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Title: Self-Aligned Selective Area Front Contacts on Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contact c-Si Solar Cells

Abstract

We report both polarity poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts in a front/back device configuration may represent the next solar cell architecture after tunnel oxide passivating contacts (TOPCon) cells, but high parasitic absorption in the front poly -Si layer often limits its performance. This work explores a wet etching technique to remove the front poly -Si in the nonmetallized regions using self-aligned metal grids as an etch mask. We systematically examine various dielectric layers (SiNx,Al2O3, and stacks thereof) to study the repassivation of the etched n+ surface, and find that an SiNx/Al2O3 passivation stack can effectively repassivate the etched surface, which we attribute to field-effect passivation from the positive fixed charge from the SiNx layer, and excellent chemical passivation property from Al2O3 in the form of atomic H. We demonstrate a front/back poly-Si/SiOx passivating contact device, with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 690 mV, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 39.8 mA/cm2, fill factor of 78%, and power conversion efficiency of 21.4%. Furthermore, simulations using SunSolve and Quokka 3 show good agreement with both the optical and electrical properties of the experimental device. The power loss analysis reveals improvements in the optical loss from the back Ti adhesion and front SiNx layers would leadmore » to a 23.5% device. Lastly, a techno-economic model compares the production cost of this improved cell with the current TOPCon cells. Our results highlight that further cost reductions in single-sided doped poly -Si layers are needed to compete with mainstream passivated emitter and rear cell, and TOPCon technologies.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [3];  [3];  [3]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1866765
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-82843
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381; MainId:83616;UUID:f4d3f369-a2b8-41c2-8620-de567e5b0be2;MainAdminID:64456
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; EE00034359
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 12; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
Publisher:
IEEE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; dielectric passivation; parasitic absorption; passivating contacts; silicon solar cell

Citation Formats

Chen, Kejun, Hartweg, Barry, Woodhouse, Michael, Guthrey, Harvey, Nemeth, William, Theingi, San, Page, Matthew, Holman, Zachary C., Stradins, Paul, Agarwal, Sumit, and Young, David L. Self-Aligned Selective Area Front Contacts on Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contact c-Si Solar Cells. United States: N. p., 2022. Web. doi:10.1109/jphotov.2022.3148719.
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Chen, Kejun, Hartweg, Barry, Woodhouse, Michael, Guthrey, Harvey, Nemeth, William, Theingi, San, Page, Matthew, Holman, Zachary C., Stradins, Paul, Agarwal, Sumit, & Young, David L. Self-Aligned Selective Area Front Contacts on Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contact c-Si Solar Cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2022.3148719
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Chen, Kejun, Hartweg, Barry, Woodhouse, Michael, Guthrey, Harvey, Nemeth, William, Theingi, San, Page, Matthew, Holman, Zachary C., Stradins, Paul, Agarwal, Sumit, and Young, David L. Tue . "Self-Aligned Selective Area Front Contacts on Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contact c-Si Solar Cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2022.3148719. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1866765.
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@article{osti_1866765,
title = {Self-Aligned Selective Area Front Contacts on Poly-Si/SiOx Passivating Contact c-Si Solar Cells},
author = {Chen, Kejun and Hartweg, Barry and Woodhouse, Michael and Guthrey, Harvey and Nemeth, William and Theingi, San and Page, Matthew and Holman, Zachary C. and Stradins, Paul and Agarwal, Sumit and Young, David L.},
abstractNote = {We report both polarity poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts in a front/back device configuration may represent the next solar cell architecture after tunnel oxide passivating contacts (TOPCon) cells, but high parasitic absorption in the front poly -Si layer often limits its performance. This work explores a wet etching technique to remove the front poly -Si in the nonmetallized regions using self-aligned metal grids as an etch mask. We systematically examine various dielectric layers (SiNx,Al2O3, and stacks thereof) to study the repassivation of the etched n+ surface, and find that an SiNx/Al2O3 passivation stack can effectively repassivate the etched surface, which we attribute to field-effect passivation from the positive fixed charge from the SiNx layer, and excellent chemical passivation property from Al2O3 in the form of atomic H. We demonstrate a front/back poly-Si/SiOx passivating contact device, with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 690 mV, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 39.8 mA/cm2, fill factor of 78%, and power conversion efficiency of 21.4%. Furthermore, simulations using SunSolve and Quokka 3 show good agreement with both the optical and electrical properties of the experimental device. The power loss analysis reveals improvements in the optical loss from the back Ti adhesion and front SiNx layers would lead to a 23.5% device. Lastly, a techno-economic model compares the production cost of this improved cell with the current TOPCon cells. Our results highlight that further cost reductions in single-sided doped poly -Si layers are needed to compete with mainstream passivated emitter and rear cell, and TOPCon technologies.},
doi = {10.1109/jphotov.2022.3148719},
journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
number = 3,
volume = 12,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2022},
month = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2022}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2022.3148719
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