Analysis of one-sun monocrystalline rear-contacted silicon solar cells with efficiencies of 22.1%

21.4% efficient rear-contacted cells (RCC) with interdigitated contact grids processed at the Fraunhofer ISE on 1.25 Omega cm float-zone (FZ) silicon are analyzed in detail. The comprehensive description does not only include a two-dimensional numerical device simulation, but also a detailed analysis of the optical carrier generation using optical ray tracing and determination of the losses due to distributed metal resistance and perimeter currents employing circuit simulation. Bulk and surface recombination losses are separated, combining carrier lifetime and open-circuit voltage measurements with numerical device simulation. The interface surface recombination velocity of the thermally oxidized emitter covering the front surface is deduced to be 1500 cm/s and the bulk diffusion length within the 1.25 Omega cm FZ silicon base is 1200 mum. Despite this excellent bulk diffusion length, the simulations reveal that at a maximum power point 80% of the total recombination is due to Shockley-Read-Hall recombination in the base. It was determined that losses due to the distributed metal resistance within the contact grid (including nongeneration losses) caused an fill factor decrease of 1% absolute. Loss currents flowing out of the cell perimeter caused an additional fill factor loss of 1.5% absolute. It was predicted that changing the surface concentration of the front and rear emitter diffusion from 5x10(18) to 1x10(18) cm(-3), while keeping the sheet resistance constant, effected a relative improvement of 3% in the efficiency of the RCC structure. In fact, this modification has lead to an increase in the realized cell efficiency from 21.4% to 22.1% (V-OC=697.6 mV, J(SC)=39.8 mA/cm(2), and FF=79.4%), i.e., a relative improvement of 3.3%. This cell has an efficiency of 18.6% (V-OC=696.5 mV, J(SC)=33.9 mA/cm(2), and FF=78.8%) if illuminated from the rear side. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.