KR101243877B1 - solar cell and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

solar cell and method for manufacturing the same Download PDF

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Publication number
KR101243877B1
KR101243877B1 KR1020110054161A KR20110054161A KR101243877B1 KR 101243877 B1 KR101243877 B1 KR 101243877B1 KR 1020110054161 A KR1020110054161 A KR 1020110054161A KR 20110054161 A KR20110054161 A KR 20110054161A KR 101243877 B1 KR101243877 B1 KR 101243877B1
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South Korea
Prior art keywords
laser scribing
line
solar cell
barrier layer
diffusion barrier
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KR1020110054161A
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Korean (ko)
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KR20120134930A (en
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김인기
김성배
김용현
편승철
함창우
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주성엔지니어링(주)
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Priority to KR1020110054161A priority Critical patent/KR101243877B1/en
Priority to PCT/KR2011/004409 priority patent/WO2012165689A1/en
Priority to TW100126088A priority patent/TWI495136B/en
Publication of KR20120134930A publication Critical patent/KR20120134930A/en
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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
    • H01L31/042—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
    • H01L31/0445—PV modules or arrays of single PV cells including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
    • H01L31/046—PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate
    • H01L31/0463—PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate characterised by special patterning methods to connect the PV cells in a module, e.g. laser cutting of the conductive or active layers
    • 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the solar cell. The method of manufacturing the solar cell includes forming a back electrode on a substrate; Forming a diffusion barrier layer on the back electrode; Performing primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes; Performing secondary laser scribing along one side of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ; Tertiary laser scribing along the other side of the first line to overlap the first line to remove the byproduct; And a control unit.
According to this configuration, by removing the by-products generated at the time of P1 laser scribing through the overlap processing of the laser is a solar cell and a method of manufacturing a solar cell that can prevent the insulation and efficiency of the solar cell is reduced by the by-products. Can provide.

Description

Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same

The present invention relates to a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the solar cell.

Solar cells are devices that convert light energy into electrical energy using the properties of semiconductors.

The solar cell has a PN junction structure in which a P (positive) type semiconductor and an N (negative) type semiconductor are bonded together. Holes and electrons are generated within the holes, whereby holes (+) move toward the P-type semiconductor and electrons (-) move toward the N-type semiconductor due to the electric field generated from the PN junction. This can produce electricity.

Such solar cells may be classified into a substrate type solar cell and a thin film type solar cell.

The substrate type solar cell is a solar cell manufactured using a semiconductor material itself such as silicon as a substrate, and the thin film type solar cell is a solar cell by forming a semiconductor in the form of a thin film on a substrate such as glass.

Substrate-type solar cells, although somewhat superior in efficiency compared to thin-film solar cells, there is a limitation in minimizing the thickness in the process and there is a disadvantage that the manufacturing cost is increased because the use of expensive semiconductor substrates.

Although thin-film solar cells are less efficient than substrate-type solar cells, they can be manufactured in a thin thickness and inexpensive materials can be used to reduce manufacturing costs and to be suitable for mass production.

The thin film solar cell is manufactured by forming a front electrode on a substrate such as glass, a semiconductor layer on the front electrode, and a back electrode on the semiconductor layer. In this case, since the front electrode forms a light receiving surface on which light is incident, a transparent conductor such as ZnO is used as the front electrode. As the substrate becomes larger, the power loss increases due to the resistance of the transparent conductor. .

Therefore, in general, the thin film solar cell is divided into a plurality of unit cells, and a plurality of unit cells are connected in series, thereby minimizing power loss due to the resistance of the transparent conductive material.

1A to 1F are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a manufacturing process of a thin film solar cell having a structure in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the front electrode 20 is formed on the substrate 10.

Referring to FIG. 1B, a first trench t1 is formed by removing a predetermined region of the front electrode 20 by a laser scribing process P1 to divide the front electrode 20 into a plurality.

Referring to FIG. 1C, the semiconductor layer 30 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the front electrode 20.

Referring to FIG. 1D, a second trench t2 is formed by removing a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer 30 by a laser scribing process P2 to divide the semiconductor layer 30 into a plurality.

Referring to FIG. 1E, the back electrode 50 is formed on the semiconductor layer 30.

Referring to FIG. 1F, a third trench t3 is formed by removing predetermined regions of the back electrode 50 and the semiconductor layer 30 by a laser scribing process P3. In this way, the thin film solar cell has a structure in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series.

