A fine line silicon shadow mask for inversion layer solar cells

The feasibility of using silicon shadow masks to delineate fine linewidth grid patterns in MIS - Inversion Layer solar cells has been demonstrated. The masks have been prepared by anisotropically etching V-grooves into one surface of a silicon wafer, while simultaneously thinning the wafer by etching from the back surface. These masks have been used in a simple procedure to fabricate MISIL solar cells on 2.5 Ωcm, Czochralski silicon substrates with active area conversion efficiencies up to 15.1%.