Fundamental understanding, impact, and removal of boron-rich layer on n-type silicon solar cells

Kyungsun Ryu; Chel Jong Choi; Hyomin Park; Donghwan Kim; Ajeet Rohatgi; Young Woo Ok

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.031

Fundamental understanding, impact, and removal of boron-rich layer on n-type silicon solar cells

Kyungsun Ryu, Chel Jong Choi, Hyomin Park, Donghwan Kim, Ajeet Rohatgi, Young Woo Ok

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Most boron diffusion technologies result in the formation of an undesirable boron-rich layer (BRL) on the emitter surface. This paper reports on a study of the impact of gradual etching of the BRL on n-type silicon solar cell performance. It is found that gradual removal of the BRL improves surface passivation and bulk lifetime in the finished cell, while over-etching of the BRL results in a sharp decrease in fill factor due to the increased n-factor and series resistance. It is shown that the optimum chemical etching of the BRL formed as a byproduct of the screen-printed boron emitter diffusion used in this study raised the cell efficiency by -0.5%, resulting in 20.0% efficient large area (239 cm²) n-type solar cells. The change in BRL thickness and morphology as a function of chemical etching time was investigated by TEM and AES measurements to explain the quantitative impact of BRL removal on cell performance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	58-62
Number of pages	5
Journal	Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Volume	146
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.031
Publication status	Published - 2016 Mar 1

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program ( NRF-2015R1A6A1A04020421 ) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea, and by the Converging Research Center Program ( 2014M3C1A8048834 ) through the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Surfaces, Coatings and Films

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.031

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title = "Fundamental understanding, impact, and removal of boron-rich layer on n-type silicon solar cells",

abstract = "Most boron diffusion technologies result in the formation of an undesirable boron-rich layer (BRL) on the emitter surface. This paper reports on a study of the impact of gradual etching of the BRL on n-type silicon solar cell performance. It is found that gradual removal of the BRL improves surface passivation and bulk lifetime in the finished cell, while over-etching of the BRL results in a sharp decrease in fill factor due to the increased n-factor and series resistance. It is shown that the optimum chemical etching of the BRL formed as a byproduct of the screen-printed boron emitter diffusion used in this study raised the cell efficiency by -0.5%, resulting in 20.0% efficient large area (239 cm2) n-type solar cells. The change in BRL thickness and morphology as a function of chemical etching time was investigated by TEM and AES measurements to explain the quantitative impact of BRL removal on cell performance.",

author = "Kyungsun Ryu and Choi, {Chel Jong} and Hyomin Park and Donghwan Kim and Ajeet Rohatgi and Ok, {Young Woo}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program ( NRF-2015R1A6A1A04020421 ) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea, and by the Converging Research Center Program ( 2014M3C1A8048834 ) through the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier B.V.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.031",

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AU - Ryu, Kyungsun

AU - Choi, Chel Jong

AU - Park, Hyomin

AU - Kim, Donghwan

AU - Rohatgi, Ajeet

AU - Ok, Young Woo

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program ( NRF-2015R1A6A1A04020421 ) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea, and by the Converging Research Center Program ( 2014M3C1A8048834 ) through the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea . Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Most boron diffusion technologies result in the formation of an undesirable boron-rich layer (BRL) on the emitter surface. This paper reports on a study of the impact of gradual etching of the BRL on n-type silicon solar cell performance. It is found that gradual removal of the BRL improves surface passivation and bulk lifetime in the finished cell, while over-etching of the BRL results in a sharp decrease in fill factor due to the increased n-factor and series resistance. It is shown that the optimum chemical etching of the BRL formed as a byproduct of the screen-printed boron emitter diffusion used in this study raised the cell efficiency by -0.5%, resulting in 20.0% efficient large area (239 cm2) n-type solar cells. The change in BRL thickness and morphology as a function of chemical etching time was investigated by TEM and AES measurements to explain the quantitative impact of BRL removal on cell performance.

AB - Most boron diffusion technologies result in the formation of an undesirable boron-rich layer (BRL) on the emitter surface. This paper reports on a study of the impact of gradual etching of the BRL on n-type silicon solar cell performance. It is found that gradual removal of the BRL improves surface passivation and bulk lifetime in the finished cell, while over-etching of the BRL results in a sharp decrease in fill factor due to the increased n-factor and series resistance. It is shown that the optimum chemical etching of the BRL formed as a byproduct of the screen-printed boron emitter diffusion used in this study raised the cell efficiency by -0.5%, resulting in 20.0% efficient large area (239 cm2) n-type solar cells. The change in BRL thickness and morphology as a function of chemical etching time was investigated by TEM and AES measurements to explain the quantitative impact of BRL removal on cell performance.

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Fundamental understanding, impact, and removal of boron-rich layer on n-type silicon solar cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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