Strategies for the implementation of ion implantation doping technique in c-Si wafer-based solar cells

Abstract

Electricity consumption is increased in last twenty years. It is crucial therefore to find alternative, renewable and sustainable sources to mantain this development. Solar energy has proved to be a valid alternative to produce clean energy. The gigantic development of solar energy technology in the last twenty years has lead to a scenario inwhich solar energy is no more a dream or an experimental demonstration of scientific principles, but it is fully integrated in energy production. To make it comparable with other sources, prices are lowered employing mass-production and more simple technologies. One of the possible technologies available is to use crystalline silicon wafers as absorber layer in combination with ion implantation doping technique. This doping technology is inherited by integrated circuit industry. Therefore, the context of this thesis is to explore ion implantation to simplify processing of c-Si solar cells. Indeed, the feature of this doping technique allows to speed up processing of current industrial standard named passivated emitter rear contact (PERC). Moreover, the integration of so-called carrier-selective passivating contacts with ion implantation is of great interest for future evolution of c-Si solar cell industry.