US 12,426,401 B2
One-dimensional metallization for solar cells
Richard Hamilton Sewell, Los Altos, CA (US); David Fredric Joel Kavulak, Fremont, CA (US); Lewis Abra, San Francisco, CA (US); Thomas P. Pass, San Jose, CA (US); Taeseok Kim, Pleasanton, CA (US); Matthieu Moors, Braine-le-Chateau (BE); Benjamin Ian Hsia, Fremont, CA (US); and Gabriel Harley, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed by Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed on Nov. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/513,256.
Application 18/513,256 is a continuation of application No. 16/741,591, filed on Jan. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,862,745.
Application 16/741,591 is a continuation of application No. 14/750,821, filed on Jun. 25, 2015, granted, now 10,535,790, issued on Jan. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0088317 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H10F 77/20 (2025.01); H10F 10/14 (2025.01); H10F 19/90 (2025.01)
CPC H10F 77/219 (2025.01) [H10F 10/146 (2025.01); H10F 77/227 (2025.01); H10F 19/90 (2025.01); H10F 19/902 (2025.01); H10F 19/904 (2025.01); H10F 19/908 (2025.01); Y02E 10/50 (2013.01); Y02E 10/546 (2013.01); Y02E 10/547 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar cell, comprising:
a substrate having a back surface and an opposing light-receiving surface;
a plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions in or above the back surface of the substrate and parallel along a first direction to form a one-dimensional layout of emitter regions for the solar cell; and
a conductive contact structure on the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions, the conductive contact structure comprising a plurality of metal lines corresponding to the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions parallel along the first direction to form a one-dimensional layout of a metallization layer for the solar cell, wherein the plurality of metal lines terminates in a staggered fashion at first and second ends of the substrate, and wherein the staggered fashion comprises alternating long terminations along the first direction relative to short terminations along the first direction for neighboring ones of the plurality of metal lines, and wherein the lines that have long terminations are discontinuous from one another, and the lines that have short terminations are discontinuous from one another, and wherein the staggered fashion conforms to angled corners of the substrate including alternating long terminations along the first direction relative to short terminations along the first direction for neighboring ones of the plurality of metal lines along the angled corners, wherein a portion of the staggered fashion that conforms to an angled corner of the substrate includes a metal line that is between and has an end that is orthogonal to the first direction and extends beyond two immediately neighboring metal lines, and wherein a first one of the two immediately neighboring metal lines has an end that is orthogonal to the first direction and extends beyond a second one of the two immediately neighboring metal lines.