Limiting-Efficiency Assessment on Advanced Crystalline Silicon Solar
Cells with Auger Ideality Factor and Wafer Thickness Modifications
Abstract
With the improvement of surface passivation, bulk recombination is
becoming an indispensable and decisive factor to assess the limiting
efficiency ( η lim ) of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. In
simultaneous consideration of surface and bulk recombination, a modified
model of η lim evaluation is developed. Surface recombination is
directly depicted with contact selectivity while bulk recombination is
revised on the aspects of ideality factor and wafer thickness. The η lim
of cutting-edge photovoltaic technologies, double-side tunneling-oxide
passivating contact (TOPCon) and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar
cells, are numerically simulated using the new model as 28.73% and
29.00%, respectively. Hybrid solar cells consisting of n-type TOPCon
contact and p-type SHJ contact can approach an η lim as high as 29.18%
at the optimal wafer thickness ( W opt ) of 103 μm . Our results are
instructive in accurately assessing efficiency potential and accordingly
optimizing design strategies of c-Si solar cells.