The thin film solar cell uses a superstrate type in which sunlight directly enters through a transparent substrate such as glass, and a flexible substrate having low transmittance, and the solar light is incident through a transparent conductive layer stacked on the substrate. It can be divided into the substrate (substrate) type.

2 is a view showing a method for laser scribing in a conventional super-straight type solar cell. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of laser scribing in a conventional substrate type solar cell.

2, in the case of a super-straight type solar cell, since transparent glass capable of transmitting a laser is used as the substrate 60, the laser penetrates the substrate 60 and the transparent conductive layer 61 under the substrate 60. ) Can be removed. As shown, the particles of the removed transparent conductive layer 61 are scattered below the substrate 60 so that they do not remain on the transparent conductive layer 61.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, in the case of the substrate type solar cell, since the flexible substrate 70 having a low light transmittance is used, the laser may not be transmitted through the substrate 70, so that the surface is processed.

In a state where the back electrode 71 and the diffusion barrier layer 72 are sequentially stacked on the substrate 70, the back electrode 71 and the diffusion barrier layer 72 are removed by irradiating a laser. As a result, particles generated during laser scribing may be present as residues on the diffusion barrier layer 72 or may be deposited at the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 72 that is melted and removed by the high energy of the laser, thereby forming a by-product (burr). 73).

4 is a view showing a by-product formed by laser scribing in a conventional substrate type solar cell. 5 is a view for explaining the problems caused by the by-product in the conventional substrate type solar cell.

Referring to FIG. 4, particles generated by P1 laser scribing in the substrate type solar cell are stacked at edges of the diffusion barrier layer 72 to form a byproduct 73. This byproduct 73 may have a height of several hundred nm.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the P1 laser scribing is performed in a state in which the rear electrode 71 and the diffusion barrier layer 72 are stacked on the substrate 70, a byproduct 73 is generated.

The byproduct 73 generated during the P1 laser scribing may contact the front electrode 75 through the semiconductor layer 74 formed on the diffusion barrier layer 72 by a subsequent process. When the by-product 73 comes into contact with the front electrode 75, the front electrode 75 and the rear electrode 71 come into contact with each other, thereby interfering with the insulation of the solar cell, thereby reducing the efficiency of the solar cell. In severe cases, the byproduct 73 causes a problem that the solar cell does not operate normally.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the solar cell that can prevent the insulation and efficiency of the solar cell is lowered by the by-products generated during laser scribing in the solar cell.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a method of manufacturing a solar cell, forming a back electrode on a substrate; Forming a diffusion barrier layer on the back electrode; Performing primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes; Performing secondary laser scribing along one side of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ; Tertiary laser scribing along the other side of the first line to overlap the first line to remove the byproduct; Characterized in that it comprises a.

The secondary laser scribing and the tertiary laser scribing may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

In addition, when the line generated by the second laser scribing is called a second line, and the line generated by the third laser scribing is called a third line, the second line and the third line. The line width of is characterized in that less than 1/2 of the line width of the first line.

In addition, the line width of the second line and the third line is characterized in that overlapping the line width of the first line 10㎛ or more.

In addition, the line width of the first line is 50 to 60㎛, the line width of the second line and the third line is characterized in that 20 to 30㎛.

The secondary laser scribing and the tertiary laser scribing may be performed at a lower frequency and at a lower power than the primary laser scribing.

In addition, the substrate is characterized in that the flexible substrate which is any one of aluminum foil, SUS foil and translucent film.

In addition, the back electrode includes Ag, Al, Ag + Al, Ag + Mg, Ag + Mn, Ag + Sb, Ag + Zn, Ag + Mo, Ag + Ni, Ag + Cu and Ag + Al + Zn It is characterized in that it is selected from the group.

The diffusion barrier layer may include any one of ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ge, Al 2 O 3, and SiO 2 .

According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a method of manufacturing a solar cell, forming a back electrode on a substrate; Performing primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes; Performing secondary laser scribing along one side of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ; Tertiary laser scribing along the other side of the first line to overlap the first line to remove the byproduct; Characterized in that it comprises a.

According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a method of manufacturing a solar cell, forming a back electrode on a substrate; Forming a diffusion barrier layer on the back electrode; Performing primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes; Performing secondary laser scribing along both sides of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ; Characterized in that it comprises a.

