Jason Rodriguez Dominguez

US Patent:

20120270359, Oct 25, 2012

Filed:

Feb 27, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/406102

Inventors:

PRABHAT KUMAR - Fremont CA, US
Jason Dominguez - Albuquerque NM, US
David Tanner - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/0236
H01L 31/02

US Classification:

438 71, 438 57, 257E3111, 257E3113

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a single step diffusion process used in selective emitter solar cell fabrication. In one embodiment, a dopant paste is selectively applied on a front surface of a substrate having opposite conductivity type from the dopant paste. The substrate is then exposed to a dopant containing vapor to deposit a doping layer having opposite conductivity type from the substrate on the front surface of the substrate. While the substrate is exposed to the dopant containing vapor, a portion of the dopant paste also contribute to deposition of the doping layer via gas phase transport of doping atoms from the dopant paste. The substrate is then heated in an atmosphere comprising oxygen and/or nitrogen to a temperature sufficient to cause the dopant atoms in the dopant paste and the doping layer to diffuse into the substrate, forming heavily and lightly doped emitter regions.