Improved passivation and antireflection techniques for higher-efficiency Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cells

Abstract

In this article, we simulated the Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell using Quokka3 simulation, highlighting a detailed approach to front and back passivation and sheet resistance that significantly enhances cell performance. The antireflective coating (ARC) and the front passivation layer, after fine-tuning variation of recombination current density J0 (fA/cm2), dictate the recombination losses at these interfaces, therefore playing a critical role on cell efficiency. The rear passivation layer complements the front in mitigating recombination to optimize light capture within the silicon wafer. When the emitter fraction is approximately 40% at 100 Ω/Sq, the rear boron sheet resistance showed the enhanced Voc, Jsc, FF, and η as 719.2 mV, 41.66 mA/cm2, 84.71%, and 25.2%. These results demonstrate how J0 and rear boron area variability, influenced by both front and back passivation, affects the FF and η of the IBC cell. Furthermore, variations in the bulk lifetime of crystalline silicon (c-Si), resistivity of the wafer, and rear boron sheet resistance (Rsh) offer pathways to improve overall cell performance.