A systematic investigation of the nanoparticle-enhanced light trapping in thin-film silicon solar cells is reported. The nanoparticles are fabricated by annealing a thin Ag film on the cell surface. An optimisation roadmap for the plasmonenhanced light-trapping scheme for self-assembled Ag metal nanoparticles is presented, including a comparison of rearlocated and front-located nanoparticles, an optimisation of the precursor Ag film thickness, an investigation on different conditions of the nanoparticle dielectric environment and a combination of nanoparticles with other supplementary backsurface reflectors. Significant photocurrent enhancements have been achieved because of high scattering and coupling efficiency of the Ag nanoparticles into the silicon device. For the optimum light-trapping scheme, a short-circuit current enhancement of 27% due to Ag nanoparticles is achieved, increasing to 44% for a "nanoparticle/magnesium fluoride/ diffuse paint" back-surface reflector structure. This is 6% higher compared with our previously reported plasmonic shortcircuit current enhancement of 38%.
This paper reports on the implementation of carrier-selective tunnel oxide passivated rear contact for high-efficiency screen-printed large area n-type front junction crystalline Si solar cells. It is shown that the tunnel oxide grown in nitric acid at room temperature (25°C) and capped with n + polysilicon layer provides excellent rear contact passivation with implied open-circuit voltage iV oc of 714 mV and saturation current density J 0b ′ of 10.3 fA/cm 2 for the back surface field region. The durability of this passivation scheme is also investigated for a back-end high temperature process. In combination with an ion-implanted Al 2 O 3 -passivated boron emitter and screen-printed front metal grids, this passivated rear contact enabled 21.2% efficient front junction Si solar cells on 239 cm 2 commercial grade n-type Czochralski wafers.
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