Highest efficiency rapid thermal processed multicrystalline silicon solar cells

The formation of pn junctions and surface passivation by rapid thermal processing is being proved as a new and competitive method for silicon solar cell production. As the main process mechanisms are enhanced, the total process time at high temperature can be kept in the minute range, for the realization of emitter, back surface field (BSF) and surface passivation. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that this knowledge, avoiding any in-situ annealing step acquired on the sc-Si, can also be applied on industrial mc-Si (Polix©) without bulk degradation, leading to a record conversion efficiency of 16·7%. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.