Locally contacted rear surface passivated solar cells by inkjet printing

Inkjet printing of photoresist material may provide a new route for low-cost fabrication of patterned oxide passivation layer of solar cells that require fine patterning and simple process. However, printing by liquid-based, environmentally friendly ink and printing device required development efforts aimed at achieving a fine patterning and long used inkjet nozzles under corrosive influence. This work was demonstrated a concept for grooved silicon oxide patterning for rear localized contact of p-n junction solar cells by chemical etching after photoresist patterning obtained. This article reviews the silicon dioxide fabrication on p-Si substrate from sol-gel technique for oxide passivation layer of solar cells. The aluminium was deposited on the patterned oxide layer and then heated at its Al-Si eutectic temperature. Finally, an aluminium-induced solid-phase epitaxial growth of p(+) forming into the openings of the oxide passivation layer was presented. The sheet resistance of n-emitter layer, carrier life-time and surface recombination velocity values are investigated. Photoconductive measurements were performed on the prepared samples after each thermal process to measure the effective lifetime of the minority carriers. Carrier lifetime up to 60 microseconds has been measured on c-Si wafer passivated by the opened SiO2 layer. It was shown that the patterned SiO2 passivation has obtained high passivation quality making by the proposed inkjet printing method.