Solar Cell Electrode Fabrication via Dielectric Confinement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The solar cell industry faces challenges in increasing electrical generation efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs, particularly due to high photoresist consumption and electrode linewidth expansion, which affects light-trapping surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A method for fabricating solar cells involves forming photoresist patterns on a transparent conductive layer, creating openings in a dielectric layer, and using electroplating to form electrodes within these openings, which are limited by the dielectric layer's shape, thereby controlling electrode linewidth and reducing photoresist usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If photoresist is applied to the entire substrate surface for electrode formation, then complete electrode coverage is achieved, but photoresist consumption increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The photoresist is applied selectively only to the electrode formation areas rather than the entire substrate surface. This localized application reduces photoresist consumption while maintaining precise electrode linewidth control through the defined application pattern and subsequent dielectric layer confinement.
2Manufacturing precision
If electrodes are formed without dielectric layer confinement, then formation process is simpler, but electrode linewidth expands and light-trapping surfaces decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric layer is formed beforehand to create confinement structures before electrode deposition. This preliminary action establishes the linewidth boundaries in advance, ensuring precise electrode formation without requiring complex real-time control during the electrode formation process itself.
3Ease of manufacture
If photoresist patterns are removed completely after electrode formation, then no photoresist residue remains, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The photoresist patterns are selectively removed only from non-electrode areas after electrode formation, extracting the harmful residue while preserving the electrode structures. This selective removal eliminates photoresist contamination in critical areas without requiring complete substrate processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach decreases manufacturing costs, minimizes photoresist consumption, and precisely controls electrode linewidth, enhancing electrical generation efficiency and maintaining light-trapping surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the electrodes are formed in the openings by an electroplating process in the step of forming the electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A method for fabricating a solar cell includes the steps of providing a substrate, forming a transparent conductive layer on a surface of the substrate, forming a plurality of photoresist patterns on the transparent conductive layer, forming a dielectric layer on the photoresist patterns and the transparent conductive layer, in which a part of a sidewall of the photoresist pattern is exposed from the dielectric layer, removing the photoresist patterns and a part of the dielectric layer covering the photoresist pattern so that a plurality of openings are defined in the remaining part of the dielectric layer, and forming plural electrodes in the openings respectively. A solar cell fabricated by the method is also disclosed.