Crystalline silicon interconnected strips (XIS): Introduction to a new, integrated device and module concept

A new device concept for high efficiency, low cost, wafer based silicon solar cells is introduced. To significantly lower the costs of Si photovoltaics, high efficiencies and large reductions of metals and silicon costs are required. To enable this, the device architecture was adapted into low current devices by applying thin silicon strips, to which a special high efficiency back-contact heterojunction cell design was applied. Standard industrial production processes can be used for our fully integrated cell and module design, with a cost reduction potential below 0.5 €/Wp. First devices have been realized demonstrating the principle of a series connected back contact hybrid silicon heterojunction module concept.