The second laser scribing area may be characterized by using a laser scribing area narrower than the area of the first laser scribing.

According to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, a solar cell comprises a substrate; A back electrode and a diffusion barrier layer spaced apart from each other by the first trenches on the substrate; A semiconductor layer spaced apart from the diffusion barrier layer by a second trench; A front electrode spaced apart from the semiconductor layer by a third trench; And an edge of the diffusion barrier layer adjacent to the first trench has a stepped portion having a height equal to or less than a top surface of the diffusion barrier layer.

In addition, the width of the stepped portion is characterized in that less than 1/4 of the width of the first trench.

According to the present invention, by removing the by-products generated at the time of P1 laser scribing through the overlap processing of the laser, a solar cell and a method of manufacturing a solar cell that can prevent the insulation and efficiency of the solar cell is lowered by the by-products. Can provide.

1A to 1F are cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating a manufacturing process of a thin film solar cell having a structure in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series.
2 is a view showing a method for laser scribing in a conventional super-straight type solar cell.
3 is a diagram illustrating a method of laser scribing in a conventional substrate type solar cell.
4 is a view showing a by-product formed by laser scribing in a conventional substrate type solar cell.
5 is a view for explaining the problems caused by the by-product in the conventional substrate type solar cell.
6A to 6J are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a method of laser scribing in a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which by-products are removed by the laser scribing method according to the embodiment of FIG. 7.
9 is a cross-sectional view showing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10A to 10F are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11A to 11D are views sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a view showing a comparison of the configuration of the equipment applied to the conventional manufacturing of the solar cell of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements throughout the drawings.

6A to 6J are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The flexible solar cell is formed by stacking an electrode layer and a semiconductor layer on a flexible substrate having low light transmittance. The flexible solar cell is light, can be folded, and has good portability, and can be installed in a sunroof, sun visor, curtain, or the like. Can be. In a flexible solar cell, sunlight is not incident through the flexible substrate, but is incident through the transparent conductive layer laminated on the flexible substrate. Such solar cells are also referred to as substrate type solar cells.

In fabricating a flexible solar cell, a patterning process using a laser is a very important factor. In the case of a flexible solar cell, a flexible substrate having a low light transmittance is used, so that the laser cannot be transmitted through the flexible substrate, and the surface is processed. Particles generated during laser scribing are present in the form of residues or are laminated to the edge of the electrode layer which is melted and removed by the high energy of the laser to form a burr. These by-products cause a decrease in the efficiency of the solar cells by disturbing the insulation of the solar cells, and also occurs when the solar cells do not operate normally due to by-products. The manufacturing method of the solar cell of the present invention provides a method that can effectively remove such by-products.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a rear electrode 121 and a diffusion barrier layer 122 are formed on the flexible substrate 110 (or the substrate). Here, the flexible substrate 110 is made of a material having a flexible property and low light transmittance, and refers to a substrate through which a laser does not transmit. The flexible substrate 110 may be made of metal or plastic, for example, aluminum foil, SUS foil, translucent film, or the like.

The back electrode 121 is formed on the flexible substrate 110 and includes Ag, Al, Ag + Al, Ag + Mg, Ag + Mn, Ag + Sb, Ag + Zn, Ag + Mo, Ag + Ni, Ag +. It is formed using a metal material such as Cu or Ag + Al + Zn, Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO), ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ag, SnO2, SnO2: F , ZnO: Ga2O3, ZnO: Al2O3, SnO2: Sb2O3, and the like, and may be made of a transparent conductive material (TCO, Transparent Conductive Oxide).

The diffusion barrier layer 122 prevents the material of the rear electrode 121 from diffusing into the semiconductor layer 150 formed on the rear electrode 121, thereby improving the efficiency of the solar cell. The diffusion barrier layer 122 may be made of a conductive material such as ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ge, Al2O3, SiO2, or the like. The diffusion barrier layer 122 may be omitted.

Next, primary laser scribing is performed to divide the back electrode 121 into a plurality of unit back electrodes 121. Laser scribing does not require the use of a mask or the like for dividing the back electrode 121 into the unit back electrode 121, which is economically advantageous in terms of the process of thin film solar cells.

Since the flexible substrate 110 is made of a material through which the laser does not penetrate, the primary laser scribing is performed by directly irradiating the laser onto the rear electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122.

