Advancements in n-Type Base Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Their Emergence in the Photovoltaic Industry

The p-type crystalline silicon wafers have occupied most of the solar cell market today. However, modules made with n-type crystalline silicon wafers are actually the most efficient modules up to date. This is because the material properties offered by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are suitable for higher efficiencies. Properties such as the absence of boron-oxygen related defects and a greater tolerance to key metal impurities by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are major factors that underline the efficiency of n-type crystalline silicon wafer modules. The bi-facial design of n-type cells with good rear-side electronic and optical properties on an industrial scale can be shaped as well. Furthermore, the development in the industrialization of solar cell designs based on n-type crystalline silicon substrates also highlights its boost in the contributions to the photovoltaic industry. In this paper, a review of various solar cell structures that can be realized on n-type crystalline silicon substrates will be given. Moreover, the current standing of solar cell technology based on n-type substrates and its contribution in photovoltaic industry will also be discussed.

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Optoelectronic Properties of Thin Amorphous and Micro-Crystalline p-Type Films Developed for Amorphous Silicon-Based Solar Cells

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-420-819 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 420 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K. Winz ◽

B. Rech ◽

T. H. Eickhoff ◽

C. Beneking ◽

C. M. Fortmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Short Circuit Current ◽

Glass Substrates ◽

Cell Structures ◽

Silicon Carbon ◽

P Type

AbstractVIIF-PECVD at 110 MI-z was used to deposit micro-crystalline p-layers on glass substrates for detailed analysis and onto ZnO coated substrates for incorporation into p-i-n solar cell structures. Solar cell and film analysis confirmed that the films incorporated into the solar cells contained significant crystalline silicon volume fractions despite being only 30 nm thick. The p-i-n solar cells employing a micro-crystalline silicon p-layer deposited on ZnO coated substrates had series resistances, fill factors and Voc similar to those of the reference solar cells deposited onto SnO2 coated substrates and having optimized amorphous silicon-carbon p-layers. The short circuit current of the micro-crystalline p-layer case was 10 percent lower than that of the reference cell indicating that further optimization is required.

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Excellent rear side passivation on multi-crystalline silicon solar cells with 20 nm uncapped Al2O3 layer: Industrialization of ALD for solar cell applications

2010 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference ◽

10.1109/pvsc.2010.5614176 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

I. Cesar ◽

E. Granneman ◽

P. Vermont ◽

E. Tois ◽

P. Manshanden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Rear Side ◽

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells ◽

20 Nm

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Passivation of Silicon Surfaces by Treatment in Water at 110°C

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2015.551 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1770 ◽

pp. 37-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tomohiko Nakamura ◽

Toshiyuki Sameshima ◽

Masahiko Hasumi ◽

Tomohisa Mizuno

Keyword(s):

Solar Cell ◽

Liquid Water ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Surface Recombination ◽

Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Silicon Surfaces ◽

Silicon Substrates ◽

Light Illumination ◽

P Type

ABSTRACTWe report effective passivation of silicon surfaces by heating single crystalline silicon substrates in liquid water at 110°C for 1 h. High values of photo-induced effective minority carrier lifetime τeff in the range from 1.9x10-4 to 1.8x10-3 s were obtained for the n-type samples with resistivity in the range from 1.7 to 18.1 Ωcm. τeff ranged from 8.3x10-4 to 3.1x10-3 s and from 1.2x10-4 to 6.0x10-4 s over the area of 4 inch sized 17.0 Ωcm n- and 15.0 Ωcm p-type samples, respectively. The heat treatment in liquid water at 110°C for 1 h resulted in low surface recombination velocities ranging from 7 to 34 cm/s and from 49 to 250 cm/s for those 4 inch sized n- and p-type samples, respectively. The thickness of the passivation layer was estimated to be approximate only 0.7 nm. Metal-insulator-semiconductor type solar cell was demonstrated with Al and Au metal formation on the passivated surface. Rectified current voltage and solar cell characteristics were observed. Open circuit voltage of 0.47 V was obtained under AM 1.5 light illumination at 100 mW/cm2.

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Solar wafers. Data sheet and product information for crystalline silicon wafers for solar cell manufacturing

10.3403/30176110 ◽

2009 ◽

Keyword(s):

Solar Cell ◽

Product Information ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Silicon Wafers ◽

Data Sheet ◽

Cell Manufacturing

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Interfacial Behavior and Stability Analysis of p ‐Type Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells Based on Hole‐Selective MoO X /Metal Contacts

Solar RRL ◽

10.1002/solr.201900274 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (11) ◽

pp. 1900274 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Shuangying Cao ◽

Jingye Li ◽

Yinyue Lin ◽

Tianyu Pan ◽

Guanlin Du ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Stability Analysis ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Interfacial Behavior ◽

Metal Contacts ◽

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells ◽

P Type

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High-Efficiency p-Type Si Solar Cell Fabricated by Using Firing-Through Aluminum Paste on the Cell Back Side

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma12203388 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 3388 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Guang Wu ◽

Yuan Liu ◽

Mengxue Liu ◽

Yi Zhang ◽

Peng Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cell ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Glass Frit ◽

Open Circuit ◽

Rear Side ◽

Back Side ◽

Al2o3 Layer ◽

Recombination Centers ◽

Powder Content ◽

P Type

Firing-through paste used for rear-side metallization of p-type monocrystalline silicon passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells was developed. The rear-side passivation Al2O3 layer and the SiNx layer can be effectively etched by the firing-through paste. Ohmic contact with a contact resistivity between 1 to 10 mΩ·cm2 was successfully fabricated. Aggressive reactive firing-through paste would introduce non-uniform etching and high-density recombination centers at the Si/paste interface. Good balance between low resistive contact formation and relatively high open-circuit voltage can be achieved by adjusting glass frit and metal powder content in the paste. Patterned dot back contacts formed by firing-through paste can further decrease recombination density at the Si/paste interface. A P-type solar cell with an area of 7.8 × 7.8 cm2 with a Voc of 653.4 mV and an efficiency of 19.61% was fabricated.

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Conversion of Solar Radiation Into Electricity in Silicon Solar Cells: A Thermodynamic Assessment

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.2929965 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 113 (4) ◽

pp. 219-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. F. Osterle ◽

S. R. Swantner

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Radiation ◽

Thermodynamic Assessment ◽

Crystalline Silicon ◽

Electrical Power ◽

Type Material ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Fundamental Properties ◽

P Type

The thermodynamic dissipations in crystalline silicon solar cells are identified and evaluated. The ratio of the exergy of the output electrical power to the exergy of the input solar radiation is the effectiveness of the solar cell. The input exergy is converted to the output exergy (the electrical power delivered) with a series of dissipations. These dissipations are identified and evaluated for crystalline silicon cells in terms of the thickness and certain fundamental properties of the light absorbing silicon semiconductor (in this case a P-type material). It is assumed that the N-type material is very thin and absorbs no radiation. For representative values of these properties and a range of thicknesses, it is found that the dissipations due to transmission and thermalization and in the photogeneration process are dominant. The dissipations due to the dark current and recombination are small.

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