JP2005108884A - Process for producing solar cell element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a production process of a solar cell element in which cost reduction is realized by protecting a solar cell element substrate against damage when etching residue is removed after micro protrusions/recesses are formed by dry etching thereby preventing the yield of process from lowering. <P>SOLUTION: In the production process of a solar cell element comprising a step for forming micro protrusions/recesses on one major surface side of a semiconductor substrate having one conductivity type by dry etching and a step for providing a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on one major surface side of a semiconductor substrate, the amount being dry etched is limited to 0.015 mg per 1 cm<SP>2</SP>of substrate area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solar cell element, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a solar cell element having fine irregularities and a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate.

  A solar cell converts incident light energy into electrical energy. Major solar cells are classified into crystalline, amorphous, and compound types depending on the type of materials used. Of these, most of those currently on the market are crystalline silicon solar cells.

  This crystalline silicon solar cell is further classified into a single crystal type and a polycrystalline type. The single crystal silicon solar cell has the advantage that it is easy to increase the efficiency because the quality of the single crystal silicon substrate forming the solar cell is good, but has the disadvantage that the production of the substrate is expensive. On the other hand, a polycrystalline silicon solar cell has an advantage that it can be manufactured at a low cost although there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to achieve high efficiency because the quality of the polycrystalline silicon substrate forming the solar cell is inferior. In recent years, conversion efficiency of about 18% has been achieved at the research level due to the improvement of the quality of the polycrystalline silicon substrate and the advancement of cell technology.

  On the other hand, mass-produced polycrystalline silicon solar cells have been distributed in the market because of their low cost. However, in recent years, demand has increased further as environmental issues have been addressed, resulting in higher conversion efficiency at lower costs. Is now required.

  Various attempts have been made for solar cells in order to improve the conversion efficiency into electric energy. One of them is a technique for reducing the reflection of light incident on the surface of the solar cell element, and the efficiency of conversion into electric energy can be increased by reducing the reflection of light on the surface of the solar cell element.

  When a solar cell element is formed using a silicon substrate, if one main surface side of the substrate is etched with an alkaline aqueous solution such as sodium hydroxide, fine irregularities are formed on the one main surface side of the substrate, and reflection can be reduced to some extent. . For example, when a single crystal silicon substrate having a (100) plane orientation is used, a pyramid structure called a texture structure can be uniformly formed on one main surface side of the substrate by such a method. However, since etching with an alkaline aqueous solution depends on the crystal plane orientation, when a solar cell element is formed on a polycrystalline silicon substrate, the pyramid structure cannot be formed uniformly, and therefore the overall reflectivity is also effective. There is a problem that it cannot be reduced.

  In order to solve such a problem, when a solar cell element is formed of polycrystalline silicon, fine irregularities are formed on the surface by a reactive ion etching method which is a kind of dry etching. Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). That is, the fine irregularities are uniformly formed regardless of the plane orientation of the irregular crystal in the polycrystalline silicon, and the reflectance is more effectively reduced even in the solar cell element using the polycrystalline silicon. It is.

  Silicon is basically vaporized when it is etched, but some of the silicon is not vaporized and molecules are adsorbed and remain as etching residues on the surface of the substrate. In other words, when the surface of the substrate is roughened by a reactive ion etching method and a similar dry etching method, the rate at which the etching residue mainly composed of the etched semiconductor material is reattached to the surface of the substrate is accelerated. By using this as an etching micromask, fine irregularities can be formed on the surface of the substrate.

When this method is used, even when a polycrystalline silicon substrate is used, it is difficult to be affected by the plane orientation, and it is possible to form substantially uniform irregularities on the surface, reducing the reflection of the solar cell element and improving the conversion efficiency. Can do.
JP-A-9-102625

  In order to form fine irregularities on the surface of the semiconductor substrate by this dry etching method, it is necessary to simultaneously form etching residues on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Using this etching residue as a micromask, fine irregularities are formed. However, if this etching residue remains on the substrate, unevenness may occur during later steps, for example, when an antireflection film is formed. Further, the etching residue may shield the light and cause the conversion efficiency of the solar cell to decrease.

  Therefore, conventionally, ultrasonic cleaning in water has been performed to remove the etching residue. In this method, a tray on which a solar cell element substrate is placed is immersed in water, and an ultrasonic wave is applied from above to remove an etching residue. In addition, when removing etching residues continuously, for example, a solar cell element substrate is placed on a tray fixed to a rotating belt or chain and immersed in water so that the ultrasonic horn portion passes continuously. What is necessary is just to comprise (for example, refer Japanese Patent Application 2002-73057 specification etc.).

