The University of New South Wales

Development and Optimization of Laser-Doped Solar Cells

Ziv Hameiri 13/6/2012

Contents

Introduction Laser doping Optimization:

Laser-Induced Defects in Laser-Doped Solar Cells Influence of Metallisation Methods

Influence of Laser Power on Laser-Doped Solar Cells Conclusions

Introduction

In order to make solar energy cost-competitive with other sources of energy (i.e. fossil fuels), reduction of the PV system cost is essential One path to reduce the cost is to reduce the raw material cost, by reducing the amount of silicon used for a wafer or by employing a lower quality of silicon, which is cheaper to produce The second path is increasing the solar system efficiency without significantly increasing the manufacturing cost

Introduction

Solar technologies market report, NREL, 2008

Introduction

However, standard industrial solar cell efficiency is in the 16-18% range Main limitations of the high-efficiency structure:

Very expensive Very long fabrication process small output (five different photo-lithographic processes, eight high temp. processes!)

Introduction
Standard solar cell Selective emitter PERL

Aluminum back-surface-field

Rear surface passivation Local back-surface-field

Green MA. Silicon Solar Cells: Advanced Principles & Practice, 1995

Introduction
The Aim:

To develop an industrial version of the highefficiency solar cell structure

Introduction Selective Emitter SC

The buried-contacts solar cell (UNSW)

[2-7]

Main limitation: A long high-temperature process is required to create the selective emitter.

Laser Doping

Creation of selective emitter without additional high temperature process 1968: Fairfield and Schwuttke laser doped diode Laser-induced diffusion:

Diffusion in the liquid phase Different dopant sources in gas, liquid and solid states

Fairfield J, Schwuttke GH. Solid State Electronics 1968; 11: 1175-1176

Laser Doping

Dopant source n++ n++ n++ Dielectric layer

p-type wafer

Emitter
Al BSF

Not to scale

Influence of Laser Power

Influence of Laser Power

OPTIMIZATION OF LDSE SOLAR CELLS LASER INDUCED DEFECTS

Laser-Induced Defects

Bare Samples

SiNx Sample

Laser-Induced Defects

Bare Sample

SiNX Sample

Laser-Induced Defects

SON Sample

Laser-Induced Defects
Solar Cell Results:

Defect density can be reduced by adding a thin SiO2 layer

.

OPTIMIZATION OF LDSE SOLAR CELLS PLATING METHOD

Influence of Metallisation Methods

Influence of Metallisation Methods

Dark I-V curve:

Influence of Metallisation Methods

Conclusions:

Higher p-FFs were achieved for photoplated laser-doped solar cells p-FF is almost independent of laser diode current if photoplating is combined with a well-optimised Ni sintering In this case the solar cell is not limited by shunts

INFLUENCE OF LASER POWER

Influence of Laser Power on Solar cells

Solar Cells:

Influence of Laser Power on Solar cells

Conclusions

Selective emitter solar cell structure was developed, based on laser doping The laser doping method offers significant control on the junction parameters (sheet resistivity and junction depth) The dielectric layer and the plating method have a large impact on the solar cell performance Efficiency of 18.7% was achieved on commercial CZ wafers

Laser-Induced Defects

The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

THANK YOU

The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering References:

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[11] Wenham SR, Green MA. Self aligning method for forming a selective emitter and metallization in a solar cell. US Patent Application 6429037 2002. [12] Fell A, Hopman S, Kray D, Willeke GP. Transient 3D-simulation of laser-induced ablation of silicon. 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 2007. [13] Fell A, Kray D, Willeke G. Transient 3D/2D simulation of laser-induced ablation of silicon. Applied Physics A: Materials Science & Processing 2008; 92: 987-991 [14] Sze S, Ng K. Physics of Semiconductor Devices. John Wiley& Sons. Inc., 2007. [15] Hull R. Properties of Crystalline Silicon. INSPEC, The Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1999. [16] Jiang JZ, Lindelov H, Gerward L, Staahl K, Recio JM, Mori-Sanchez P, Carlson S, Mezouar M, Dooryhee E, Fitch A, Frost DJ. Compressibility and thermal expansion of cubic silicon nitride. Physical Review B 2002; 65: 161202. [17] Abbott MD. Advanced Laser Processing and Photoluminescence Characterisation of High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells. PhD dissertation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2006. [18] Mai L, Hameiri Z, Tjahjono BS, Wenham SR, Sugianto A, Edwards MB. Rear junction laser doped solar cells on CZ n-type silicon. 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2009: 1811-1815. [19] Besi-Vetrella U, Pirozzi L, Salza E, Ginocchietti G, Ferrazza F, Ventura L, Slaoui A, Muller JC. Large area, screen printed silicon solar cells with selective emitter made by laser overdoping and RTA spin-on glasses. 26th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1997: 135-138. [20] Jager U, Okanovic M, Hortheis M, Grohe A, Preu R. Selective emitter by laser doping from phosphosilicate glass. 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 2009. [21] Hopman S, Fell A, Mayer K, Fleischmann C, Drew K, Kray D, Granek F. Study on Laser Parameters for Silicon Solar Cells with LCP Selective Emitters. 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 2009: 1072-1076. [22] Kray D, Aleman M, Fell A, Hopman S, Mayer K, Mesec M, Muller R, Willeke GP, Glunz SW, Bitnar B, Neuhaus DH, Ludemann R, Schlenker T, Manz D, Bentzen A, Sauar E, Pauchard A, Richerzhagen B. Laser-doped silicon solar cells by Laser Chemical Processing (LCP) exceeding 20% efficiency. 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2008: 1-3.

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