Referring to FIG. 6B, a first trench t1 is formed in a portion removed by primary laser scribing. Particles of the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 removed by the primary laser scribing are present in the form of residue on the diffusion barrier layer 122 or are melted by the high energy of the laser to form the first trench t1. Stacked on the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 on both sides to form a by-product (burr) (125).

These by-products 125 may reach several hundred nm in height. Referring to FIG. 5, when the by-product 73 passes through the semiconductor layer 74 and comes into contact with the front electrode 75, it may interfere with the insulation of the solar cell and reduce the efficiency of the solar cell.

Referring to FIG. 6C, secondary laser scribing is performed to remove the by-product 125 located on one side of the first trench t1. Secondary laser scribing can be performed using the same laser equipment as the primary laser scribing.

Referring to FIG. 6D, a state in which the by-product 125 located on one side of the first trench t1 is removed by secondary laser scribing. At this time, a portion of the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 is also removed, so that the removed portion may form the stepped portion 126.

Referring to FIG. 6E, third laser scribing is performed to remove the by-product 125 located on the other side of the first trench t1. Tertiary laser scribing may be performed concurrently with secondary laser scribing. Tertiary laser scribing can be performed using the same laser equipment as primary laser scribing.

Referring to FIG. 6F, a state in which the by-product 125 located on the other side of the first trench t1 is removed by tertiary laser scribing. In this case, a part of the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 may also be removed, and the removed part may form the stepped portion 126.

Referring to FIG. 6G, the semiconductor layer 130 is formed on the diffusion barrier layer 122. The semiconductor layer 130 is formed in a NIP structure in which an N-type semiconductor layer, an I-type semiconductor layer, and a P-type semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked.

Referring to FIG. 6H, laser scribing is performed to divide the semiconductor layer 130 into a plurality of unit semiconductor layers 130 (P2 laser scribing). The second trench t2 is formed by this P2 laser scribing.

Referring to FIG. 6I, the front electrode 140 is formed on the semiconductor layer 130 including the second trench t2. The front electrode 140 is a surface on which sunlight is incident and may be made of a transparent conductive material such as ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, SnO 2, SnO 2: F, or Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

Referring to FIG. 6J, laser scribing is performed to divide the front electrode 140 into a plurality of unit front electrodes 140 (P3 laser scribing). The third trench t3 is formed by this P3 laser scribing. In this way, the solar cell has a structure in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series.

As described above, a process of forming the first trench t1 by removing the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 formed on the flexible substrate 110 by laser scribing (this is called P1 laser scribing). In this case, particles melted by the high energy of the laser are stacked on the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 to form the byproduct 125. This by-product 125 is particularly acute in P1 laser scribing of materials with high specific gravity. The by-product 125 must be controlled to insulate the solar cell, and conventionally, the by-product 125 is removed through a separate cleaning process.

According to the method of manufacturing the solar cell of the present invention, the by-products 125 generated during the P1 laser scribing process are additional secondary laser scribing using the laser used in the primary laser scribing without any additional equipment. And by tertiary laser scribing. Therefore, the problem of insulation of the solar cell and the problem of deterioration of efficiency caused by the by-product 125 can be easily solved.

The method of the present invention does not have a separate wet cleaning process for removing by-products, thereby saving time and costs for the wet cleaning process. In addition, the flexible substrate, which is vulnerable to moisture, must undergo a separate drying process after the wet cleaning process, but the method of the present invention can also omit such a drying process, thereby reducing the time and cost for manufacturing the solar cell.

The above embodiment of removing the by-products 125 generated during P1 laser scribing by laser superimposition, not only P1 laser scribing, but also converts the semiconductor layer 130 into a plurality of unit semiconductor layers 130. Removing by-products generated at the time of P2 laser scribing performed for the division and by-products generated at the P3 laser scribing performed to divide the front electrode 140 into the plurality of unit front electrodes 140. The same may also be done.

7 is a diagram illustrating a method of laser scribing in a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6A to 6J and 7, first, the back electrode 121 is removed by primary laser scribing and divided into a plurality of unit back electrodes 121. Here, when the diffusion barrier layer 122 (see FIG. 6A) is formed thereon, the rear electrode 121 may also include the diffusion barrier layer 122.

A first line L1 is generated along the back electrode 121 removed by primary laser scribing. Primary laser scribing is performed at high frequency / high power / wide linewidth. The line width W1 of the first line L1 may be 50 to 60 μm.