  However, such a method for removing etching residues is a method of physically removing the etching residue using ultrasonic waves, so that the solar cell element substrate is easily damaged, and the yield of the process such as generation of cracks and chips is increased. It was a factor to decrease. Furthermore, since it is necessary to provide a separate ultrasonic cleaning process, there has been a problem in terms of cost reduction.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and prevents the solar cell element substrate from being damaged and at the same time realizes cost reduction by preventing a decrease in process yield. An object is to provide a method for manufacturing an element.

In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an unevenness forming step of forming fine unevenness by dry etching on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate having one conductivity type. In the method of manufacturing a solar cell element, comprising the step of forming a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region in which a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region is provided on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate, the amount etched by the dry etching is per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area. It is characterized by not exceeding 0.015 mg.

  Conventionally, with such a small amount of etching, the etching residue was too small, and it was thought that the etching residue could not act as a micromask during dry etching and could not contribute to the formation of fine irregularities. However, as a result of repeating the experiment, the inventor has found that fine unevenness can be sufficiently formed even with such a small amount of etching.

  Within this range, even if etching residues remain, the incident light is blocked and shadows are created on the light receiving surface, so that the conversion efficiency is not adversely affected. Even if an etching residue removal step is not performed, the device characteristics of the solar cell are not affected, and there is no practical problem.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a solar cell element, comprising: forming an uneven surface by dry etching on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate having one conductivity type; Subsequently, in the method of manufacturing a solar cell element including a reverse conductivity type semiconductor forming step of providing a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate, the unevenness forming step is etched by the dry etching. A step of forming fine irregularities while preventing the amount from exceeding 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area, and then a first oxide film removing step of removing the oxide film of the semiconductor substrate, Forming a reverse-conductivity-type semiconductor region by heating the semiconductor substrate and thermally diffusing reverse-conductivity-type impurities; And a second oxide film removing step for removing the oxide film on the body substrate.

  As a result, even if etching residues remain, the incident light is blocked and shadows are created on the light receiving surface, so that conversion efficiency is not adversely affected. Even if this step is not performed, the element characteristics of the solar cell are not affected, and there is no practical problem.

  In addition, since the thermal diffusion process and the two oxide film removal processes are performed, at least a part of the etching residue generated by the dry etching is removed in the first oxide film removal process and / or the second oxide film removal process. It is possible to remove the etching residue without fail.

  Further, in these oxide film removal steps, the removal of the etching residue and the removal of the oxide film on the fine unevenness are simultaneously performed, so that it is possible to reliably remove the etching residue, and in the next step, Processing can be performed in a purified state.

  Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 3 of the present invention is the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 2, wherein in the first oxide film removing step, the natural oxide film on the semiconductor substrate is removed. In the second oxide film removing step, the thermal oxide film generated on the semiconductor substrate by the thermal diffusion is removed.

  The etching residue is very fine and is easily oxidized. Therefore, in the first oxide film removal step, the portion of the etching residue that has become a natural oxide film is removed, and in the second oxide film removal step, the remaining etching residue is almost completely oxidized by heating by thermal diffusion. Since this is removed after the etching, the etching residue can be almost completely removed.

  And the manufacturing method of the solar cell element concerning Claim 4 of this invention is a manufacturing method of the solar cell element of Claim 2 or 3, Said 1st oxide film removal process and / or said 2nd oxidation. In the film removal step, a solution containing hydrofluoric acid is used.

  Since the oxide film is removed using the solution containing hydrofluoric acid as described above, the silicon oxide film can be efficiently removed particularly in a silicon-based solar cell, and at the same time, the oxidized etching residue is surely obtained. Can be removed.

  In the present invention, dry etching refers to all etching methods using plasma.

  By the way, the reason why the above-described excellent action can be obtained by the configuration of the present invention is estimated as follows.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic view in which fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the solar cell element under the conventional dry etching conditions. 2A shows a state immediately after fine irregularities are formed by dry etching, FIG. 2B shows a state where etching residues are removed by conventional ultrasonic cleaning, and FIG. 2C shows an acid treatment. It is the state when.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, when dry etching is performed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5, the etching residue 1 of the semiconductor substrate 5 is formed on the projections 3 with fine irregularities via the pillars 2. . This etching residue 1 becomes a micromask, and fine irregularities are formed during dry etching.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the etching residue 1 remaining on the projections 3 with fine irregularities is removed by ultrasonic cleaning, for example, a pillar portion is generated from the impact on the substrate by ultrasonic cleaning. 2 or the tip of the protruding portion 3 may be cracked 3a or chipped 3b.

