A Unique Top Surface Design and Printing Technique for
Silicon Solar Cells to Boost the Energy Output
The Technology
UNSW has developed a patented top surface design for screen
printed silicon solar cells.
Conventional screen printed solar cells require metal
fingers to be spaced well apart and require heavy doping in the silicon to
achieve good ohmic contact between the silicon and the metal. However,
high performance cells need to avoid heavily diffused surfaces and preferably
sheet resistivities above 100 ohms per square should be used in conjunction with
good surface passivation.
UNSW Engineers have developed improved screen
printing techniques that facilitate the achievement of narrower screen printed
metal lines allowing closer spacing without excessive metal shading losses,
while still allowing the use of emitter sheet resistivities approaching 100 ohms
per square.
The Transparent Conductor technology overcomes the
dependence on uniformly heavily diffused emitters, thereby avoiding the
corresponding poor performance to short wavelengths of light. The cell
design is known as the semi-conductor finger cell.
Key Benefits
The advantages of UNSW’s patented Transparent
Conductor technology are:
- Reduced shading loss
- Higher efficiency solar cells
- Use of emitter sheet resistivities approaching 100 ohms
per square
- Retrofit to a standard screen print line
The Opportunity
NewSouth Innovations is seeking licensees and collaborative
partners for further development of the advanced semi-conductor finger cell
design.
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