Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells

The origins of an increase in the series resistance of PERC multicrystalline silicon solar cells due to post-firing thermal processes are investigated. This effect has been shown to be capable of reducing the fill factor of finished cells by up to 20%ABS, severely degrading their performance. It is...

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Main Authors: Hamer, P, Chan, C, Bonilla, R, Hallam, B, Bourret-Sicotte, G, Collett, K, Wenham, S, Wilshaw, P
Format: Journal article
Published: Elsevier 2018
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author Hamer, P
Chan, C
Bonilla, R
Hallam, B
Bourret-Sicotte, G
Collett, K
Wenham, S
Wilshaw, P
author_facet Hamer, P
Chan, C
Bonilla, R
Hallam, B
Bourret-Sicotte, G
Collett, K
Wenham, S
Wilshaw, P
author_sort Hamer, P
collection OXFORD
description The origins of an increase in the series resistance of PERC multicrystalline silicon solar cells due to post-firing thermal processes are investigated. This effect has been shown to be capable of reducing the fill factor of finished cells by up to 20%ABS, severely degrading their performance. It is observed that electric currents applied either during or after these thermal processes can greatly alter the series resistance, either causing it to increase by more than an order of magnitude or suppressing the effect entirely. It is demonstrated that this behavior is in good agreement with the expected interactions of hydrogen with dopants and electric fields within silicon wafers. It is therefore speculated that at least part of the observed increase in resistance is due to the motion of hydrogen within the cell itself.
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spelling oxford-uuid:8fbe65d7-7a51-47c2-9148-78cf22cb68022022-03-26T23:06:35ZHydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cellsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8fbe65d7-7a51-47c2-9148-78cf22cb6802Symplectic Elements at OxfordElsevier2018Hamer, PChan, CBonilla, RHallam, BBourret-Sicotte, GCollett, KWenham, SWilshaw, PThe origins of an increase in the series resistance of PERC multicrystalline silicon solar cells due to post-firing thermal processes are investigated. This effect has been shown to be capable of reducing the fill factor of finished cells by up to 20%ABS, severely degrading their performance. It is observed that electric currents applied either during or after these thermal processes can greatly alter the series resistance, either causing it to increase by more than an order of magnitude or suppressing the effect entirely. It is demonstrated that this behavior is in good agreement with the expected interactions of hydrogen with dopants and electric fields within silicon wafers. It is therefore speculated that at least part of the observed increase in resistance is due to the motion of hydrogen within the cell itself.
spellingShingle Hamer, P
Chan, C
Bonilla, R
Hallam, B
Bourret-Sicotte, G
Collett, K
Wenham, S
Wilshaw, P
Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title_full Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title_fullStr Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title_full_unstemmed Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title_short Hydrogen induced contact resistance in PERC solar cells
title_sort hydrogen induced contact resistance in perc solar cells
work_keys_str_mv AT hamerp hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT chanc hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT bonillar hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT hallamb hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT bourretsicotteg hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT collettk hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT wenhams hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells
AT wilshawp hydrogeninducedcontactresistanceinpercsolarcells