Solar Cell and Method of Manufacturing the Same

Abstract

Provided are a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same. The method of manufacturing the solar cell includes stacking a solar cell device layer containing GaN on a sacrificial substrate, etching the solar cell device layer to expose the sacrificial substrate, thereby forming one or more solar cell devices comprising the solar cell device layer, anisotropically etching the exposed sacrificial substrate, contacting the solar cell devices to a stamping processor to remove the solar cell devices from the sacrificial substrate, and transferring the solar cell devices onto a receiving substrate. A high temperature semiconductor process may be performed on a substrate such as a silicon substrate to transfer the solar cell devices onto the substrate, thereby manufacturing flexible solar cells. Also, a large number of solar cells may be excellently aligned on a large area. In addition, economical solar cells may be manufactured.

1 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:
 stacking a solar cell device layer containing GaN on a sacrificial substrate;   etching the solar cell device layer to expose the sacrificial substrate, thereby forming one or more solar cell devices comprising the solar cell device layer;   anisotropically etching the exposed sacrificial substrate;   contacting the solar cell devices to a stamping processor to remove the solar cell devices from the sacrificial substrate; and   transferring the solar cell devices onto a receiving substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial substrate is a silicon substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar cell device layer comprises a buffer layer/n-GaN layer/InGaN layer/p-GaN layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial substrate has a (111) crystal structure, and the anisotropic etch is performed in a (110) direction. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more solar cell devices are arranged in a plurality of rows, and one or more solar cells are disposed in each of the rows. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of a p-GaN layer and an n-GaN layer of the respective solar cell devices are exposed, and metal layers are stacked on at least portions of the exposed region. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the metal layers of the solar cell devices are electrically connected to each other in correspondence with their polarities. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving substrate is a flexible substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solar cell device layer has a tandem structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the solar cell device layer having the tandem structure has a structure in which a first solar cell device layer and a second solar cell device layer, each having a structure of n-GaN layer/InGaN layer/p-GaN layer, are stacked. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:
 doping p-type impurities into a silicon substrate to form a p-doped layer;   stacking a solar cell device layer containing InGaN on the silicon substrate to form a solar cell device having one or more tandem structure of a lower silicon solar cell device layer comprising the p-doped layer and an upper GaN solar cell comprising a GaN solar cell device layer;   stacking a protection layer on the solar cell device layer having the tandem structure to pattern the protection layer;   etching the entire device layer and the lower silicon substrate by a predetermined depth in a vertical direction;   forming spacers on lateral surfaces of the etched device layer and the silicon substrate etched by the predetermined depth;   anisotropically etching the silicon substrate exposed between the spacers;   contacting the solar cell devices to a stamping processor to remove the solar cell devices from the sacrificial substrate; and   transferring the solar cell devices onto a receiving substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the GaN solar cell device layer has a structure in which an AlN buffer layer, a high concentration p+-GaN layer, a high concentration n+-GaN layer, an n-GaN layer, an InGaN layer, and a p-GaN layer are sequentially stacked. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the silicon has a (111) crystal structure, and the anisotropic etch is performed in a (110) direction. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more solar cell devices having the tandem structure are arranged in a plurality of rows, and one or more solar cells are disposed in each of the rows. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising exposing at least portions of the p-GaN layer of the solar cell device layer and the lower silicon substrate to stack metal layers on at least portions of the exposed region. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal layers are electrically connected to each other in correspondence with their polarities. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the receiving substrate is a flexible substrate. 
     
     
         18 . A solar cell comprising:
 a substrate;   a polymer layer on the substrate;   solar cell devices spaced from each other on the substrate; and   a conductive layer electrically connecting an n-type electrode and a p-type electrode of the respective solar cell devices to each other.   
     
     
         19 . The solar cell of  claim 18 , wherein the polymer layer is formed of polyimide or norland. 
     
     
         20 . The solar cell of  claim 18 , wherein the respective solar cell devices are a GaN-based signal solar cell device, a GaN-based tandem type solar cell device, or a tandem type solar cell device of a silicon solar cell device/GaN-based solar cell device. 
     
     
         21 . The solar cell of  claim 18 , wherein the substrate is a flexible substrate, and the polymer is disposed in a space between the solar cell devices spaced from each other.