Projects per year
Abstract
Light and elevated-temperature induced degradation (LeTID) is currently a severe issue in passivated emitter and rear cells (PERC). In this work, we study the impact of surface texture, especially a black silicon (b-Si) nanostructure, on LeTID in industrial p-type mc-Si PERC. Our results show that during standard
LeTID conditions the b-Si cells with atomic-layer-deposited aluminum oxide (AlOx) front surface passivation show no degradation despite the presence of a hydrogen-rich AlOx/SiNx passivation stack on the rear. Furthermore, b-Si solar cells passivated with silicon nitride (SiNx) on the front lose only 1.5 %rel of their initial power conversion efficiency, while the acidic-textured equivalents degrade by nearly 4 %rel under the same conditions. Correspondingly, clear degradation is visible in the IQE of the acidic-textured cells, especially in the ~850–1100 nm wavelength range confirming that the degradation occurs in the bulk, while the IQE remains nearly unaffected in the b-Si cells. The observations are supported by spatially-resolved photoluminescence (PL) maps, which show a clear contrast in the degradation behavior of b-Si and acidic-textured cells, especially in the case of SiNx front surface passivation. The PL maps also suggest that the magnitude of LeTID scales with surface area of the texture, rather than wafer thickness that was recently reported, although the b-Si cells are slightly thinner (140 vs. 165 µm). The results indicate that b-Si has a positive impact on LeTID, and hence, benefits provided by b-Si are not limited only to the excellent optical properties, as commonly understood.
LeTID conditions the b-Si cells with atomic-layer-deposited aluminum oxide (AlOx) front surface passivation show no degradation despite the presence of a hydrogen-rich AlOx/SiNx passivation stack on the rear. Furthermore, b-Si solar cells passivated with silicon nitride (SiNx) on the front lose only 1.5 %rel of their initial power conversion efficiency, while the acidic-textured equivalents degrade by nearly 4 %rel under the same conditions. Correspondingly, clear degradation is visible in the IQE of the acidic-textured cells, especially in the ~850–1100 nm wavelength range confirming that the degradation occurs in the bulk, while the IQE remains nearly unaffected in the b-Si cells. The observations are supported by spatially-resolved photoluminescence (PL) maps, which show a clear contrast in the degradation behavior of b-Si and acidic-textured cells, especially in the case of SiNx front surface passivation. The PL maps also suggest that the magnitude of LeTID scales with surface area of the texture, rather than wafer thickness that was recently reported, although the b-Si cells are slightly thinner (140 vs. 165 µm). The results indicate that b-Si has a positive impact on LeTID, and hence, benefits provided by b-Si are not limited only to the excellent optical properties, as commonly understood.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 918-925 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Progress in Photovoltaics |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 4 Dec 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 21 Oct 2019 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- black silicon
- light-induced degradation
- light- and elevated temperature-induced degradation
- multicrystalline silicon
- passivated emitter and rear cells
- solar cells
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Impact of Black Silicon on Light- and Elevated Temperature-Induced Degradation in Industrial Passivated Emitter and Rear Cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
-
Black silicon and defect engineering for highly efficient solar cells and modules, BLACK
Savin, H. (Principal investigator)
01/03/2015 → 28/02/2018
Project: Business Finland: Other research funding
-
Riddle of light induced degradation in silicon photovoltaics
Savin, H. (Principal investigator)
01/12/2012 → 31/12/2017
Project: EU: ERC grants
Equipment
Research output
- 9 Citations
- 1 Article
-
Elimination of LID by Black Silicon
Pasanen, T., 18 Feb 2019, In: TaiyangNews.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Professional
Open Access