WO2008102172A1 - Dispositif photovoltaïque et procédé de fabrication pour celui-ci - Google Patents
Dispositif photovoltaïque et procédé de fabrication pour celui-ci Download PDFInfo
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- WO2008102172A1 WO2008102172A1 PCT/GB2008/050108 GB2008050108W WO2008102172A1 WO 2008102172 A1 WO2008102172 A1 WO 2008102172A1 GB 2008050108 W GB2008050108 W GB 2008050108W WO 2008102172 A1 WO2008102172 A1 WO 2008102172A1
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- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- backside electrode
- polymeric
- electrode layer
- resist
- Prior art date
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- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title abstract description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 66
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 33
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 26
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 230000002378 acidificating effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 229910021417 amorphous silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 40
- HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M Sodium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].[Na+] HEMHJVSKTPXQMS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 30
- 229920002120 photoresistant polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000002585 base Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N tin dioxide Chemical compound O=[Sn]=O XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- QTBSBXVTEAMEQO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Acetic acid Chemical compound CC(O)=O QTBSBXVTEAMEQO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 125000000524 functional group Chemical group 0.000 claims description 8
- WGTYBPLFGIVFAS-UHFFFAOYSA-M tetramethylammonium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].C[N+](C)(C)C WGTYBPLFGIVFAS-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 8
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- JVTAAEKCZFNVCJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N lactic acid Chemical compound CC(O)C(O)=O JVTAAEKCZFNVCJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- KWYUFKZDYYNOTN-UHFFFAOYSA-M Potassium hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-].[K+] KWYUFKZDYYNOTN-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000003513 alkali Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- AMGQUBHHOARCQH-UHFFFAOYSA-N indium;oxotin Chemical compound [In].[Sn]=O AMGQUBHHOARCQH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000000059 patterning Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- XLOMVQKBTHCTTD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Zinc monoxide Chemical compound [Zn]=O XLOMVQKBTHCTTD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 150000001412 amines Chemical class 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004310 lactic acid Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000014655 lactic acid Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007650 screen-printing Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920000178 Acrylic resin Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004925 Acrylic resin Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-M Butyrate Chemical compound CCCC([O-])=O FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 2
- FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Butyric acid Natural products CCCC(O)=O FERIUCNNQQJTOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004115 Sodium Silicate Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000007766 curtain coating Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000003618 dip coating Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000001652 electrophoretic deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000003822 epoxy resin Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000005038 ethylene vinyl acetate Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-M hydroxide Chemical compound [OH-] XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 150000007524 organic acids Chemical class 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920000647 polyepoxide Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000007761 roller coating Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 235000019795 sodium metasilicate Nutrition 0.000 claims description 2
- NTHWMYGWWRZVTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N sodium silicate Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-][Si]([O-])=O NTHWMYGWWRZVTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052911 sodium silicate Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920002554 vinyl polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 20
- GRYLNZFGIOXLOG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nitric acid Chemical compound O[N+]([O-])=O GRYLNZFGIOXLOG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 9
- 229910017604 nitric acid Inorganic materials 0.000 description 9
- 239000010408 film Substances 0.000 description 6
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 4
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N nickel Substances [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000001039 wet etching Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229910003322 NiCu Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 235000011054 acetic acid Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 229960000583 acetic acid Drugs 0.000 description 2
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005229 chemical vapour deposition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000012776 electronic material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000000206 photolithography Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000002203 pretreatment Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000010409 thin film Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910001887 tin oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000003929 acidic solution Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012670 alkaline solution Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003518 caustics Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052804 chromium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910021419 crystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000002939 deleterious effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004090 dissolution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000004679 hydroxides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007733 ion plating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010030 laminating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000608 laser ablation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910021424 microcrystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009877 rendering Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052719 titanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000012780 transparent material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23F—NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25
- C23F1/00—Etching metallic material by chemical means
- C23F1/02—Local etching
-
- 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
- H01L31/043—Mechanically stacked PV cells
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23F—NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25
- C23F1/00—Etching metallic material by chemical means
- C23F1/10—Etching compositions
- C23F1/14—Aqueous compositions
- C23F1/32—Alkaline compositions
- C23F1/36—Alkaline compositions for etching aluminium or alloys thereof
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
- H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components 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
- H01L27/142—Energy conversion devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
- H01L27/15—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
-
- 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
- H01L31/02—Details
- H01L31/0224—Electrodes
- H01L31/022408—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
- H01L31/022425—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells
-
- 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
- H01L31/041—Provisions for preventing damage caused by corpuscular radiation, e.g. for space applications
-
- 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
- H01L31/0468—PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate comprising specific means for obtaining partial light transmission through the module, e.g. partially transparent thin film solar modules for windows
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
- H01L31/20—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof such devices or parts thereof comprising amorphous semiconductor materials
- H01L31/202—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof such devices or parts thereof comprising amorphous semiconductor materials including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- H02S99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
-
- 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
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a photovoltaic device and method of manufacture therefor, and more specifically to a light transmissive photovoltaic device which is not entirely opaque and which thus permits such devices to be used as windows, screens, and the like while nevertheless being capable of generating current as a result of the light impinging thereon. Yet further specifically, the present invention relates to a method of patterning one or more layers of a photovoltaic device to provide an essentially perforated layer(s) through which light can be transmitted to an extent dependent on the degree of perforation. The invention also has application in the field of flat panel displays which are capable of generating light or changing one or more luminance, brightness or opacity characteristics when electricity is applied to the active substrate therein.
- amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells Although the following description is provided with reference to amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, it is to be understood that the invention is of far wider scope as set out above, and furthermore the particular construction of the photovoltaic device and its constituent layers may be relevant only as far as providing a means whereby light impinging on the cell or panel can generate an electric current. Specifically, other forms of silicon layer are contemplated, such as crystalline silicon. Additionally, it will assist the reader in understanding that such devices have more recently been considered for inclusion in motor vehicles and domestic and commercial premises as a means of generating power for supply around the vehicle or for return to a national grid or distribution internally within the building.
- a-Si amorphous silicon
- amorphous silicon solar cells is generally achieved by forming thin layers of a transparent base electrode (typically indium tin oxide - ITO - or SnO 2 ), amorphous silicon, and backside electrode on a substrate. Vacuum evaporated aluminum with a film thickness of 0.1 to 1 ⁇ m is principally used for the backside electrode. A single cell of this type of solar cell has a voltage of 1 Volt or less. A plurality of cells can be connected in series to attain a prescribed voltage, and integrated type solar cells of this type have been developed.
- a transparent base electrode typically indium tin oxide - ITO - or SnO 2
- Vacuum evaporated aluminum with a film thickness of 0.1 to 1 ⁇ m is principally used for the backside electrode.
- a single cell of this type of solar cell has a voltage of 1 Volt or less.
- a plurality of cells can be connected in series to attain a prescribed voltage, and integrated type solar cells of this type have been developed.
- a glass or other transparent material is used for the substrate, and a patterning process such as photolithography is used to create a pattern in a resist layer applied to the backside electrode.
- a patterning process such as photolithography is used to create a pattern in a resist layer applied to the backside electrode.
- a multi-stage wet-etching process is used to etch away the metallic layer backside electrode, the a-Si layer, and optionally the base electrode.
- US5334259 describes in some detail a commonly practised etching process, i.e. after photolithography has been used to create apertures, grooves, recesses and the like in a previously applied polymeric resist layer.
- This patent proposes the use of an alkali resistant metal (e.g.
- a light transmissive amorphous silicon solar cell shown is a laminate of thin layers of a transparent electrode 2, an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer 3, and a backside electrode 5, on a transparent substrate 1 such as a glass plate.
- This solar cell is fabricated in the following manner: (1 ) A transparent electrode 2 such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or SnO 2 is formed on the surface of the transparent substrate 1 by a spray method, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), evaporation, ion plating, sputtering, or other film growth method. (2) Ag paste 10 is then printed on the transparent electrode 2 at prescribed locations.
- ITO indium tin oxide
- CVD chemical vapor deposition
- Ag paste 10 is then printed on the transparent electrode 2 at prescribed locations.
- the backside electrode 5 is then formed over the entire surface of the a-Si layer 3. Metals such as Cu, nickel (Ni), or NiCu alloy are used for the backside electrode 5. The thickness of the backside electrode 5 film is approximately 1500 Angstroms.
- the backside electrode 5 is then connected to the Ag paste 10 region by laser welding.
- a resist layer 8 is applied and patterned. As shown in FIG. 1 , the resist layer 8 allows numerous holes 6 and grooves 7 to be formed in the backside electrode 5 and a- Si layer 3 to make a see-through solar cell that passes part of the incident light. Such holes in the resist layer (only) are created using the photolithographic techniques already described, whereafter
- FeCI 3 solution is used to wet-etch part of the backside electrode 5.
- HNO 3 is used to pre-treat the exposed surfaces of the a-Si layer 3.
- An alkaline solution such as NaOH is used to wet-etch the a-Si layer 3.
- FIG. 1 A cross-section of the see-through openings of an amorphous silicon solar cell obtained by the above process is shown in FIG. 1.
- Process step (8) above in which the surface of the a-Si layer 3 is treated with HF.HNO 3 solution, is to insure that etching with NaOH solution in the next step, (9), will occur.
- an oxide film may form on the surface of the a-Si layer 3 preventing etching with NaOH. This arises because of the interaction between the a-Si and the aqueous FeCI 3 layer, the latter effectively passivating the Si layer to attack by NaOH.
- HF pre-treatment
- HNO 3 solution to etch the a-Si layer 3.
- concentration of the HF. HNO 3 solution used for pre-treatment is only several percent, complete etching of the a-Si layer 3 with this same HF.HNO 3 would require a long etching time due to the low concentration of the solution.
- a-Si layer 3 etching is done with HF. HNO 3 concentrated to tens of percent, etching time is shortened, but the deleterious effect of glass substrate etching occurs because of the use of concentrated HF.HNO 3 solution. Therefore, HF.HNO 3 cannot be used for etching the a-Si layer 3.
- US4795500 also describes a light-transmissive photovoltaic device wherein at least the backside electrode is patterned with a number of holes to allow for light transmission through the device, and mentions a percentage of between 5-30% of holes/total area of back electrode.
- the wet-etching process is complex, and furthermore involves the use of a number of aggressive chemicals, thus necessitating very costly chemical safety and disposal procedures, and furthermore rendering the overall process lengthy and involved.
- a method of etching a semiconductor device consisting of a substrate, optionally one or more base electrode layers, a silicon layer, and at least one backside electrode layer, said method involving the steps of applying a resist layer to the backside electrode layer and selectively removing portions thereof to expose discrete areas of the underlying backside electrode layer,
- the resist layer is a polymeric alkalophobe composition, portions thereof being selectively removed by means of an acidic developer, the backside electrode layer(s) are of a material which is resistant to said acidic developer, which is rinsed from the device after developing said portions of said resist layer, and
- alkalophobe or alkalophobic composition is meant a composition that is resistant to chemical attack by basic or alkaline compositions.
- the semiconductor device is a photovoltaic device consisting of a glass substrate to which are applied a base electrode chosen from one of Indium Tin Oxide, SnO 2 , ZnO, InvisiconTM (a proprietary material from Eikos, Massachussetts) or any suitable transparent conductive oxide (TCO) an amorphous silicon layer (a-Si), which may be doped to form at least one selected from amongst a p-n junction, a p-i-n structure, a tandem cell structure or a multijunction cell structure and
- a base electrode chosen from one of Indium Tin Oxide, SnO 2 , ZnO, InvisiconTM (a proprietary material from Eikos, Massachussetts) or any suitable transparent conductive oxide (TCO) an amorphous silicon layer (a-Si), which may be doped to form at least one selected from amongst a p-n junction, a p-i-n structure, a tandem cell structure or a multijunction cell structure and
- the semiconductor device may be a photovoltaic device consisting of a glass substrate to which are applied
- a base electrode comprising a conductive transparent substance an amorphous silicon layer (a-Si), which may be doped to form at least one selected from amongst a p-n junction, a p-i-n structure, a tandem cell structure or a multijunction cell structure and - a backside electrode being Al.
- a-Si amorphous silicon layer
- the amorphous silicon layer may be provided in juxtaposition with a microcrystalline silicon layer.
- the resist layer is a polymeric liquid negative resist compound which includes, as part of the polymeric composition, a plurality of alkalophobic functional groups which are generally resistant or phobic to bases, such as hydroxides and the like.
- a typical example is the Eage NT-90 Photoresist composition supplied by Rohm & Haas Electronic Materials.
- the alkalophobic functional group may be hydroxide or amine.
- the method includes the steps of spray rinsing the acidic developer from the semiconductor device prior to etching with alkali, typically NaOH or KOH.
- alkali typically NaOH or KOH.
- the alkali may be one of, or a mixture of two or more of: NaOH, KOH, tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH), sodium metasilicate or any other suitable metasilicate compound.
- the resist layer is applied to the uppermost backside electrode layer by any of a variety of coating techniques, such as screen-printing, dip coating, roller coating, spray coating, dry-film lamination, electrophoretic deposition, electrostatic spray, slot coating or curtain coating.
- coating techniques such as screen-printing, dip coating, roller coating, spray coating, dry-film lamination, electrophoretic deposition, electrostatic spray, slot coating or curtain coating.
- the method above may also be applied to flat-panel displays.
- the resulting semiconductor device is coated with a transparent protective film formed of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), epoxy resin, acrylic resin or polyvinyl butyrate (PVB).
- EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
- PVB polyvinyl butyrate
- the polymeric resist composition includes typically alkaline functional groups such as amines which impart an increased resistance to the typical alkaline etching compounds used.
- the polymeric resist composition is curable, either inherently as a result of its chemical composition, or by virtue of the addition of one or more curable compositions which are chemically changed by exposure to heat, light or other radiation.
- the polymeric resist composition is patterned using a predefined mask prior to application thereof as is typical in screen printing, or alternatively using a specific photolithographic technique whereby the photoresist composition is patterned after the initial coating by exposure to light, through either a phototool artwork or direct laser scanning and removal of the unexposed areas using a suitable developer solution, which preferably is composed of an acidic solution to aid dissolution by reaction with the basic functional groups within the polymeric composition.
- the developer is a lactic acid-based composition.
- An example is the Eagle 2500 developer composition supplied by Rohm & Haas Electronic Materials.
- the developer may be acetic acid or any other organic acid.
- the remaining regions of polymeric resist composition may either be left on the device in its current state or further cured or removed, preferably using a suitable stripping solution or solvent.
- remaining regions of polymeric resist material may be further processed by exposure to one or a combination of two or more of heat, light and pressure.
- Using the polymeric resist material as a component of the final device structure has the advantage that in some embodiments a subsequent laminating process in which the device is packaged for the purpose of protection from the environment is unnecessary.
- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a prior art amorphous silicon solar cell fabricated by the method of manufacture of US5334259, and
- Figs. 2-7 show schematically a photovoltaic cell produced according to the method of the present invention.
- a glass substrate 20 has applied thereto a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer 22 such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or tin oxide.
- TCO transparent conductive oxide
- ITO indium tin oxide
- amorphous silicon layer 24 is applied, and finally an aluminium backside electrode layer 26 is applied over the a- Si layer.
- a photopolymer resist layer is then applied to the layer 26, and as a first step in the process, a phototool artwork 30 is set down on top of the photopolymer resist.
- a phototool artwork 30 is set down on top of the photopolymer resist.
- the uppermost surface of the sandwich is exposed to ultra-violet light which effects a chemical change in the regions of the photopolymer resist beneath the open regions of the phototool artwork and which are thus exposed to the UV light. These regions are effectively cured so that use of a developer solution, such as lactic acid, has the effect of removing un-cured regions of photopolymer resist, as shown in Fig. 4.
- the remaining photopolymer 32 defines cavities or grooves 34 which permit an etchant solution, which in this embodiment is a 10-15% solution of NaOH, to attack the exposed backside electrode layer, and subsequently attack the underlying a-Si layer, thus etching both such layers away.
- an etchant solution which in this embodiment is a 10-15% solution of NaOH, to attack the exposed backside electrode layer, and subsequently attack the underlying a-Si layer, thus etching both such layers away.
- a stripping step may be conducted which effectively removes the remaining regions of photopolymer resist, as shown in Figure 6, which shows the completed light-transmissive photovoltaic cell.
- This cell can thus be exposed to sunlight (36) and give rise to the creation of an electric current which can be delivered through contacts 38, 40.
- a thin-film amorphous silicon solar cell supplied by ICP Solar (Brigend, Wales) composed of glass/tin oxide/amorphous silicon/aluminium was coated by drawdown bar technique with NT-90 photoresist supplied by Chestech (Rugby, Warwickshire, UK) and then dried in an oven, such as a Hedinair HL36 batch oven, for 30 mins at 90 5 C .
