Low-Loss Singulation of TOPCon Half Solar Cells by TLS and Al2O3 Edge Passivation

Elmar Lohmüller; Norbert Kohn; Felix Maischner; Homeira Hashemi; Alexander Göbel; Jonas D.  Huyeng; Pierre Saint-Cast; Vivek Beladiya; Saravanan ´Somasundaram; Ralf Preu

doi:10.52825/siliconpv.v3i.2689

Authors

Elmar Lohmüller Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-310X
Norbert Kohn Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0209-5229
Felix Maischner Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Homeira Hashemi Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Alexander Göbel Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Jonas D. Huyeng Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-8056
Pierre Saint-Cast Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Vivek Beladiya Plasma Electronic GmbH https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8094-6300
Saravanan ´Somasundaram Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Private Limited https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7759-8739
Ralf Preu Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52825/siliconpv.v3i.2689

Keywords:

Edge Passivation, Passivated Edge Technology, TOPCon, Half Solar Cells, Thermal Laser Separation, TLS, Singulation, PE-ALD, Laser Enhanced Contact Optimization, LECO

Abstract

This work addresses the separation of tunnel-oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) host solar cells into half solar cells. It demonstrates the feasibility of achieving almost loss-free cell performance after edge passivation by the passivated edge technology (PET). It is shown that edge passivation with aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) is also compatible with TOPCon solar cells that have been fabricated with Al-free Ag screen printing paste for the front side finger contacts applying laser-enhanced contact optimization (LECO). The half solar cells, with an edge length of 182 mm x 91 mm, are separated from industrial pseudo-square M10-format TOPCon host solar cells by thermal laser separation (TLS) from the front side. An optimized TLS process results in an efficiency loss of only slightly above 0.1%_abs. A high-throughput prototype tool with a capacity of about 16,000 half solar cells per run is used for an Al₂O₃ layer deposition on the cut edges. Using optimized processes, the PET recovered approximately 85%_rel of the cutting losses in pseudo fill factor by applying Al₂O₃ edge passivation and annealing. Thus, TLS in combination with high-throughput Al₂O₃ edge passivation is a viable approach for industrial fabrication of highly efficient TOPCon half solar cells, whether LECO and Al-free Ag pastes are applied or not.

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Low-Loss Singulation of TOPCon Half Solar Cells by TLS and Al2O3 Edge Passivation

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