Photovoltaic Technology - Si Wafer PV

Silicon wafer solar cells have been the mainstay of the PV industry, supplying about 90% of the PV worldwide. Cell efficiencies in the mid teens have been widespread and common using fairly simple technology, and in the low twenties using more complex technologies at a few leading companies. As the PV Si feedstock shortage comes to an end and competition from thin film PV becomes more viable on a large scale, the Si solar cell technology challenge is to increase efficiency and reduce costs in order to achieve grid parity pricing.

The schematic of the Si Wafer PV device structure (below) illustrates some of the ways surface analysis can help. Please move your mouse over the boxes below for more information or click here and download the application discussion.

Additional Information

• Silicon Wafer Application Discussion BR044
• Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) Technique Note TN101
• Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) Technique Note TN103
• Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS) Technique Note TN102
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Technique Note TN100
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) Technique Note TN110
• Identification of Interface Contamination Using Field Emission Auger Electron Spectroscopy (FE-AES) AN445
• SIMS Detection Limits for Selected Impurities in Si Bulk Conditions AN444
• Organic Contamination on Surfaces AN378
• Physical and Chemical Characterization of Multi-layer Thin Films AN353
• Analysis of Contaminants by DHS/GC/MS AN385
• Analytical Techniques for PV Si Feedstock Evaluation - R. S. Hockett PA118
• Characterization of Surface Contamination BN1365