Next, secondary laser scribing is performed to overlap the first line L1 in order to remove the by-products on one side of the by-products generated on both sides of the first line L1 by the primary laser scribing. . Secondary laser scribing may be performed with the center of the laser at one end of the first line L1. Secondary laser scribing is performed at low frequency / low power / narrow linewidth compared to primary laser scribing.

Second line L2 is generated by secondary laser scribing. The line width W2 of the second line L2 may be 20 to 30 μm. In this case, the line width of the portion where the first line L1 and the second line L2 overlap may be 10 to 15 μm, which is 1/2 of the line width W2 of the second line L2, which is the first line L1. It becomes 1/4 or less of the line width of the line L1.

Next, in order to remove the by-products of the other side of the by-products generated on both sides of the first line L1 by the first laser scribing, the third laser scribing is performed to overlap the first line L1. . Tertiary laser scribing may be performed with the center of the laser at the other end of the first line L1. Tertiary laser scribing is performed at low frequency / low power / narrow linewidth compared to primary laser scribing.

The third line L3 is generated by the third laser scribing. The line width W3 of the third line L3 may be 20 to 30 μm. In this case, the line width of the portion where the first line L1 and the second line L2 overlap may be 10 to 15 μm, which is 1/2 of the line width W3 of the third line L3.

As such, the by-products may be effectively removed by being partially overlapped with the first line L1. Since the secondary and tertiary laser scribing is performed at a low frequency / low power / narrow line width compared to the primary laser scribing, only by-products can be effectively removed without affecting the rear electrode 121.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which by-products are removed by the laser scribing method according to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the by-product 73 is formed on the diffusion barrier layer 72, but in FIG. 8, the by-products are completely removed while the edge portion of the diffusion barrier layer 122 forms a slight step portion.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing a solar cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The substrate 110 has a flexible property and is made of a material having a low light transmittance. The substrate 110 may be made of metal or plastic, for example, aluminum foil, SUS foil, translucent film, or the like.

The back electrode 121 is formed on the substrate 110. The back electrode 121 may be formed of Ag, Al, Ag + Al, Ag + Mg, Ag + Mn, Ag + Sb, Ag + Zn, Ag + Mo, Ag + Ni, Ag + Cu, or Ag + Al + Zn. Formed using a metal material, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), FTO (Fluorine doped Tin Oxide), ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ag, SnO2, SnO2: F, ZnO: Ga2O3, ZnO: Al2O3, SnO2 : It may be made of a transparent conductive material (TCO, Transparent Conductive Oxide) such as Sb2O3.

The diffusion barrier layer 122 may be formed on the rear electrode 121. The diffusion barrier layer 122 prevents the material of the back electrode 121 from diffusing into the semiconductor layer, thereby improving the efficiency of the solar cell. The diffusion barrier layer 122 may be made of a conductive material such as ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ge, Al2O3, SiO2, or the like. The diffusion barrier layer 122 may be omitted.

The back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 are spaced apart by the first trench t1. The first trench t1 is formed by P1 laser scribing.

An edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 adjacent to the first trench t1 has a stepped portion 126 having a height equal to or less than a top surface of the diffusion barrier layer 122. The stepped portion 126 may be formed by overlapping processing of a laser to remove by-products generated during P1 laser scribing. The width of the stepped portion 126 may be 1/4 or less of the width of the first trench t1.

When the diffusion barrier layer 122 is not formed, the edge of the rear electrode 121 adjacent to the first trench t1 has a stepped portion.

The semiconductor layer 130 is formed on the diffusion barrier layer 122 including the first trench t1. The semiconductor layer 130 is formed in a NIP structure in which an N-type semiconductor layer, an I-type semiconductor layer, and a P-type semiconductor layer are sequentially stacked.

The semiconductor layer 130 is spaced apart by the second trench t2. The second trench t2 is formed by P2 laser scribing.

The front electrode 140 is formed on the semiconductor layer 130. The front electrode 140 is a surface on which sunlight is incident and may be made of a transparent conductive material such as ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, SnO 2, SnO 2: F, or Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

The front electrode 140 is spaced apart by the third trench t3. The third trench t3 is formed by P3 laser scribing.

10A to 10F are diagrams sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A to 6F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 10A, a back electrode 121 and a diffusion barrier layer 122 are formed on the substrate 110. Next, primary laser scribing is performed to divide the back electrode 121 into a plurality of unit back electrodes 121.

