Combined Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of TOPCon Back-Contact Solar Cells with Lateral Power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors on a Single Substrate

van Nijen, D.A.; Stevens, Tristan; Mercimek, Yavuzhan; Yang, G.; van Swaaij, R.A.C.M.M.; Zeman, M.; Isabella, O.; Manganiello, P.

doi:10.1002/solr.202300829

Combined Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of TOPCon Back-Contact Solar Cells with Lateral Power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors on a Single Substrate

Title

Combined Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of TOPCon Back-Contact Solar Cells with Lateral Power Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors on a Single Substrate

Author

van Nijen, D.A. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
Stevens, Tristan (Student TU Delft)
Mercimek, Yavuzhan (Student TU Delft)
Yang, G. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
van Swaaij, R.A.C.M.M. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
Zeman, M. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
Isabella, O. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)
Manganiello, P. (TU Delft Photovoltaic Materials and Devices)

Date

2024

Abstract

Nowadays, an increasing share of photovoltaic (PV) systems makes use of module- or submodule-level power electronics (PE). Furthermore, PE is used in stand-alone devices powered by PV-storage solutions. One way to facilitate further implementation of PE in PV applications is to integrate PE components into crystalline silicon PV cells. Herein, the COSMOS device is introduced, denoting COmbined Solar cell and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). Specifically, the combined manufacturing of lateral power MOSFETs and interdigitated back contact solar cells with tunnel-oxide passivated contacts (TOPCon) on a single wafer is reported. Many steps of the proposed process flow are used for the fabrication of both devices, enabling cost-effective integration of the MOSFET. Both n-type solar cells with integrated p-channel MOSFETs (PMOS) and p-type solar cells with integrated n-channel MOSFETs (NMOS) are successfully manufactured. NMOS devices perform better in achieving low on-resistance, while PMOS devices exhibit lower leakage currents. Furthermore, the study reveals integration challenges where off-state leakage currents of the MOSFET can increase due to illumination and specific configurations of monolithic interconnections between the MOSFET and the solar cell. Nevertheless, for both n-type and p-type solar cells, efficiencies exceeding 20% are achieved, highlighting the potential of the proposed process for COSMOS devices.

Subject

COSMOS
crystalline silicon
integration
interdigitated back contact
monolithic integration
MOSFET
photovoltatronics
polycrystalline silicon on oxide
power electronics
tunnel-oxide passivated contacts