Mechanically grooved high-efficiency silicon solar cells with self-aligned metallisation

Verbeek, Martin; Metz, A.; Aberle, A.G.; Hezel, Rudolf

doi:10.1109/pvsc.1996.564058

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…As can be seen, all parameters of both cells are stable during the 600-h UV test, corresponding to an outdoor operation of the cells of about 4.3 years. 46 A. G. ABERLE AND R. HEZEL rear eciencies above 18% for`low-tech' bifacial Si solar cells, by far the highest ever reported for bifacial cells with non-diused rear surfaces. The SiN ®lms can also successfully be combined with a cost-eective mask-free metallization technique, as demonstrated by front eciencies of 18.6% of shallow-angle evaporated p-n junction Si solar cells.…”

Section: Ultraviolet Stability Of Plasma Sin-passivated Silicon Solarmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another interesting cell design utilizing the low-temperature SiN passivation is the MIS-contacted diused p-n junction cell MIS1 of Table V. 46 The characteristic features of this cell are a mechanically V-grooved front surface (which provides excellent re¯ection properties) and an MIS tunnel contact formed by perpendicular evaporation of Al through a shadow mask onto a thin ($1X5 nm) thermal oxide. This Al-based MIS contact design has recently been introduced in Ref.…”

Section: Mechanically Textured Cells With Self-aligned Metallizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cell MIS2 is similar to cell MIS1 but the front electrode has been obliquely evaporated at an angle of about 108 without the use of a metal shadow mask. 46 This has been possible due to the shading eect of the ridge tops formed by the V-grooved surface texture (see Figure 15). This metallization technique is a decisive prerequisite for an innovative cell concept recently proposed by us, the so-called`abrased ridge top' (ART) cell.…”

Section: Mechanically Textured Cells With Self-aligned Metallizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Progress in Low-temperature Surface Passivation of Silicon Solar Cells using Remote-plasma Silicon Nitride

Aberle

Hezel

1997

Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl.

150

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Using a remote‐plasma technique as opposed to the conventional direct‐plasma technique, significant progress has been obtained at ISFH in the area of low‐temperature surface passivation of p‐type crystalline silicon solar cells by means of silicon nitride (SiN) films fabricated at 350–400°C in a plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition system. If applied to the rear surface of the low‐resistivity p‐type substrates, the remote‐plasma SiN films provide outstanding surface recombination velocities (SRVs) as low as 4 cm s−1, which is by a clear margin the lowest value ever obtained on a low‐resistivity p‐Si wafer passivated by a solid film, including highest quality thermal oxides. Compared to direct‐plasma SiN films or thermally grown oxides, the remote‐plasma films not only provide significantly better SRVs on low‐resistivity p‐silicon wafers, but also an enormously improved stability against ultraviolet (UV) light. The potential of these remote‐plasma silicon nitride films for silicon solar cell applications is further increased by the fact that they provide a surface passivation on phosphorus‐diffused emitters which is comparable to high‐quality thermal oxides. Furthermore, if combined with a thermal oxide and a caesium treatment, the films induce a UV‐stable inversion‐layer emitter of outstanding electronic quality. Due to the low deposition temperature and the high refraction index, these remote‐plasma SiN films act as highly efficient surface‐passivating antireflection coatings. Application of these films to cost‐effective silicon solar cell designs presently under development at ISFH turned out to be most successful, as demonstrated by diffused p‐n junction cells with efficiencies above 19%, by bifacial p‐n junction cells with front and rear efficiencies above 18%, by mask‐free evaporated p‐n junction cells with efficiencies above 18% and by MIS inversion‐layer cells with a new record efficiency of above 17%. All cells are found to be stable during a UV test corresponding to more than 4 years of glass‐encapsulated outdoor operation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Ultraviolet Stability Of Plasma Sin-passivated Silicon Solarmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mechanically Textured Cells With Self-aligned Metallizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mechanically Textured Cells With Self-aligned Metallizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Progress in Low-temperature Surface Passivation of Silicon Solar Cells using Remote-plasma Silicon Nitride

Aberle

Hezel

1997

Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl.

150

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“…This segregation generates a voltage across the junction that may conduct a current in an external load (CPE-UNSW, 2004), (EMSOLAR, 2004). Partial reflection of the incident light, the incomplete absorption and utilization of the photons energy, the partial recombination of electrical charge carriers and the leakage across the junction (Burgers & Eikelboom, 1997), (Green, 1986), (Horzel & De Clerq, 1995), (Verbeek & Metz, 1996), (STARFIRE, 2002) are main factors that reduce the PVC efficiency. The power loss occurs in the bulk of the base material, R p ( Fig.…”

Section: Photovoltaic Cells Optimization -A Design Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling and Simulation in Engineering

Alexandru¹

2012

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IntroductionAs more and more complex and sophisticated hardware and software tools are available, complex problems described by consistent mathematical models are successfully approached by numerical simulation: modelling and simulation are present at almost each level in education, research, and production. Numerical "experiments" have predictive value, and complement physical experiments. They are unique in providing valuable insights in Gedankenexperiment-class (thought experiment) investigations. This chapter presents numerical simulation results related to a structural optimization problem that arises in systems with gradients and fluxes. Although the discussion concerns the optimal electrical design of photovoltaic systems, it may be extended to a larger class of applications in electrical and mechanical engineering: diffusion and conduction problems. The first concern in simulation is the proper formulation of the physical model of the system under investigation that should lead to consistent mathematical models, or well-posed problems (in Hadamard sense) (Morega, 1998). When available, analytic solutions -even for simplified mathematical models -may outline useful insights into the physics of the processes, and may also help deciding the numerical approach to the solution to more realistic models for the systems under investigation. Homemade and third party simulation tools are equally useful as long as they are available and provide for accurate solutions. Recent technological progresses brought into attention the Spherical PhotoVoltaic Cells (SPVC), known for their capability of capturing light three-dimensionally not only from direct sunlight but also as diffuse light scattered by the clouds or reflected by the buildings. This chapter reports the structural optimization of several types of spherical photovoltaic cells (SPVC) by applying the constructal principle to the minimization of their electrical series resistance. A numerically assisted step-by-step construction of optimal, minimum series resistance SPVC ensembles, from the smallest cell (called elemental) to the largest assembly that relies on the minimization of the maximum voltage drop subject to volume (material) constraints is presented. In this completely deterministic approach the SPVC ensembles shapes and structures are the outcome of the optimization of a volume to point access problem imposed as a design request. Specific to the constructal theory, the optimal shape (geometry) and structure of both natural and engineered systems are morphed out of their functionality and resources, and of the constraints to which they are subject. www.intechopen.comRecent Advances in Modelling and Simulation 318 Shape and structure out of a multiphysics principleThe development of the constructal principle (Bejan, 2000) relies on the analysis of natural dynamic systems with fluxes and gradients (e.g., temperature, pressure, electric potential, chemical potential, etc.) that, internally, are outside thermodynamic equilibrium. A second important aspect is...

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A new strategy for the fabrication of cost-effective silicon solar cells

Hezel

Metz

1998

Renewable Energy

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Mechanically grooved high-efficiency silicon solar cells with self-aligned metallisation

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Progress in Low-temperature Surface Passivation of Silicon Solar Cells using Remote-plasma Silicon Nitride

Progress in Low-temperature Surface Passivation of Silicon Solar Cells using Remote-plasma Silicon Nitride

Modeling and Simulation in Engineering

A new strategy for the fabrication of cost-effective silicon solar cells

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