Next gen heterojunction solar cell achieves 22% efficiency
Kaneka and imec have created a 6in semi square heterojunction silicon solar cell with an integrated electroplated copper contact grid that is said to have a power conversion efficiency of 22.68%.
The companies claim that using electroplated copper to create the top grid electrode is more efficient and economical than silver screen printing, which often encounters problems in lowering resistivity and thinning the metal line in printed contacts.
Jef Poortmans, director of photovoltaic technologies at imec, commented: "We are excited that we could support Kaneka in developing these breakthrough results. They prove the capabilities of copper metallisation for next generation solar cells and strengthen our belief that in the future copper will play an important role in high efficiency and sustainable solar cell technology."
The companies believe the development of large area Cu plated heterojunction silicon solar cells is an important step towards a fab compatible process on large area module integrated solar cells.
