| 摘要 |
In general, the present invention relates to forming electrical contacts in a semiconductor device, including contact regions in solar cells. According to certain aspects, the invention provides methods and apparatuses for forming plated contacts in the presence of a thin tunnel oxide. Preferably, the tunnel oxide dielectric layer is thin enough to sustain a tunnel current. Plating over the tunnel dielectric is then performed. The benefits of the invention include that no annealing is required to form the metal-silicide contact. Moreover, there is no requirement for special metals for n- or p-type contacts. Another advantage is that shallow contacts according to the invention avoid punching through a shallow junction, thereby enabling the use of shallower emitters with improved blue response. Still further, there is no need to control the amount of silicide metal plated in order to prevent driving the silicide alloy through the junction.
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