Low Cost Metallisation Based on Ni/Cu Plating Enabling High Efficiency Industrial Solar Cells

Abstract

This paper describes a viable path for the mass production of Si solar cells that lead to lower cost for PV electrical energy. Systems and modules having solar cells with plated metal contacts benefit from both, a higher solar cell performance as well as significantly reduced consumable cost. As most advances in industrial solar cell production over the past decades the introduction of plating technology benefits from significant equipment and material improvements. In parallel this road offers to shift the limits with respect to achievable solar cell efficiency by inherent advantages such as the possibility to form narrower metal contacts of excellent conductivity at low cost and the possibility to contact moderately doped Si areas. Efficiency improvements depend on the degree that other processing steps are adapted to the new degree of freedom in optimization offered by plated contact formation. Efficiency improvement is experimentally demonstrated. Equipment solutions and cost aspects are addressed. Besides good reliability and adhesion of the plated contacts we show efficiency potential exceeding 21% for PERC-type Si solar cells.