Influence of laser cutting conditions on electrical characteristics of half-size bifacial silicon solar cells

Abstract The half-size bifacial silicon solar cells have garnered significant research attention in photovoltaic (PV) modules because they render enhanced power output. Herein, the influence of cutting surface and scribing iteration times on electrical characteristics of bifacial silicon solar cells is investigated in detail. The results reveal that the cutting process should be carried out from the rear side and scribing iteration times should be twice. Moreover, we have studied the cutting losses of n-type passivated emitter and rear totally diffused (n-PERT) bifacial solar cells and demonstrated that not mechanical breaking but laser scribing is a major source of losses during the cell separation process. In addition, the damage induced by the cut was systematically investigated and it was observed that the heat-affected zone resulted in negligible damage under optimal cutting conditions. Overall, n-PERT half-cell bifacial modules, sectioned under optimal cutting conditions, can maintain high efficiency and excellent reliability.