- the photoresist was exposed through a phototool artwork using an ultraviolet light vacuum exposure frame at 250mJ/cm 2 and then developed using a solution of Eagle 2005 developer at recommended parameters (4% at 40 5 C, 50-60% break or clear point) subsequently etched to remove the aluminium back contact and silicon layers using a 10% solution of sodium hydroxide at 50 degrees Celsius.
- the photoresist was removed using a 10% solution of ethanoic acid.
- the resulting device was patterned matching the phototool artwork and contained areas transparent to light along with areas retaining solar cell properties.
- a thin-film amorphous silicon solar cell was coated, by pressurised air spray technique, with diluted NT-90 photoresist and then dried in a convection air oven.
- the photoresist was exposed through a phototool artwork using an ultraviolet light vacuum exposure frame and then developed using a solution of Eagle 2005 developer and subsequently etched to remove the aluminium back contact and silicon layers using a caustic solution.
- the photoresist was removed using a 10% solution of Eagle E25 Remover.
- the device was patterned matching the phototool artwork and contained areas transparent to light along with areas retaining solar cell properties.
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Abstract
L'invention concerne un procédé de décapage d'un dispositif à semi-conducteur composé d'un substrat et éventuellement d'une de couche d'électrodes de base, d'une couche de silicium et/ou d'au moins une couche d'électrode arrière. Le procédé implique les étapes consistant à : appliquer une couche de réserve à la couche d'électrode arrière et retirer sélectivement des parties de celle-ci pour exposer des zones discrètes de la couche d'électrode arrière sous-jacente et décaper à la fois la couche d'électrode arrière et la couche de silicium sous-jacente dans lesdites zones discrètes. Le procédé est caractérisé en ce que : i. la couche de réserve est une composition alcalophobe polymère, des parties de celle-ci étant retirées sélectivement au moyen d'un développeur acide; ii. les couches d'électrode arrière sont dans un matériau résistant au dit développeur acide, rincé du dispositif après le développement desdites parties de ladite couche de réserve, et iii. le décapage de ladite couche d'électrode arrière et de ladite couche de silicium est réalisé en séquence en utilisant le même agent de gravure alcalin. L'invention trouve une application particulière dans la production de cellules photovoltaïques pour la génération d'électricité quand elles sont exposées à la lumière, et aux écrans plats pour générer de la lumière quand l'électricité est appliquée au substrat actif dans ceux-ci.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0703198.2 | 2007-02-20 | ||
GB0703198A GB2446838A (en) | 2007-02-20 | 2007-02-20 | Photovoltaic device and manufacturing method |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2008102172A1 true WO2008102172A1 (fr) | 2008-08-28 |
Family
ID=37908888
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2008/050108 WO2008102172A1 (fr) | 2007-02-20 | 2008-02-20 | Dispositif photovoltaïque et procédé de fabrication pour celui-ci |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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GB (1) | GB2446838A (fr) |
WO (1) | WO2008102172A1 (fr) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN101833069A (zh) * | 2010-05-14 | 2010-09-15 | 沈阳汉锋新能源技术有限公司 | 薄膜转换率的检测装置 |
DE102009037964A1 (de) * | 2009-08-15 | 2011-03-03 | Frank Bentzinger | Photovoltaikmodul mit wenigstens einer Solarzelle und Verfahren zur Strukturierung einer Solarzelle |
CN102792465A (zh) * | 2010-02-05 | 2012-11-21 | E·I·内穆尔杜邦公司 | 掩模糊料以及用于制造部分透明的薄膜光伏板的方法 |