  Then, in a later step, the natural oxide film is removed for the purpose of cleaning the substrate surface, or impurities are diffused to form a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on the surface, and then the oxide film formed on the surface at the time of diffusion When hydrofluoric acid treatment or the like is performed to remove the oxide, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the oxide film is removed, and at the same time, the upper pillar portion 2 is also etched, and the projections of fine irregularities The portion 3 becomes slightly smooth, but if damage such as the crack 3a or the chip 3b is generated in the previous step, the damage may be advanced by the acid treatment.

  As described above, the conventional method for cleaning physical etching residues using ultrasonic cleaning causes damage to the substrate, resulting in deterioration of characteristics, and causes generation of microcracks to cause cracks and chipping. It was.

  The effect of this invention with respect to this is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram in which fine irregularities are formed on the surface of a solar cell element by the method for producing a solar cell element according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 (a) is a state immediately after fine irregularities are formed by dry etching. FIG. 1B shows a state in which fine irregularities are formed and then an acid treatment is performed to remove a natural oxide film. FIG. 1C shows a state in which an impurity is thermally diffused to form a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on the surface. This is the state when the acid treatment was performed later. In FIG. 1, the reference numerals are the same as those in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 1A, when fine irregularities 6 are formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 by dry etching, the etching residue 1 of the semiconductor substrate 5 is formed on the projections 3 with fine irregularities via the pillars 2. Formed on top. Up to this point, it is the same as the conventional case of FIG. 2A, but in the present invention, the amount etched by dry etching does not exceed 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area. Compared to the conventional case shown in FIG. 2A, the amount of the etching residue 1 is small, and the height of the projections 3 with fine irregularities formed is low.

  According to the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 1 of the present invention, there is an excellent effect that there is no adverse effect on the element characteristics of the solar cell even if the step of removing the etching residue 1 is not particularly provided in this state. . The reason for this is not clear, but since the size of the etching residue 1 is very small compared to the conventional case shown in FIG. 2A, diffraction occurs when sunlight enters the solar cell element, and etching is performed. It is presumed that there is a possibility that light also wraps around the shaded portion of the residue 1. Furthermore, since the size of the pillar portion 2 supporting the etching residue 1 is also very small, the etching residue 1 may be removed from the pillar portion 2 and eventually removed in a later step (not specified). However, it may be higher than the conventional case of FIG.

  And in Claims 2-4 of this invention, after forming fine unevenness | corrugation on the dry etching conditions shown to Fig.1 (a), after forming fine unevenness | corrugation as shown in FIG.1 (b), it is acid 1st oxide film removal process which removes a natural oxide film by performing a treatment, and an acid treatment is performed after an impurity is thermally diffused to form a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on the surface as shown in FIG. A second oxide film removing step for removing the oxide film is provided. In the case of the present invention, since the etching residue 1 placed on the fine uneven projection 3 is very small, the ratio of the surface area to the volume is very large, and it is considered that it is more easily oxidized than in the conventional case. Therefore, the etching residue 1 is surely removed as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C through these oxide removal steps. That is, even if the first oxide removal process in FIG. 1B cannot be removed, the etching residue 1 is oxidized by the heat generated when the impurities are thermally diffused in the reverse conductivity type semiconductor formation process. Then, it is removed in the second oxide removing step of FIG.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, since there is no physical etching residue removal process by ultrasonic cleaning or the like that has been conventionally performed, the substrate is damaged, the characteristics are deteriorated, or microcracks are generated. No cracking or chipping.

  As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 1 of the present invention, there is no adverse effect on the element characteristics of the solar cell without providing an etching residue removal step by ultrasonic cleaning. Since the etching residue is likely to be reduced in a subsequent process, a physical residue removal process such as ultrasonic cleaning which has been conventionally performed becomes unnecessary. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deterioration in characteristics due to damage given to the substrate, cracks due to generation of microcracks, and chipping. Therefore, the yield of solar cell elements can be improved. Furthermore, by eliminating residue removal by ultrasonic cleaning, the number of steps can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

  In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 2 of the present invention, in addition to the effect of claim 1 described above, it is possible to remove the etching residue almost completely in a later step, and more reliably. The effects of the present invention can be achieved. In the first oxide film removal step, the removal of the etching residue and the removal of the oxide film are performed at the same time, so that the etching residue can be surely removed, and in the next reverse conductivity type semiconductor formation step Since it becomes possible to form the diffusion layer of the reverse conductivity type semiconductor having an arbitrary sheet resistance in a cleaned state, it is possible to form a high-performance solar cell element by a simple process. Furthermore, in the second oxide film removal step, the etching residue is removed and the oxide film is removed, so that the etching residue can be surely removed and the subsequent steps, for example, the electrode formation step, etc. Since it becomes possible to form an electrode on a reverse conductivity type semiconductor in a state cleaned in step 1, it is possible to form a solar cell element having high characteristics by a simple process.

  Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the first oxide film removing step, a portion that has become a natural oxide film is removed from the etching residue, and the second oxide film is removed. In the process, since the remaining etching residue is almost completely oxidized by heating by thermal diffusion and then removed, the etching residue can be removed almost completely. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the etching residue almost completely, and to form a high-performance solar cell element having high conversion efficiency without causing unevenness in the subsequent process, for example, when forming the antireflection film. It becomes possible.

  According to the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 4 of the present invention, since the oxide film is removed using a solution containing hydrofluoric acid, the silicon oxide film particularly in a silicon-based solar cell. Can be efficiently removed, and at the same time, the oxidized etching residue can be surely removed.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a solar cell element formed by the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, 4 is a reverse conductivity type semiconductor region, 5 is a semiconductor substrate, 6 is fine irregularities, 7 is an antireflection film, 8 is a high concentration diffusion layer (BSF: Back Surface Field), and 9 is a surface electrode. Reference numeral 10 denotes a back electrode.

  In the present invention, a polycrystalline silicon substrate has been described as an example, but any type of bulk solar cell using a crystalline substrate may be used.

  The semiconductor substrate 5 may be either p-type or n-type, but here, for convenience, a p-type semiconductor silicon substrate containing B (boron) as a doping impurity element will be described.

  As the ingot for cutting out the substrate, a single crystal silicon ingot made by a method such as the CZ method, the FZ method, or the EFG method, or a polycrystalline silicon ingot cast by a cast method can be used. Polycrystalline silicon can be mass-produced and is extremely advantageous over single-crystal silicon in terms of manufacturing cost.

  By the above-described method, the formed ingot is sliced to a thickness of about 300 μm and cut into a size of about 15 cm × 15 cm to obtain the semiconductor substrate 5.

  In addition, the doping of the semiconductor substrate 5 may include an appropriate amount of a doping impurity element at the time of manufacturing a silicon ingot, or may include an appropriate amount of a silicon block whose doping concentration is already known.

  Next, as a concavo-convex forming step, fine concavo-convex 6 is formed on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate 5 by dry etching in order to effectively capture incident light without reflecting it. This is because a gas is introduced into a vacuumed chamber and kept at a constant pressure, and RF power is applied to an electrode provided in the chamber to generate plasma, and the generated active species such as ions and radicals. The surface of the substrate is etched by this action. This method is called a reactive ion etching (RIE) method.

  FIG. 4 shows a reactive ion etching apparatus. The inside of the chamber 17 that is grounded 16 is sufficiently evacuated by the vacuum pump 14, and then a predetermined flow rate of etching gas is introduced into the chamber 17 by the mass flow controller 11, and the pressure regulator 13 adjusts to a predetermined pressure. . Thereafter, by supplying RF power from the RF power source 15 to the RF electrode 12, the etching gas is excited and decomposed to generate plasma. Then, ions and radicals are excited and activated, and the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 placed on the RF electrode 12 is etched.

  Of the generated active species, a method that increases the effect of ions on etching is generally called a reactive ion etching method. Plasma etching is a similar method, but the principle of plasma generation is basically the same, and the distribution of active species acting on the substrate is changed to a different distribution depending on the chamber structure, electrode structure, or generation frequency. It ’s just that. Therefore, the present invention is effective not only for the reactive ion etching method but also for the whole plasma etching method.

Here, for example, in a reactive ion etching apparatus, RF power is applied while flowing chlorine (Cl ₂ ), oxygen (O ₂ ), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF ₆ ) at a ratio of 1: 5: 5. Plasma is generated, the reaction pressure is set to 7 Pa, and etching is performed for a predetermined time. As a result, fine irregularities 6 are formed on the surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate 5.

  Silicon is basically vaporized when it is etched, but some of the silicon is not completely vaporized and molecules are adsorbed and remain as etching residues on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5. In other words, when the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 is roughened by a reactive ion etching method or a similar dry etching method, the rate at which an etching residue mainly composed of the etched semiconductor material is reattached to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5. By using this as an etching micromask, fine irregularities 6 are formed on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate 5.

  Further, if the gas conditions, reaction pressure, RF power, etc. are set such that silicon etching residues remain on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5, the fine irregularities 6 can be formed reliably. Conversely, it is difficult to form fine irregularities 6 under the condition that no etching residue remains on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5.

