A mathematical investigation of the impact of gridline and busbar patterns on commercial silicon solar cell performance

Unsur, Veysel; Chen, Nian; Ebong, Abasifreke

doi:10.1007/s10825-020-01455-z

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Screen‐printed silver (Ag) metal contacts have long been favored in producing silicon (Si) solar cells because of their simplicity, maturity, and high throughput. Their dominance in the photovoltaic (PV) market is largely due to their excellent conductivity and solderability 1–4 . However, despite its advantages, the use of screen‐printed Ag contacts has a high cost, contributing up to 40% of the total cell production expense, posing a major barrier to scaling and achieving cost‐effective solar cells 5–7 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of nickel and copper as cost‐effective alternative contacts in silicon solar cells

Unsur

2024

Progress in Photovoltaics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Efficient metal contact formation is pivotal for the production of cost‐effective, high‐performance crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. Traditionally, screen‐printed silver (Ag) contacts on the front surface have dominated the industry owing to their simplicity, high throughput, and significant electrical benefits. However, the high cost associated with using over 13–20 mg/Wp of Ag can impede the development of truly cost‐effective solar cells. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore alternative, economically viable metals compatible with silicon substrates. This study reports on the application of a contact stack consisting of Ag, nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu) in Si solar cells. To prevent Schottky contact formation, Ag is implemented as a seed layer, whereas Ni and Cu form the metal bulk layer. The fabricated bi‐layer stack without selective emitter exhibits a maximum efficiency of ~21.5%, a fill factor of 81.5%, and an average contact resistance of 5.88 mΩ·cm2 for a monofacial PERC cell. Microstructure analysis demonstrates that the metals within the contacts remain distinct, and Cu diffusion into the silicon during the firing process is absent. Consequently, printed bi‐layer contacts emerge as a promising alternative to Ag contacts, reducing the Ag consumption to below 2.5 mg/Wp per cell without compromising overall efficiency.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of nickel and copper as cost‐effective alternative contacts in silicon solar cells

Unsur

2024

Progress in Photovoltaics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Their dominance in the photovoltaic (PV) market is largely due to their excellent conductivity and solderability. [1]- [4]. However, despite its advantages, the use of screen-printed Ag contacts has significant downsides.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of Nickel and Copper as Cost-Effective Alternative Contacts in Silicon Solar Cells

Unsur

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Efficient metal contact formation is pivotal for the production of cost-effective, high-performance crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. Traditionally, screen-printed silver (Ag) contacts on the front surface have dominated the industry, owing to their simplicity, high throughput, and significant electrical benefits. However, the high cost associated with using over 13-20mg/Wp of Ag can impede the development of truly cost-effective solar cells. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore alternative, economically viable metals compatible with silicon substrates. This study reports on the application of a contact stack consisting of Ag, nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu) in Si solar cells. To prevent Schottky contact formation, Ag is implemented as a seed layer, while Ni and Cu form the metal bulk layer. The fabricated bi-layer stack without selective emitter exhibits a maximum efficiency of ~21.5%, a fill factor of 81.5%, and an average contact resistance of 5.88mΩ·cm for a monofacial PERC cell. Microstructure analysis demonstrate that the metals within the contacts remain distinct, and Cu diffusion into the silicon during the firing process is absent. Consequently, printed bi-layer contacts emerge as a promising alternative to Ag contacts, reducing the Ag consumption to below 2.5mg/Wp per cell without compromising overall efficiency.

show abstract

Analytical modelling, simulation and comparative study of multi-junction (GaInP2/InGaAs/Ge) solar cell efficiency

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A mathematical investigation of the impact of gridline and busbar patterns on commercial silicon solar cell performance

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Implementation of nickel and copper as cost‐effective alternative contacts in silicon solar cells

Implementation of nickel and copper as cost‐effective alternative contacts in silicon solar cells

Implementation of Nickel and Copper as Cost-Effective Alternative Contacts in Silicon Solar Cells

Analytical modelling, simulation and comparative study of multi-junction (GaInP2/InGaAs/Ge) solar cell efficiency

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About