SOLAR CELL HAVING AN EMITTER REGION WITH WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

摘要

A solar cell having an emitter region composed of a wide bandgap semiconductor material is described. In one example, the method includes forming a thin dielectric layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate of the solar cell, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere. The semiconductor substrate has a band gap. A semiconductor layer is formed on a thin dielectric layer without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap greater than approximately 0.2 electron volts (eV) than the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.