Sep 13 2010
Imec, a company engaged in nano-electronics research, currently participating in the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition at Valencia in Spain has displayed its large area silicon solar cells with a conversion efficiency of more than 19%. The company has displayed two types of cells with Ag- screen-printed contacts and Cu -coated contacts respectively with 19.1% and 19.4% power production efficiency.
The company achieved increased efficiency on the large area cells of 148 cm2 size and a thickness of 170µm by incorporating power optimizing techniques such as improving the texturization ,firing conditions of solar cells, back-side passivation, laser cutting and use of aluminum back- side field Ag screen-printed contacts or coated Cu contacts on electrodes. Dr. Joachim John, Imec’s Team Manager for Industrial Solar Cells, said that his company deployed metallization strategies by utilizing screen- printed- Ag contacts and increasing its compatibility. He added that utilizing Cu based front- side metallization is a right step for achieving increased sustainability and reducing the cost of production and this can be achieved by replacing the Ag- screen-printed contacts with Cu in the manufacture of crystalline silicon solar cells. He concluded that his company has achieved the results in the solar cell testing facilities established at Imec.
Dr. Jef Poortmans, Imec Energy Solar Program Director, said that the research facility of the company aims to manufacture cost effective, highly efficient and durable crystalline silicon solar cells with 40µm thickness and an efficiency that is over 20%. He added that the current achievement is considered as a major step for his company’s plans to achieve 20% production efficiency in the large area silicon solar cells.
Source: http://www2.imec.be/