Optimization of plasma deposition and etching processes for commercial multicrystalline silicon solar cells
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- ASE Americas, Inc., Billerica, MA (United States)
- Solarex, Frederick, MD (United States)
The authors conducted an investigation of plasma deposition and etching processes on full-size multicrystalline (mc-Si) cells processed in commercial production lines, so that any improvements obtained will be immediately relevant to the PV industry. In one case, the authors performed a statistically designed multiparameter experiment to determine the optimum PECVD-nitride deposition conditions specific to EFG silicon from ASE Americas, Inc. In a related effort, they studied whether plasma-etching techniques can use standard screen-printed gridlines as etch masks to form self-aligned, patterned-emitter profiles on mc-Si cells from Solarex Corp. Initial results found a statistically significant improvement of about half an absolute percentage point in cell efficiency when the self-aligned emitter etchback was combined with the PECVD-nitride surface passivation treatment. Additional improvement is expected when the successful bulk passivation treatment is also added to the process.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 244570
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-95-2816C; CONF-960513-8; ON: DE96010976; TRN: AHC29613%%45
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 25. photovoltaic solar energy conference, Washington, DC (United States), 13-17 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Plasma processing applied to crystalline-silicon solar cells
Plasma etching, texturing, and passivation of silicon solar cells