This report details the project’s primary aim, which involves developing a new low cost high efficiency solar cell technology.
Report extract
Key learning
How to plate copper to both polarities of metal contacts for silicon solar cells
The industry standard for light induced plating of contacts for solar cells is limited to the plating of n type contacts. This has been fine for the industry’s present generation of commercial devices where the large majority of solar cells have screen-printed aluminium rear contacts. However, newer higher efficiency technology can benefit from having the option to also plate metal to the positive contact, such as for bifacial solar cells. A new technology was therefore devised, patented and developed in this project that facilitates plating to both polarities of contacts.
Implications for future projects
The new plating technology that can simultaneously plate both polarities opens the option for future projects and technologies to capitalise on these new capabilities. It is also expected to facilitate large-scale manufacturing of some high efficiency technologies that could previously only be implemented through expensive sophisticated laboratory-based processes