Efficient Low-Cost IBC Solar Cells with a Front Floating Emitter: Structure Optimization and Passivation Layer Study

Peng Dong, Yuming Zhang, Hui Guo, Chenxu Zhang, Jikui Ma, Xiaoyong Qu and Chunfu Zhang
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Peng Dong: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Disciplines State Key Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
Yuming Zhang: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Disciplines State Key Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
Hui Guo: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Disciplines State Key Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
Chenxu Zhang: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Disciplines State Key Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
Jikui Ma: SPIC Xi’an Solar Power Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710061, China
Xiaoyong Qu: SPIC Xi’an Solar Power Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710061, China
Chunfu Zhang: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology Disciplines State Key Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: In this paper, we investigate interdigitated back contact solar cells with the front floating emitter structure systematically by using simulated and experimental methods. By comparing the front floating emitter structure with the front surface field structure, it is found that the efficiency of solar cells with the front surface field structure quickly reduces with the increasing of back surface field width; while solar cells with the front floating emitter structure can have a wider front surface field width range with minimum impact on the cell efficiency. More importantly, solar cells with the front floating emitter structure have a larger fabrication process tolerance, especially for the back surface field width, emitter width, and the bulk resistivity, which means that the fabrication process flow can be simplified and the production cost can be reduced. Based on the above results, large area (156.75 mm × 156.75 mm) interdigitated back contact solar cells with the front floating emitter structure are fabricated by using the simplified process with only one masking step. SiO x :B is used as the passivation layer, which can lead to a higher open circuit voltage and lower surface saturation current density. Finally, an efficiency of 20.39% is achieved for the large area solar cells.

Keywords: solar cells; interdigitated back contact; front floating emitter; SiO x :B; passivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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