Method and apparatus for self-doping negative and positive electrodes for silicon solar cells and other devices

The invention relates to a solar cell, and to a method of manufacturing a solar cell. The method comprises: forming a first alloy of a first metal and a first dopant, wherein the first dopant is capable of doping a semicondutive material to be of a first type; applying the first alloy to a first surface of a first semiconductor, wherein the first semiconductor has been doped to be a semiconductive material of a second type and the second type is opposite to that of the first type; heating the first alloy and the first semiconductor above a first temperature point such that at least a portion of the first alloy and a portion of the first semiconductor form a molten second alloy; cooling the second alloy such that at least a portion of the first dopant, contained in the molten second alloy, is incorporated into an epitaxial regrowth region of the first semiconductor, wherein at least a portion of the epitaxial regrowth region forms a rectifying junction with the first semiconductor and wherein at least a portion of the rectifying junction is exposable to solar radiation that has not passed through the epitaxial regrowth region; cooling the second alloy to below the first temperature point wherein the second alloy becomes a solid first contact with ohmic electrical contact to at least a portion of the regrowth region; and applying an ohmic contact to the first semiconductor to form a second electrical contact of the solar cell.