With new contacting to greater efficiency

Scientists are investigating how they can increase the efficiency of solar cells and reduce internal losses. © Singulus Technologies AG

Monocrystalline silicon solar cell achieves 25.7% efficiency

In order to reduce efficiency losses, free charge carriers need to be transferred as loss-free as possible and their recombination avoided. The scientists have achieved this, among other things, by using new, full-area selective and passivating contacting on the back side of the solar cells.

This contacting consists of an ultra-thin tunnel oxide and a silicon layer that is only one to two nanometres thick. The new contact transports the charge carriers with virtually no losses and prevents the charge carriers from recombining at the metal contacts.

The greater the proportion of incident solar radiation that the solar cell can convert into electrical energy, the greater the efficiency. Structures on the micro- or nanometre scale help solar cells capture the light and make optimum use of it.

The scientists have developed corresponding texture combinations for the front and back side of solar cells that improve the light coupling.

The research work in the “ForTES” project was led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

You found all informations about the BINE Projectinfo brochure entitled “New method comes closer to the ideal solar cell” here:

http://www.bine.info/en/press/press-releases/press/pressemitteilung/mit-neuer-ko…

Uwe Milles/Birgit Schneider
presse(at)bine.info

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About FIZ Karlsruhe

FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure is a not-for-profit organization with the public mission to make sci-tech information from all over the world publicly available and to provide related services in order to support the national and international transfer of knowledge and the promotion of innovation.
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