This chapter aims to provide students/engineers/scientists in the field of photovoltaics with the basic information needed to understand the operating principles of screen‐printed front junction n‐type silicon solar cells. The relevant device fabrication processing is described, from texturing, diffusion, passivation and antireflection coating, to screen‐printed and fired‐through metallization as well as the technologies that are currently used for most industrially produced solar cells. A brief description of the characterisation approaches is given and discussed for an understanding and analysis of the loss mechanisms in a finished cell, including resistance loss, recombination loss, and optical loss. The application of advanced cell concepts and the improved technologies for further increasing cell efficiency, such as selectively doping structure and tunnel oxide passivated contact, are addressed for screen‐printed front junction n‐type silicon solar cells.
Part of the book: Printed Electronics
This chapter aims to provide students/workers in the field of photovoltaics with the valuable information and knowledge needed to understand the physics and operation of high‐efficiency front junction n‐type crystalline silicon solar cells. The surface recombination and passivation mechanisms, and several promising passivation schemes for front and back cell surfaces, are addressed and reviewed. The advanced cell structures and their fabrication schemes to achieve higher efficiency are described and discussed, including selective emitter on the front and locally doped back surface filed or carrier selective rear contact composed of tunnel oxide and phosphorus‐doped polycrystalline silicon thin film. These advanced cell design features have become highly active areas of investigations in the photovoltaic industry for next‐generation production cells.
Part of the book: Nanostructured Solar Cells