Multicrystalline silicon solar cells processed by rapid thermal processing

In the present work, the authors show that rapid thermal processing (RTP) in a lamp furnace can be successfully used for the manufacturing of multicrystalline silicon solar cells. RTP is carried out on various multicrystalline wafers coated with phosphorus doped silica- films on the front side and pure aluminium on the rear side. Phosphorus concentration profiles and electrical activation were investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and sheet resistance measurements, respectively. The influence of RTP on the bulk properties of the multicrystalline wafers were monitored by using the surface photovoltage technique. Finally, 2×2 cm² test solar cells have been fabricated and characterized by employing dark and illuminated I-V analysis as well as spectral response measurements. The efficiency of the best AR coated cell has been 14.1 % with an open-circuit voltage of 595 mV and a short circuit current of 31.7 mA/cm ²