Engineered Interfaces Using Surface and Contact Passivation in Silicon Solar Cells

Journal Article · 01 April 2018 · Interface Magazine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1149/2.f07181if · OSTI ID:1721664

Davis, Kristopher O.  ^[1]; Schoenfeld, Winston V.  ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States); University of Central Florida
2. Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States); Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)

Silicon solar cells have enjoyed significant advancement in the past decade with manufacturing costs dropping considerably in tandem with measurable increases in absolute cell efficiency. As cell efficiencies have climbed, surface passivation has quickly become a key factor in realizing higher efficiencies. The first silicon solar cells to exceed efficiencies above 24% relied on covering the majority of the front and rear surfaces with insulating dielectrics, primarily silicon oxide (SiO₂), to reduce surface recombination, only placing the metal contacts required for carrier collection at a small fractional area of the total surface. More recently, researchers have realized the potential for engineering the passivation/silicon and contact/silicon interfaces using fixed charge. Finally, this article provides an overview of the role of surface passivation in silicon solar cells and presents current advanced passivation approaches that enable designed engineering of the cell interfaces for increased efficiency.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: EE0007533
• OSTI ID: 1721664
• Journal Information: Interface Magazine, Journal Name: Interface Magazine Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 27; ISSN 1064-8208
• Publisher: The Electrochemical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English