+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
 
News Article

Imec and Meco advance silicon solar cell cost and efficiency

News

New large area i-PERC-type cells measuring 156 x 156mm2 achieve 20.5 percent average efficiency using nickel/copper plating on p-type Czochralski Silicon (Cz-Si) material



At the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Paris, imec and Meco presented 156 x 156mm2 i-PERC-type silicon solar cells with industry-applicable Nickel/Copper (Ni/Cu) plating for the front contacts.

Together, the companies achieved an excellent average efficiency of 20.5 percent on more than 100 cells, and a maximum efficiency of 20.7 percent as confirmed by ISE callab. A low standard deviation of 0.1 percent and an average fill factor of 80 percent validated the high quality of the front contacts.



New large area cells (156 x 156mm2) achieve 20.5 percent average efficiency using Nickel/Copper plating on p-type Czochralski Silicon (Cz-Si) material.

"Not only do these results show a considerable performance improvement compared to state-of-the-art screen-printed PERC cells, but our Cost-of-Ownership analysis also indicates a clear advantage on the financial level," states Jozef Szlufcik, Department director silicon photovoltaics at imec. "Our results show that Ni/Cu plating is one of the few new technologies that can simultaneously improve the efficiency of PERC solar cells, while reducing processing cost."

The cells were processed on imec's solar cell pilot line using Meco's inline plating tool to deposit the Ni/Cu front contacts. The metallisation process of the Ni/Cu stack included Ultraviolet laser ablation, sequential in-line plating of the metal layers and contact annealing.

We now have the advantage of using Meco's industrial plating techniques and tools that were not available to earlier Ni/Cu adopters," says Richard Russell, Metallisation module leader at imec. "This gives us the opportunity to develop a more robust and cheaper process than was previously possible."

"We are elated to have achieved these excellent results in the framework of imec's industrial affiliation program on advanced silicon photovoltaics aiming at a reduction of the cost/Watt-peak (Wp)," adds Martijn Zwegers, Product manager solar at Meco. "Collaborating within imec's industrial ecosystem enables us to accommodate our advanced plating tools to industrial processing."


Purdue, imec, Indiana announce partnership
Resilinc partners with SEMI on supply chain resilience
NIO and NXP collaborate on 4D imaging radar deployment
Panasonic Industry digitally transforms with Blue Yonder
Global semiconductor sales decrease 8.7%
MIT engineers “grow” atomically thin transistors on top of computer chips
Keysight joins TSMC Open Innovation Platform 3DFabric Alliance
Leti Innovation Days to explore microelectronics’ transformational role
Quantum expansion
indie launches 'breakthrough' 120 GHz radar transceiver
Wafer fab equipment - facing uncertain times?
Renesas expands focus on India
Neuralink selects Takano Wafer Particle Measurement System
Micron reveals committee members
Avoiding unscheduled downtime in with Preventive Vacuum Service
NFC chip market size to surpass US$ 7.6 billion
Fujifilm breaks ground on new €30 million European expansion
Fraunhofer IIS/EAS selects Achronix embedded FPGAs
Siemens announces certifications for TSMC’s latest processes
EU Chips Act triggers further €7.4bn investment
ASE recognised for excellence by Texas Instruments
Atomera signs license agreement with STMicroelectronics
Gartner forecasts worldwide semiconductor revenue to decline 11% in 2023
CHIPS for America outlines vision for the National Semiconductor Technology Center
TSMC showcases new technology developments
Alphawave Semi showcases 3nm connectivity solutions
Greene Tweed to open new facility in Korea
Infineon enables next-generation automotive E/E architectures
Global AFM market to reach $861.5 million
Cepton expands proprietary chipset
Semtech adds two industry veterans to board of directors
Specialty gas expansion
×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the Silicon Semiconductor Magazine, the Silicon Semiconductor Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: