| abstract |
A solar cell fabrication procedure which is characterized by (1) removal of the front surface electrode plating mask after preliminary metallization of the front surface electrodes, (2) a passivation step which, inter alia, results in the formation of an altered silicon substrate surface layer, and (3) use of the altered surface layer as a plating mask for subsequent metallization steps involving, for example, immersion plating of nickel and immersion plating of electroplating of copper. |