Interface Modification in Solar Cell Contact Electrode Using Pre-Cleaning Treatment Chemistries

Abstract

Promoting and employing photovoltaic power as an alternative energy source, the solar cell industry has made rapid strides. However, improving the efficiency of these solar cells using low-cost fabrication processes is still needed. The interface between the Si surface and the electrode plays a very important role in the process of electrode formation of the solar cell. In this study, the electrode interface underwent four different pre-treatments in order to enhance the efficiency of Si-based solar cells. We analyzed the adhesion properties at the interface between the Si wafer and the electrode and conducted an analysis of the variation in contact resistance between the two contact surfaces. To reduce the cost of the entire experiment, we replaced the existing Ag screen printing-based electrode fabrication method with a low-temperature, low-cost Ni/Cu electroless plating method. The test cells exhibited improved adhesion and therefore improved efficiency as compared to cells treated with the currently used diluted HF.