manufacturing the heterojunction photovoltaic cell advantageously comprises a step of cleaning the edges E of the photovoltaic cell to remove these particles.
- the cleaning step E edges of the photovoltaic cell can be performed during or after the abrasion step.
- the cleaning step comprises for example an operation of rinsing the edges E of the photovoltaic cell by means of deionized water or alcohol such as isopropanol.
- the step of cleaning the edges E of the photovoltaic cell may further comprise an operation for blowing a compressed gas, for example air or an inert gas, onto the abraded (or abrasion-abraded) edges of the photovoltaic cell. the photovoltaic cell.
- the manufacturing method may further comprise a passivation step E edges of the photovoltaic cell to limit the surface recombination mechanism of the charge carriers.
- the passivation step is performed after the step of isolating the edges E of the photovoltaic cell. It consists of rendering the edges E of the photovoltaic cell electrically inactive by forming an oxide therein.
- Curves of the form factor FF of a heterojunction photovoltaic cell in an inverted transmitter configuration are illustrated in FIG. 2.
- the curves are plotted as a function of illumination, and correspond to two methods. isolation of the edges of the photovoltaic cell different, performed on the same photovoltaic cell structure.
- FIG. 2 shows a first curve 201 corresponding to a photovoltaic cell isolated by a technique of the prior art, by using a laser to trace a groove around the periphery of the rear face of the photovoltaic cell, and a second curve 202 corresponding to a photovoltaic cell insulated by mechanical abrasion according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
- the values of the form factor FF on these two curves 201, 202 are normalized with respect to the value of the shape factor obtained by the photovoltaic cell whose edges E have been isolated by laser, at an illumination of 1000 W / m 2 .
- the form factor FF of a photovoltaic cell expresses the ratio between the actual power delivered by the photovoltaic cell and the ideal power of the photovoltaic cell, according to the following equation:
- V max is the maximum voltage of the photovoltaic cell
- l ma x is the maximum current of the photovoltaic cell
- V co is the open circuit voltage of the photovoltaic cell
- l cc is the short-circuit current of the cell photovoltaic.
- the form factor FF is limited by parasitic resistances including shunt resistance.
- good electrical insulation of the edges E of the photovoltaic cell results in an improvement of the form factor FF of the photovoltaic cell.
- a significant improvement in the form factor FF can be seen when the edges E of the photovoltaic cell are isolated by mechanical abrasion rather than by laser.
- the improvement of the FF form factor, greater than three points, is particularly important for low illumination.
- photovoltaic cells are generally interconnected by electrical ribbons.
- Photovoltaic cells are for example put in series by connecting the front face of a photovoltaic cell with the rear face of the next photovoltaic cell, and so on. During this setting in module, the edges of the photovoltaic cells are likely to come into contact between the ribbons interconnecting the photovoltaic cells.
- Removing the conductive layers on the edges of the photovoltaic cell here makes it possible to reduce the risk of a short circuit between the ribbons interconnecting the photovoltaic cells of the module and the edges of the photovoltaic cells.
- the invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the figures and variants could be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention.
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- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
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- Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR1555938A FR3038143B1 (fr) | 2015-06-26 | 2015-06-26 | Procede d'isolation des bords d'une cellule photovoltaique a heterojonction |
PCT/FR2016/051516 WO2016207539A1 (fr) | 2015-06-26 | 2016-06-21 | Procede d'isolation des bords d'une cellule photovoltaique a heterojonction |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP3314670A1 true EP3314670A1 (de) | 2018-05-02 |
Family
ID=54937172
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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EP16735926.4A Withdrawn EP3314670A1 (de) | 2015-06-26 | 2016-06-21 | Verfahren zur isolierung der kanten einer fotovoltaischen zelle mit heteroübergang |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP3314670A1 (de) |
FR (1) | FR3038143B1 (de) |
TW (1) | TW201709545A (de) |
WO (1) | WO2016207539A1 (de) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN108511539B (zh) * | 2017-02-28 | 2020-02-04 | 比亚迪股份有限公司 | 一种太阳能电池片制备方法 |
CN117423754B (zh) * | 2023-12-19 | 2024-04-23 | 天合光能股份有限公司 | 异质结电池及其制作方法、光伏组件及光伏系统 |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP3349308B2 (ja) * | 1995-10-26 | 2002-11-25 | 三洋電機株式会社 | 光起電力素子 |
JP5642355B2 (ja) * | 2009-03-27 | 2014-12-17 | 三洋電機株式会社 | 太陽電池モジュール |
EP2450970A1 (de) * | 2010-11-05 | 2012-05-09 | Roth & Rau AG | Kantenisolierung mittels Abziehen |
ES2873473T5 (es) | 2012-07-02 | 2024-06-07 | Meyer Burger Germany Gmbh | Procedimientos de fabricación de células solares de heterounión con aislamiento de bordes |
-
2015
- 2015-06-26 FR FR1555938A patent/FR3038143B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2016
- 2016-06-21 EP EP16735926.4A patent/EP3314670A1/de not_active Withdrawn
- 2016-06-21 WO PCT/FR2016/051516 patent/WO2016207539A1/fr active Application Filing
- 2016-06-24 TW TW105119932A patent/TW201709545A/zh unknown
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2016207539A1 (fr) | 2016-12-29 |
TW201709545A (zh) | 2017-03-01 |
FR3038143A1 (fr) | 2016-12-30 |
FR3038143B1 (fr) | 2017-07-21 |
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