  The aspect ratio (height / width) of the fine irregularities 6 needs to be optimized, and is preferably in the range of 0.1-2. When this range is exceeded, there is a problem that fine irregularities 6 are damaged during the manufacturing process of the solar cell element, and when the solar cell element is formed, there is a problem that a leakage current increases and good output characteristics cannot be obtained. Then, for example, there is a problem that the average reflectance of light having a wavelength of 500 to 1000 nm is about 25% and the reflectance on the substrate surface is increased.

  In the method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to the present invention, an etching residue is generated on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 when fine irregularities 6 are formed by dry etching in this irregularity forming step. When it is assumed that the etching residue has been removed, it is necessary to adjust so as not to exceed 0.015 mg. Within this range, even with such a small amount of etching, the fine irregularities 6 can be sufficiently formed, and the etching residue does not block the incident light so as to make a shadow on the light receiving surface and do not adversely affect the conversion efficiency. . In addition to this, a physical etching residue removal step by ultrasonic cleaning or the like, which has been conventionally performed, becomes unnecessary.

  The etching amount is desirably 0.001 mg or more. If it is less than this range, the etching residue becomes too small, and the effect of acting as a micromask during dry etching and contributing to the formation of fine irregularities 6 is reduced.

  In order to set the etching amount within the above range, dry etching is performed in advance under predetermined conditions to form fine irregularities 6, and the etching amount under such etching conditions is measured. A calibration curve should be created by obtaining the correlation. For the measurement of the etching amount, the etching residue may be removed from the substrate after etching by, for example, ultrasonic cleaning, and compared with the weight before etching. Further, instead of ultrasonic cleaning, for example, the weight before and after etching may be confirmed after removal using a brush. The confirmation of whether or not the etching residue has been removed may be observed using, for example, a scanning electron microscope.

The following method may be used as a dry etching condition so that the amount of etching residue does not exceed 0.015 mg per unit area (1 cm ² ). First, when forming the fine unevenness 6 by reactive ion etching, for example, chlorine (Cl ₂ ), oxygen (O ₂ ), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF ₆ ) are flowed at a ratio of about 1: 5: 5, Etching is performed for a predetermined time at a reaction pressure of 7 Pa. Here, the amount of etching residue can be reduced by reducing the etching time, reducing the RF power, or lowering the overall gas flow rate. Even if the gas flow rate balance is changed, the amount of etching residue can be reduced.

  If the etching conditions are changed, the etching shape also changes. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the etching conditions, the size and shape of the unevenness, and the amount of residue so that the characteristics of the solar cell are not deteriorated.

  Next, the oxide film is removed from the semiconductor substrate 5 by the first oxide film removal step. In particular, since the fine irregularities 6 have a large surface area, a natural oxide film is easily formed on the surface. By removing this, a semiconductor junction layer can be formed on a clean surface in the reverse-conductivity-type semiconductor forming step, which is a subsequent step, and the characteristics of the solar cell element are improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the method for manufacturing a solar cell element of the present invention, the etching residue 1 generated in the unevenness forming process by dry etching is simultaneously removed in this oxide film removing process. In the case of the present invention, the etching residue 1 placed on the fine uneven protrusion 3 is:
Since it is very small, the ratio of the surface area to the volume becomes large, and oxidation tends to proceed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, the first oxide film removal step can be very easily removed.

  Furthermore, in the method for producing a solar cell element of the present invention, this oxide film removing step is carried out in a solution containing hydrofluoric acid, for example, an aqueous solution of 0.1 to 50% by weight hydrofluoric acid, or a mixed acid (hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid). It is desirable that the wet etching process be performed, for example, in a ratio of 1:10. Thus, in the oxide film removal step, if a solution containing hydrofluoric acid is used, the silicon oxide film can be efficiently removed particularly in a silicon-based solar cell, and at the same time, the oxidized etching residue is also reliably removed. be able to.

  Thereafter, as a reverse conductivity type semiconductor formation step for forming a PN junction, the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region is provided on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate 5 having one conductivity type, that is, on the same surface side as the above-described fine irregularities 6 are provided. 4 is formed.

The formation of the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 is generally performed by flowing POCl ₃ (phosphorus oxychloride) using a carrier gas while heating in a container provided with a semiconductor substrate 5 as a vapor phase diffusion method. Phosphorous glass is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 and, at the same time, thermal diffusion to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 is also performed.

