Phosphorus Activation via Screen Printing Ag/P on Thermally Grown SiO2 Layer as Passivating Contact on n-Si Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This research investigates the impact of screen printing silver (Ag) with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as a metallic dopant paste on etched versus non-etched thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layers used as passivating contacts in silicon solar cells. The combination of Ag and phosphorous (P) from H3PO4 is denoted as Ag/P metallic dopant paste. Passivating contacts are crucial for reducing recombination losses and improving solar cell efficiency. Thermally grown SiO2 layers are commonly used due to their excellent passivation properties and compatibility with silicon substrates. The study involves a comprehensive comparison of the performance of etched and non-etched SiO2 layers, including the activation of P from H3PO4 and series resistance. The methodology involves the thermal growth of SiO2 layers on silicon wafers, followed by selective etching on a subset of the samples. Subsequently, Ag/P is deposited on both etched and non-etched SiO2 layers using the screen printing technique. The samples undergo annealing using a round quartz furnace to form the passivating contacts. The dark current-voltage measurements are employed to evaluate the activation of P, series resistance and the behaviour of the screen-printed n-type silicon (n-Si). The results reveal the activation of P from Ag/P when adding more H3PO4 with Ag paste. The etched SiO2 layers also exhibited lower total current and an onset between semi-ohmic and ohmic behaviour. Meanwhile, the Ag and Ag/P screen-printed on SiO2 layers revealed higher total current but exhibited an onset between leaky-diode and ohmic behaviour. Specifically, the etched SiO2 layers demonstrated improved surface passivation quality, evidenced by lower surface recombination velocities.

authors

  • Mohd Rais, Ahmad Rujhan
  • Mohd Sinin, Nurul Aqidah
  • Rohaizar, Muhammad Hatim
  • Ibrahim, Mohd Adib
  • Sopian, Kamaruzzaman
  • Sepeai, Suhaila

publication date

  • 2024

number of pages

  • 15

start page

  • 65

end page

  • 80

volume

  • 35

issue

  • 3