A simple, low resistance contact system for shallow junction p+nn+ InP solar cells that preserves emitter integrity during sintering

We have discovered what appears to be a unique contact system for use on p-type InP. The new contacts provide low resistance contact to p-InP without the violent metallurgical intermixing that would normally take place between the emitter material and the contact metallization during the contact sintering process. With this new contact system it is possible, for the first time, to make low resistance ohmic contact directly to a shallow junction p/n InP solar cell without destroying the cell in the process. The use of this contact system eliminates the need for an InGaAs cap layer under the metallization, greatly facilitating the use of low cost substrates