  In addition, another method includes coating diffusion, which is performed by applying a thin film serving as an impurity diffusion source on the semiconductor substrate 5 by spin coating or the like, and thermally diffusing this by heat treatment to form the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4. It is a method of forming. The present invention is effective for any of the methods for diffusion of impurities by forming a high-concentration impurity diffusion source on the surface as described above, or by simultaneously performing a heat treatment.

When the thermal diffusion method using POCl ₃ as a diffusion source is used, the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 is formed by diffusing a doping impurity element on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 at a temperature of about 700 to 1000 ° C., for example. Can do. At this time, the thickness of the diffusion layer is about 0.2 to 1 μm, and this can be set to a desired thickness by adjusting the diffusion temperature and the diffusion time.

  In a normal diffusion method, a diffusion region is also formed on the surface opposite to the target surface and the edge portion of the substrate, but this portion may be etched later or removed by sandblasting or the like. Alternatively, as will be described later, when the high-concentration diffusion layer 8 on the back surface side is formed of an Al paste, Al having a high diffusion coefficient and a p-type doping impurity element can be diffused to a sufficient concentration and a sufficient depth. Therefore, the influence of the diffusion region of the n-type reverse conductivity type in the shallow region already diffused is negligible.

  The sheet resistance on the surface side of the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 is preferably about 60 to 300 Ω / □. This value can be measured by the four probe method. That is, when four metal needles arranged in a straight line are brought into contact with the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5 while being pressed, and a current is passed through the two outer needles, a voltage generated between the two inner needles is generated. Measure the resistance value from this voltage and the flowing current according to Ohm's law.

  By setting the value of the sheet resistance to 60 to 300Ω / □, the short-circuit current when the solar cell is formed can be greatly increased. The reason is estimated as follows. First, when the fine unevenness 6 as described above is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5, the reverse conductivity type semiconductor impurity is diffused to the surface side of the semiconductor substrate 5 as compared with the case where such an unevenness 6 is not formed. The reverse conductivity type semiconductor impurities are deep and diffused in large quantities. Therefore, the semiconductor junction is formed in a deep place away from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5, and it is difficult for light to reach the semiconductor junction and the short-circuit current is not improved. As described above, when a large number of fine irregularities 6 are formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 5, if the sheet resistance value of the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate 5 is set to be higher than that of the conventional product, the semiconductor junction becomes the semiconductor substrate. 5, the short circuit current value can be improved. Here, when the sheet resistance value on the substrate surface is less than 60Ω / □, the short-circuit current decreases, and when it exceeds 300Ω / □, the reverse conductivity type semiconductor impurities are uniformly diffused over the entire surface side of the semiconductor substrate 5. Because it becomes difficult, it is unsuitable.

  In the method for manufacturing a solar cell element of the present invention, when the reverse conductivity type semiconductor forming step is performed by thermal diffusion, it is generated by dry etching, which is the previous step, and is completely removed by the first oxide film removing step. Etching residues that could not be removed are further oxidized during thermal diffusion. This oxidized etching residue can be almost completely removed in the second oxide film removing step described later.

  Next, the oxide film is removed from the semiconductor substrate 5 by a second oxide film removal step. In particular, in the reverse conductivity type semiconductor forming step, an oxide film is easily formed on the semiconductor substrate 5 by thermal diffusion. By removing this, it is possible to perform a necessary process on a clean surface in a subsequent process, for example, an antireflection film forming process or an electrode forming process, thereby improving the characteristics of the formed solar cell element. To do.

  Further, as described in FIG. 1, in the method for manufacturing a solar cell element of the present invention, the etching residue 1 generated by dry etching and not completely removed in the first oxide film removing step is Upon diffusion, it is further oxidized by heat. Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, the second oxide film removal step can be removed very easily.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a solar cell element of the present invention, the second oxide film removing step is a solution containing hydrofluoric acid, for example, 0.1 to 50% by weight, like the second oxide film removing step. It is desirable that the wet etching process be performed using an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid or a mixed acid (a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid in a ratio of 1:10, for example). Thus, in the oxide film removal step, if a solution containing hydrofluoric acid is used, the silicon oxide film can be efficiently removed particularly in a silicon-based solar cell, and at the same time, the oxidized etching residue is also reliably removed. be able to.

Next, the high concentration diffusion layer 8 on the back side is formed. B or Al can be used as the impurity element, and an ohmic contact can be obtained with the back electrode 10 described later by setting the impurity element concentration to a high concentration and making it a p ⁺ type.

