Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Effect of Nonuniform Emitter Sheet Resistance on PERC Solar Cell Performance

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Silicon Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this research work is to study the effects of non-uniform emitter sheet resistance on the performance of PERC solar cells. For this purpose, we used different simulation techniques including EDNA 2, MATLAB and Griddler 2.5 Pro. We calibrated the phosphorous doping profiles with Nmax of 4E20, 3.5E20, 3E20, 2.5E20, 2E20, 1.5E20 and 1E20 by using EDNA 2. The results show that the emitter saturation current densities are decreased for corresponding increase in sheet resistance during phosphorous diffusion. In this way we find a relationship between emitter sheet resistances and recombination current densities and developed a MATLAB function from it. By assuming maximum emitter sheet resistance and the corresponding minimum recombination current density at the centre of the cell, we determined their average values from the same MATLAB function. These average values were then used as input parameters for computer simulations Griddler 2.5 Pro, to assess the effect of non-uniformities in emitter sheet resistance and recombination currents on the performance of p- PERC solar cells. The open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor and efficiency are calculated as a function of the difference between the maximum and minimum value of emitter sheet resistance. The results show that the open-circuit voltage and the efficiency of p-PERC solar cell are decreased if the difference between maximum and minimum value of emitter sheet resistance is increased from 0.45 ohm/sq to 19.3 ohm/sq. Whereas the fill factor is increased for the corresponding increase in the difference between maximum and minimum value of emitter sheet resistance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shanmugam V, Khanna A, Basu PK, Aberle AG, Mueller T, Wong J (2016) Impact of the phosphorus emitter doping profile on metal contact recombination of silicon wafer solar cells. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 147:171–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Werner S, Lohmüller E, Saint-Cast P, Greulich J, Weber J, Maier S, Wasmer S (2017) Key aspects for fabrication of p-type Cz-Si PERC solar cells exceeding 22% conversion efficiency. Submitted to EUPVSEC

  3. Li H, Kim K, Hallam B, Hoex B, Wenham S, Abbott M (2017) POCl3 diffusion for industrial Si solar cell emitter formation. Front Energy 11(1):42–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV.net) (2015) Results 2015 Version 2. http://www.itrpv.net/Reports/Downloads/

  5. Saint-Cast P, Werner S, Greulich J, Jäger U, Lohmüller E, Höffler H, Preu R (2017) Analysis of the losses of industrial-type PERC solar cells. Phys Status Solidi (a) 214(3):600708-n/a

    Google Scholar 

  6. Müller M, Fischer G, Bitnar B, Steckemetz S, Schiepe R, Mühlbauer M, Schneiderlöchner E (2017) Loss analysis of 22%, efficient industrial PERC solar cells. Energy Procedia 124:131–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ye F, Deng W, Guo W, Liu R, Chen D, Chen Y, Altermatt PP (2016) 22.13% efficient industrial p-type mono PERC solar cell. In: 2016 IEEE 43rd photovoltaic specialists conference (PVSC). IEEE, pp 3360–3365

  8. Ghembaza H, Zerga A, Saïm R, Pasquinelli M (2018) Optimization of phosphorus emitter formation from POCl 3 diffusion for p-type silicon solar cells processing. Silicon 10(2):377–386

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. To A, Tahir S, Garavaglia A, Li WM, Li X, Hoex B (2017) The effect of bifacial AlOx deposition on PERC solar cell performance. IEEE J Photovoltaics 7(6):1528–1535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Shanmugam V, Mueller T, Aberle AG, Wong J (2015) Determination of metal contact recombination parameters for silicon wafer solar cells by photoluminescence imaging. Sol Energy 118:20–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. McIntosh KR, Altermatt PP (2010) A freeware 1D emitter model for silicon solar cells. In: 2010 35th IEEE on photovoltaic specialists conference (PVSC). IEEE, pp. 002188–002193

  12. Kimmerle A, Momtazur Rahman M, Werner S, Mack S, Wolf A, Richter A, Haug H (2016) Precise parameterization of the recombination velocity at passivated phosphorus doped surfaces. J Appl Phys 119 (2):025706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fell A, McIntosh KR, Altermatt PP, Janssen GJ, Stangl R, Ho-Baillie A, Fong KC (2015) Input parameters for the simulation of silicon solar cells in 2014. IEEE J Photovoltaics 5(4):1250–1263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Saint-Cast P, Werner S, Greulich J, Jäger U, Lohmüller E, Höffler H, Preu R (2016) Analysis of the losses of industrial-type PERC solar cells. Phys Status Solidi (a) 214(3):201600708

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dullweber T, Gatz S, Hannebauer H, Falcon T, Hesse R, Schmidt J, Brendel R (2012) Towards 20%, efficient large-area screen-printed rear assivated silicon solar cells. Prog Photovolt Res Appl 20(6):630–638

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cuevas A (2012) Geometrical analysis of solar cells with partial rear contacts. IEEE J Photovoltaics 2 (4):485–493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Cuevas A (2013) Physical model of back line-contact front-junction solar cells. J Appl Phys 113(16):164502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Saint-Cast P, Rüdiger M, Wolf A, Hofmann M, Rentsch J, Preu R (2010) Advanced analytical model for the effective recombination velocity of locally contacted surfaces. J Appl Phys 108(1):013705

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Bram Hoex, Deputy Head SPREE University of New South Wales Australia, for his sincere guidance during work at UNSW. The authors would like to acknowledge the HEC Pakistan for IRSIP scholarship to do research work at SPREE University of New South Wales Australia.

We would like to acknowledge Alex To, Ph.D scholar at SPREE University of New South Wales Australia, for his assistance in Matlab simulations.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Sofia Tahir

  2. Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Sofia Tahir, Adnan Ali, Nasir Amin & Muhamad Imran Arshad

Authors
  1. Sofia Tahir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adnan Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nasir Amin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Muhamad Imran Arshad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sofia Tahir.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tahir, S., Ali, A., Amin, N. et al. The Effect of Nonuniform Emitter Sheet Resistance on PERC Solar Cell Performance. Silicon 11, 393–399 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-018-9899-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-018-9899-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation