| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080206962 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR THICK LAYER TRANSFER USING A LINEAR ACCELERATOR - A method for fabricating free standing thickness of materials using one or more semiconductor substrates, e.g., single crystal silicon, polysilicon, silicon germanium, germanium, group III/IV materials, and others. In a specific embodiment, the present method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface region and a thickness. The method includes subjecting the surface region of the semiconductor substrate to a first plurality of high energy particles generated using a linear accelerator to form a region of a plurality of gettering sites within a cleave region, the cleave region being provided beneath the surface region to defined a thickness of material to be detached, the semiconductor substrate being maintained at a first temperature. In a specific embodiment, the method includes subjecting the surface region of the semiconductor substrate to a second plurality of high energy particles generated using the linear accelerator, the second plurality of high energy particles being provided to increase a stress level of the cleave region from a first stress level to a second stress level. In a preferred embodiment, the semiconductor substrate is maintained at a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature. The method frees the thickness of detachable material using a cleaving process, e.g., controlled cleaving process. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20090308439 | SOLAR CELL FABRICATION USING IMPLANTATION - A solar cell device and method of making are provided. The device includes a silicon substrate including a preexisting dopant. A homogeneous lightly doped region is formed on a surface of the silicon substrate to form a junction between the preexisting dopant and the lightly doped region. A heavily doped region is selectively implanted on the surface of the silicon substrate. A seed layer is formed over the heavily doped region. A metal contact is formed over the seed layer. The device can include an anti-reflective coating. In one embodiment, the heavily doped region forms a parabolic shape. The heavily doped regions can each be a width on the silicon substrate a distance in the range 50 to 200 microns. Also, the heavily doped regions can be laterally spaced on the silicon substrate a distance in the range 1 to 3 mm from each other. The seed layer can be a silicide. The silicon substrate can include fiducial markers configured for aligning the placement of the heavily doped regions during an ion implantation process. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090308440 | FORMATION OF SOLAR CELL-SELECTIVE EMITTER USING IMPLANT AND ANNEAL METHOD - A method of forming a solar cell, the method comprising: providing a semiconducting wafer having a pre-doped region; performing a first ion implantation of a dopant into the semiconducting wafer to form a first doped region over the pre-doped region, wherein the first ion implantation has a concentration-versus-depth profile; and performing a second ion implantation of a dopant into the semiconducting wafer to form a second doped region over the pre-doped region, wherein the second ion implantation has a concentration-versus-depth profile different from that of the first ion implantation, wherein at least one of the first doped region and the second doped region is configured to generate electron-hole pairs upon receiving light, and wherein the first and second ion implantations are performed independently of one another. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090308450 | SOLAR CELL FABRICATION WITH FACETING AND ION IMPLANTATION - Solar cells in accordance with the present invention have reduced ohmic losses. These cells include photo-receptive regions that are doped less densely than adjacent selective emitter regions. The photo-receptive regions contain multiple four-sided pyramids that decrease the amount of light lost to the solar cell by reflection. The smaller doping density in the photo-receptive regions results in less blue light that is lost by electron-hole recombination. The higher doping density in the selective emitter region allows for better contacts with the metallic grid coupled to the multiple emitter regions. Preferably, the selective emitter and photo-receptive regions are both implanted using a narrow ion beam containing the dopants. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090309039 | APPLICATION SPECIFIC IMPLANT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE IN SOLAR CELL FABRICATIONS - Solar cells and other semiconductor devices are fabricated more efficiently and for less cost using an implanted doping fabrication system. A system for implanting a semiconductor substrate includes an ion source (such as a single-species delivery module), an accelerator to generate from the ion source an ion beam having an energy of no more than 150 kV, and a beam director to expose the substrate to the beam. In one embodiment, the ion source is single-species delivery module that includes a single-gas delivery element and a single-ion source. Alternatively, the ion source is a plasma source used to generate a plasma beam. The system is used to fabricate solar cells having lightly doped photo-receptive regions and more highly doped grid lines. This structure reduces the formation of “dead layers” and improves the contact resistance, thereby increasing the efficiency of a solar cell. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100323508 | PLASMA GRID IMPLANT SYSTEM FOR USE IN SOLAR CELL FABRICATIONS - A method of ion implantation comprising: providing a plasma within a plasma region of a chamber; positively biasing a first grid plate, wherein the first grid plate comprises a plurality of apertures; negatively biasing a second grid plate, wherein the second grid plate comprises a plurality of apertures; flowing ions from the plasma in the plasma region through the apertures in the positively-biased first grid plate; flowing at least a portion of the ions that flowed through the apertures in the positively-biased first grid plate through the apertures in the negatively-biased second grid plate; and implanting a substrate with at least a portion of the ions that flowed through the apertures in the negatively-biased second grid plate. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110162703 | ADVANCED HIGH EFFICIENTCY CRYSTALLINE SOLAR CELL FABRICATION METHOD - A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising: providing a semiconducting wafer having a front surface, a back surface, and a background doped region; performing a set of ion implantations of dopant into the semiconducting wafer to form a back alternatingly-doped region extending from the back surface of the semiconducting wafer to a location between the back surface and the front surface, wherein the back doped region comprises laterally alternating first back doped regions and second back doped regions, and wherein the first back doped regions comprise a different charge type than the second back doped regions and the background doped region; and disposing a back metal contact layer onto the back surface of the semiconducting wafer, wherein the back metal contact layer is aligned over the first and second back doped regions and is configured to conduct electrical charge from the first and second back doped regions. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110192993 | ADJUSTABLE SHADOW MASK ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN SOLAR CELL FABRICATIONS - An adjustable shadow mask implantation system comprising: an ion source configured to provide ions; and an shadow mask assembly configured to selectively allow ions from the ion source to pass therethrough to a substrate where they are implanted, wherein the shadow mask assembly is configured to adjust between a first position and a second position, wherein the shadow mask assembly enables ion implantation of multiple substantially parallel lines absent any lines with an intersecting orientation with respect to the multiple substantially parallel lines when set in the first position, and wherein the shadow mask assembly enables ion implantation of multiple substantially parallel lines and a line with an intersecting orientation with respect to the multiple substantially parallel lines when set in the second position. | 08-11-2011 |