As a manufacturing method, a thermal diffusion method using BBr ₃ as a diffusion source is used and formed at a temperature of about 800 to 1100 ° C. In particular, in the case of Al, an Al paste made of Al powder and glass frit, an organic solvent, a binder, etc. After the coating, a method in which Al is diffused by heat treatment (firing) at a temperature of about 700 to 850 ° C. can be used. When the high-concentration diffusion layer 8 on the back surface side is formed by a thermal diffusion method, a diffusion barrier such as an oxide film is formed in advance on the surface side of the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 already formed. Is desirable. If a method of printing and baking Al paste is used, not only a desired diffusion layer can be formed only on the printed surface, but also on the back side simultaneously with the formation of the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 as already described. It is possible to eliminate the need to remove the n-type reverse conductivity type diffusion layer.

  Next, an antireflection film 7 is formed. The antireflection film 7 can be formed by plasma CVD, vapor deposition, sputtering, or the like. Usually, it forms at about 400-500 degreeC using plasma CVD method.

As the material of the antireflection film 7, a Si ₃ N ₄ film, a TiO ₂ film, a SiO ₂ film, a MgO film, an ITO film, a SnO ₂ film, a ZnO film, or the like can be used. In general, the Si ₃ N ₄ film is preferably used because it has passivation properties. As a raw material gas, a mixed gas of silane and ammonia is converted into plasma by RF or microwave to generate Si ₃ N ₄ for reflection. The prevention film 7 is formed.

Note that the thickness of the antireflection film 7 is appropriately selected depending on the material, and it is only necessary to realize a non-reflection condition for incident light. That is, if the refractive index of the material is n and the wavelength of the spectral region to be made non-reflective is λ, d that satisfies (λ / n) / 4 = d is the optimum film thickness of the antireflection film 7. For example, in the case of a commonly used Si ₃ N ₄ film (n = about 2), if the non-reflection target wavelength is 600 nm, the film thickness may be about 75 nm.

In the present invention, the etching residue at the time of dry etching generated in the concavo-convex forming step, which is the previous step, is set so that the etching amount at the time of dry etching does not exceed 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area. In this process, since the etching residue is reduced, the amount of the etching residue is very small, so that unevenness does not occur when the antireflection film 7 is formed.

  After the antireflection film 7 is formed, the front electrode 9 and the back electrode 10 are formed. As a manufacturing method of these electrodes, a film forming process using a thick film such as a printing method using a paste containing a metal such as Ag or a film forming process using a vacuum process such as a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method may be used. it can.

  The material of the surface electrode 9 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to use a material containing at least one low-resistance metal such as Ag, Cu, or Al. Further, the material of the back electrode 10 is not particularly limited. However, when a silicon-based solar cell is used, it is desirable to use a metal whose main component is Ag having a high reflectance with respect to silicon. These electrode materials are not limited to one type, and a plurality of materials can be laminated or mixed according to the purpose. For example, if a metal layer mainly composed of Ti is inserted at the interface between the electrode and the semiconductor, the adhesive strength of the electrode can be increased.

  In addition, the electrode material pattern may be a pattern generally used for collecting current from the solar cell element, for example, a general comb pattern in the case of the surface electrode 9. Furthermore, the material and shape of the mask for making the electrode into a predetermined shape are not particularly limited, and any mask can be used as long as it does not significantly affect the internal atmosphere. From the viewpoint of the workability of the mask in accordance with the electrode pattern, it is easy to make it from metal.

  It should be noted that the solar cell element produced as described above is usually a weather-resistant material in a state where a plurality of series and parallel electrical connections are made so that the required output voltage and output current can be obtained. It is covered with a solar cell module. For example, a light transmissive plate such as a glass plate or a synthetic resin plate is disposed on the light receiving surface of the solar cell element, and a film made of Teflon (R) (a registered trademark of DuPont) or PVF is formed on the non-light receiving surface as the back surface. A weather-resistant film such as (polyvinyl fluoride) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is applied. A transparent synthetic resin made of, for example, EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin) is interposed as a filler between the light transmission plate and the weather resistant film. Then, the light transmitting plate, the solar cell element, and the weatherproof film are stacked on the main body so as to sandwich the frame made of aluminum, SUS, or the like around each side, so that the strength of the entire solar cell module is increased. It is increasing.

  Furthermore, a plurality of such solar cell modules are arranged to form a solar cell array, and the electric power generated by the solar cell array is transmitted to an inverter for grid interconnection and supplied to a general AC load, or It is now possible to sell electricity to power companies through grid connection.