Referring to FIG. 10B, a first trench t1 is formed in a portion removed by primary laser scribing. Particles of the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 removed by the primary laser scribing are present in the form of residue on the diffusion barrier layer 122 or are melted by the high energy of the laser to form the first trench t1. Stacked on the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 on both sides to form a by-product 125.

Referring to FIG. 10C, secondary laser scribing is performed to remove the by-product 125 located on one side of the first trench t1. In this case, the rear electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 positioned below the by-product 125 may also be removed. Secondary laser scribing can be performed using the same laser equipment as the primary laser scribing.

Referring to FIG. 10D, the by-product 125 located on one side of the first trench t1 and the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 positioned below the by-product 125 are formed by secondary laser scribing. The removed state is shown.

Referring to FIG. 10E, third laser scribing is performed to remove the by-product 125 located on the other side of the first trench t1. In this case, the rear electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 positioned below the by-product 125 may also be removed. Tertiary laser scribing may be performed concurrently with secondary laser scribing. Tertiary laser scribing can be performed using the same laser equipment as primary laser scribing.

Referring to FIG. 10F, the by-product 125 located on the other side of the first trench t1 and the rear electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 under the by-product 125 are formed by the third laser scribing. The removed state is shown.

In the present embodiment, the by-product 125 and the rear electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 positioned below the by-product 125 are also removed by the secondary and tertiary laser scribing. There is a difference from the embodiment shown in 6f.

11A to 11D are views sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing a solar cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A to 6F are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 11A, a back electrode 121 and a diffusion barrier layer 122 are formed on the substrate 110. Next, primary laser scribing is performed to divide the back electrode 121 into a plurality of unit back electrodes 121.

Referring to FIG. 11B, a first trench t1 (or a first line) is formed in a portion removed by primary laser scribing. Particles of the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 removed by the primary laser scribing are present in the form of residue on the diffusion barrier layer 122 or are melted by the high energy of the laser to form the first trench t1. Stacked on the edge of the diffusion barrier layer 122 on both sides to form a by-product 125.

Referring to FIG. 11C, secondary laser scribing is performed to simultaneously remove the by-products 125 located on both sides of the first trench t1. In this case, only the by-product 125 may be removed, but the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 positioned below the by-product 125 may also be removed.

Secondary laser scribing is performed at one time along both sides of the first line so as to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing. Therefore, the area for secondary laser scribing is to scribe an area narrower than the area for primary laser scribing. Secondary laser scribing can be performed using the same laser equipment as the primary laser scribing or using other laser equipment.

Referring to FIG. 11D, the by-products 125 located on both sides of the first line and the back electrode 121 and the diffusion barrier layer 122 disposed under the by-products 125 are removed by secondary laser scribing. Is shown.

In this embodiment, since the by-products 125 on both sides of the first line generated by the first laser scribing can be removed at a time by the secondary laser scribing, the process is simplified and the process time is reduced. There is an advantage.

12 is a view showing a comparison of the configuration of the equipment applied to the conventional manufacturing of the solar cell of the present invention.

9 and 12, in the conventional device configuration diagram, a first sputter or CVD device for forming the back electrode 121 is disposed on the substrate 110.

Next to the first sputter or CVD equipment, a second sputter or CVD equipment for forming the diffusion barrier layer 122 on the rear electrode 121 is disposed.

Next to the second sputter or CVD equipment is a P1 processing laser for P1 laser scribing.

Next to the P1 processing laser is a cleaning equipment for removing by-products generated during P1 laser scribing.

Next to the cleaning equipment for removing by-products, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment for forming the semiconductor layer 130 is disposed on the diffusion barrier layer 122. PECVD is a method of depositing a film by ion activation by plasma.

Next to the PECVD equipment is a P2 processing laser for P2 laser scribing. Next to the P2 processing laser, a third sputter or CVD apparatus for forming the front electrode 140 is disposed on the semiconductor layer 130. Next to the third sputter or CVD equipment is a P3 processing laser for P3 laser scribing.

On the other hand, in the equipment configuration after applying the present invention, the PECVD equipment is arranged next to the P1 processing laser, and the cleaning equipment for removing the by-products is unnecessary. This is because by-products generated during P1 laser scribing can be easily removed by primary, secondary and tertiary razor scribing using the P1 processing laser.

