Improving the Efficiency of Multicrystalline Silicon by Adding an ARC Layer in the Front Device

Abstract

High efficiency multicrystalline solar cells must improve performance while replacing higher cost monocrystalline silicon with lower cost multicrystalline silicon. Composite silicon dioxide-titanium dioxide (SiO2−TiO2) films are deposited on a large area of 15.6×15.6 cm2 textured multicrystalline silicon solar cells to increase the incident light trapped within the device. This is being achieved through new cell device structures that improve light trapping and energy conversion capability. These new structures depend on passivated thick and thin layers of silicon dioxide and titanum dioxide grown via wet and dry thermal oxidation. By replacing dry oxidation with wet oxidation the temperatures process can be lowered from 1050∘C to 850∘C to reduce both cycle time and wafer damage.