Since the solar cell element produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention is such that the amount etched by dry etching does not exceed 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area, the light incident on the solar cell element is The conversion efficiency is not adversely affected by shadowing the light receiving surface by being blocked by the etching residue. In addition, since the amount of etching residue is very small, there is no adverse effect on the element characteristics of the solar cell without providing the etching residue removal step by conventional ultrasonic cleaning. Since it is easy to reduce, the physical residue removal process by the ultrasonic cleaning etc. which was performed conventionally becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration in characteristics due to damage given to the substrate, cracks due to generation of microcracks, and chipping, and to improve the yield of solar cell elements. Furthermore, by eliminating residue removal by ultrasonic cleaning, the number of steps can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

  In the manufacturing process, if the thermal diffusion process and the two oxide film removal processes are performed, at least a part of the etching residue generated by the dry etching is removed from the first oxide film removal process and / or the second oxidation film. The film can be removed in the film removal step, and the remaining etching residue can be reliably removed. And since it becomes possible to process in the state cleaned in the process following these oxide film removal processes, for example, a reverse conductivity type semiconductor formation process, an electrode formation process, etc., a high-performance solar cell element can be simplified. It is possible to form by a simple process.

  It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the above description, the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region 4 is provided on the semiconductor substrate 5 and then the high-concentration diffusion layer 8 (BSF) is provided on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by doping a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film or a crystalline silicon film containing a microcrystalline silicon phase with a high concentration by plasma CVD or the like, the substrate temperature is about 400 ° C. or less, and the film thickness is 10 to 200 nm. You may form into a film so that it may become. When the film is formed using the vacuum process in this way, it is desirable to configure the apparatus so that the film can be continuously formed without being exposed to the air, and a natural oxide film is formed on the fine irregularities 6. There is an advantage that a high-quality solar cell element can be formed without being contaminated by unintended impurities in an intermediate process.

  Further, in the above-described example, the example in which the electrode forming step is formed by a vacuum process has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the electrode may be formed by a thick film process such as a printing method.

It is the schematic diagram which formed the fine unevenness | corrugation in the surface of the solar cell element by the manufacturing method of the solar cell element concerning this invention, (a) is the state immediately after forming the fine unevenness | corrugation by dry etching, (b) is (C) shows the state after removing the natural oxide film by forming acid treatment after forming fine irregularities, and (c) shows the state when acid treatment is performed after the impurity is thermally diffused to form the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region on the surface. is there. It is the model which formed the fine unevenness | corrugation in the surface of the solar cell element by the conditions of the conventional dry etching, (a) is the state immediately after forming the fine unevenness by dry etching, (b) is the conventional ultrasonic wave A state in which etching residues are removed by washing, (c) is a state when acid treatment is performed. It is a figure which shows the solar cell element formed using the manufacturing method of the solar cell element concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the etching apparatus used for the manufacturing method of the solar cell element concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Etching residue 2: Pillar part 3: Protruding part 3a of fine unevenness: Crack 3b: Chip 4: Reverse conductive semiconductor region 5: Semiconductor substrate 6: Fine unevenness 7: Antireflection film 8: High concentration diffusion layer 9 : Front electrode 10: Back electrode 11: Mass flow controller 12: Electrode 13: Pressure regulator 14: Vacuum pump 15: Power supply 16: Earth 17: Chamber

Claims (4)

An irregularity forming step of forming fine irregularities on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate having one conductivity type by dry etching, and an inverted conductivity semiconductor forming step of providing an opposite conductivity type semiconductor region on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate; In the manufacturing method of the solar cell element comprising
The method of manufacturing a solar cell element, wherein the amount etched by the dry etching does not exceed 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area. An unevenness forming step of forming fine unevenness on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate having one conductivity type by dry etching, and following the unevenness forming step, an opposite conductivity type semiconductor region is formed on one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate. In the manufacturing method of the solar cell element comprising the reverse conductivity type semiconductor forming step to be provided,
The unevenness forming step includes a step of forming fine unevenness while the amount etched by the dry etching does not exceed 0.015 mg per 1 cm ^{2 of} substrate area, and then a step of removing the oxide film of the semiconductor substrate. An oxide film removal step,
The reverse conductivity type semiconductor forming step includes a step of heating the semiconductor substrate and thermally diffusing reverse conductivity type impurities to form the reverse conductivity type semiconductor region, and then a second step of removing the oxide film of the semiconductor substrate. A method for producing a solar cell element, comprising the step of removing an oxide film. In the first oxide film removing step, a natural oxide film on the semiconductor substrate is removed, and in the second oxide film removing step, a thermal oxide film generated on the semiconductor substrate by the thermal diffusion is removed. The method for producing a solar cell element according to claim 2. 4. The method for manufacturing a solar cell element according to claim 2, wherein a solution containing hydrofluoric acid is used in the first oxide film removal step and / or the second oxide film removal step.

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