WO2016012007A1 (fr) * | 2014-07-22 | 2016-01-28 | Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Für Materialien Und Energie Gmbh | Procédé de fabrication d'un système de contact côté arrière pour cellule solaire à couche mince en silicium |
CN112599610A (zh) * | 2020-12-02 | 2021-04-02 | 中山瑞科新能源有限公司 | 透光太阳电池制造工艺 |
WO2022184038A1 (fr) * | 2021-03-02 | 2022-09-09 | 苏州太阳井新能源有限公司 | Procédé de fabrication d'électrode de cellule photovoltaïque et cellule photovoltaïque |
JP2022540065A (ja) * | 2019-06-28 | 2022-09-14 | アグフア-ゲヴエルト,ナームローゼ・フエンノートシヤツプ | アルカリエッチング又はメッキ用途のための放射線硬化性インキジェットインキ |
Families Citing this family (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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FR2997226B1 (fr) * | 2012-10-23 | 2016-01-01 | Crosslux | Procede de fabrication d’un dispositif photovoltaique a couches minces, notamment pour vitrage solaire |
FR2997227B1 (fr) * | 2012-10-23 | 2015-12-11 | Crosslux | Dispositif photovoltaique a couches minces, notamment pour vitrage solaire |
FR3006106B1 (fr) * | 2013-05-23 | 2016-09-02 | Wysips | Dispositif photovoltaique en couches minces utilisant une mono cellule |
EP3000131B1 (fr) * | 2013-05-23 | 2020-09-09 | Garmin Switzerland GmbH | Mono cellule photovoltaïque semi-transparente en couches minces |
CN104425637A (zh) * | 2013-08-30 | 2015-03-18 | 中国建材国际工程集团有限公司 | 部分透明的薄层太阳能模块 |
JP6891914B2 (ja) * | 2019-03-26 | 2021-06-18 | カシオ計算機株式会社 | ソーラーパネル、表示装置及び時計 |
JP6927245B2 (ja) * | 2019-03-26 | 2021-08-25 | カシオ計算機株式会社 | ソーラーパネル、表示装置及び時計 |
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US4663494A (en) * | 1984-07-19 | 1987-05-05 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Photovoltaic device |
US5352326A (en) * | 1993-05-28 | 1994-10-04 | International Business Machines Corporation | Process for manufacturing metalized ceramic substrates |
JP2000208787A (ja) * | 1999-01-11 | 2000-07-28 | Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd | 太陽電池 |
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EP1246249A2 (fr) * | 2001-03-29 | 2002-10-02 | Kaneka Corporation | Module de cellules solaires à coches minces partiellement transparent |
Cited By (10)
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DE102009037964A1 (de) * | 2009-08-15 | 2011-03-03 | Frank Bentzinger | Photovoltaikmodul mit wenigstens einer Solarzelle und Verfahren zur Strukturierung einer Solarzelle |
DE102009037964A8 (de) * | 2009-08-15 | 2011-06-01 | Frank Bentzinger | Photovoltaikmodul mit wenigstens einer Solarzelle und Verfahren zur Strukturierung einer Solarzelle |
CN102792465A (zh) * | 2010-02-05 | 2012-11-21 | E·I·内穆尔杜邦公司 | 掩模糊料以及用于制造部分透明的薄膜光伏板的方法 |
CN101833069A (zh) * | 2010-05-14 | 2010-09-15 | 沈阳汉锋新能源技术有限公司 | 薄膜转换率的检测装置 |
WO2016012007A1 (fr) * | 2014-07-22 | 2016-01-28 | Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Für Materialien Und Energie Gmbh | Procédé de fabrication d'un système de contact côté arrière pour cellule solaire à couche mince en silicium |
US9899555B2 (en) | 2014-07-22 | 2018-02-20 | Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Fuer Materialien Und Energie Gmbh | Method for producing a rear-side contact system for a silicon thin-layer solar cell |
JP2022540065A (ja) * | 2019-06-28 | 2022-09-14 | アグフア-ゲヴエルト,ナームローゼ・フエンノートシヤツプ | アルカリエッチング又はメッキ用途のための放射線硬化性インキジェットインキ |
JP7174173B2 (ja) | 2019-06-28 | 2022-11-17 | アグフア-ゲヴエルト,ナームローゼ・フエンノートシヤツプ | アルカリエッチング又はメッキ用途のための放射線硬化性インキジェットインキ |
CN112599610A (zh) * | 2020-12-02 | 2021-04-02 | 中山瑞科新能源有限公司 | 透光太阳电池制造工艺 |
WO2022184038A1 (fr) * | 2021-03-02 | 2022-09-09 | 苏州太阳井新能源有限公司 | Procédé de fabrication d'électrode de cellule photovoltaïque et cellule photovoltaïque |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB0703198D0 (en) | 2007-03-28 |
GB2446838A (en) | 2008-08-27 |
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