Compared with conventional wet cleaning and drying processes for removing by-products, the application of the present invention makes the construction of equipment for manufacturing solar cells very simple. In addition, the overall process time for manufacturing a solar cell is greatly reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention will be.

110: substrate
121: rear electrode
122: diffusion barrier layer
125: by-product
126: stepped portion
130: semiconductor layer
140: front electrode
t1: first trench
t2: second trench
t3: third trench

Claims (14)

A method of manufacturing a solar cell,
Forming a back electrode over the substrate;
Forming a diffusion barrier layer on the back electrode;
Forming a first trench in the back electrode and the diffusion barrier layer to perform primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes;
Performing secondary laser scribing along one side of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ;
And performing a third laser scribing along the other side of the first line to overlap the first line to remove the by-products.
In the second laser scribing and the third laser scribing, a step having a height equal to or less than an upper surface of the diffusion barrier layer at an edge of the diffusion barrier layer adjacent to the first trench Method for manufacturing a solar cell, characterized in that forming a portion. The method of claim 1,
And the second laser scribing and the third laser scribing are performed simultaneously or sequentially. The method of claim 1,
When the line generated by the secondary laser scribing is called a second line, and the line generated by the third laser scribing is called a third line,
The line width of the second line and the third line is a solar cell manufacturing method, characterized in that less than 1/2 of the line width of the first line. The method of claim 3,
The line width of the second line and the third line is a manufacturing method of a solar cell, characterized in that overlapping with the line width of the first line 10㎛ or more. The method of claim 3,
The line width of the first line is 50 to 60㎛,
The line width of the second line and the third line is a manufacturing method of a solar cell, characterized in that 20 to 30㎛. The method of claim 1,
And the second laser scribing and the third laser scribing are performed at a lower frequency and lower power than the first laser scribing. The method of claim 1,
The substrate is a manufacturing method of a solar cell, characterized in that the flexible substrate which is any one of aluminum foil, SUS foil and translucent film. The method of claim 1,
The back electrode is from a group comprising Ag, Al, Ag + Al, Ag + Mg, Ag + Mn, Ag + Sb, Ag + Zn, Ag + Mo, Ag + Ni, Ag + Cu and Ag + Al + Zn Method for producing a solar cell, characterized in that selected. The method of claim 1,
The diffusion barrier layer is ZnO, ZnO: B, ZnO: Al, Ge, Al 2 O 3 And SiO 2 manufacturing method of a solar cell comprising any one of SiO 2 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell,
Forming a back electrode over the substrate;
Forming a first trench in the back electrode to perform primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes;
Performing secondary laser scribing along one side of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing ;
And performing a third laser scribing along the other side of the first line to overlap the first line to remove the by-products.
In the second laser scribing and the third laser scribing, a step having a height equal to or less than an upper surface of the rear electrode is formed at an edge of the rear electrode adjacent to the first trench. Method for manufacturing a solar cell, characterized in that forming a portion. A method of manufacturing a solar cell,
Forming a back electrode over the substrate;
Forming a diffusion barrier layer on the back electrode;
Forming a first trench in the back electrode and the diffusion barrier layer to perform primary laser scribing to divide the back electrode into a plurality of unit back electrodes;
Performing secondary laser scribing along both sides of the first line to overlap the first line generated by the primary laser scribing to remove by-products generated by the primary laser scribing Including;
In the step of performing the second laser scribing, manufacturing a solar cell, characterized in that forming a step having a height equal to or less than the upper surface of the diffusion barrier layer on the edge of the diffusion barrier layer adjacent to the first trench Way. The method of claim 11,
The area of the secondary laser scribing method for manufacturing a solar cell, characterized in that for using a laser scribing area narrower than the area for the primary laser scribing. Board;
A back electrode and a diffusion barrier layer spaced apart from each other by the first trenches on the substrate;
A semiconductor layer spaced apart from the diffusion barrier layer by a second trench;
A front electrode spaced apart from the semiconductor layer by a third trench;
/ RTI >
The edge of the diffusion barrier layer adjacent to the first trench has a stepped portion having a height equal to or less than the upper surface of the diffusion barrier layer. The method of claim 13,
The stepped portion is a solar cell, characterized in that less than 1/4 of the width of the first trench.
KR1020110054161A 2011-06-03 2011-06-03 solar cell and method for manufacturing the same KR101243877B1 (en)

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