Science and Technology Innovation Board Photovoltaic Silicon Wafer

Are textured TSRR wafers suitable for manufacturing silicon solar cells?

To validate the industrial compatibility of TSRR structure, we further prepared textured TSRR wafers and performed some key manufacturing processes for mass production of silicon solar cells based on 182 × 182 mm 2 pseudo-square wafers with an original thickness of 150 μm which are generally used in industry.

Are solar cells based on boron-doped wafers?

Most silicon solar cells until 2020 were based on p-type boron-doped wafers, with the p–n junction usually obtained by phosphorus diffusion, and, until 2016, they were mostly using a full-area Al-BSF (Fig. 3a), as first described in 1972 (refs 50, 51, 52).

Does wafer thickness affect solar cell performance?

To our knowledge, it is the first experimental demonstration of the dependence of SHJ solar cell performance on wafer thickness in the 60–130 μm range. We demonstrate that the gettering process continues to be beneficial for achieving solar cell efficiency above 26%.

What type of wafer does a cell use?

The cells usually use a crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer, with monocrystalline silicon being favoured due to its higher efficiency. An anti-reflective and passivation layer, often made of silicon dioxide, is applied to one side of the c-Si wafer to further improve light absorption and reduce losses.

What changes have been made to silicon PV components?

In this Review, we survey the key changes related to materials and industrial processing of silicon PV components. At the wafer level, a strong reduction in polysilicon cost and the general implementation of diamond wire sawing has reduced the cost of monocrystalline wafers.

Will other PV technologies compete with silicon on the mass market?

To conclude, we discuss what it will take for other PV technologies to compete with silicon on the mass market. Crystalline silicon solar cells are today’s main photovoltaic technology, enabling the production of electricity with minimal carbon emissions and at an unprecedented low cost.