Solar Cell Back Electrode Leakage Current Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Solar cells face reliability issues due to leakage current, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell design featuring a support substrate with a back electrode layer having first through holes that expose the substrate, a light absorbing layer, a buffer layer, and a high-resistance region on the lateral sides of the back electrode layer, formed by etching and filling processes to reduce leakage current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the back electrode layer is formed with through holes to expose the support substrate, then the light absorbing layer can be partially spaced apart from the back electrode layer, but leakage current occurs at the back electrode layer divided by the through holes
Solution Approach 1:
A high-resistance region is introduced as an intermediary between the back electrode layer and the light absorbing layer at the lateral sides of through holes. This high-resistance region acts as a mediator that blocks leakage current while allowing the light absorbing layer to be spaced apart from the back electrode layer, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The high-resistance region is selectively formed only at the lateral sides of the through holes where leakage current occurs, rather than uniformly across the entire back electrode layer. This local modification maintains the necessary electrical conductivity in other areas while blocking leakage current specifically at the through hole regions, resolving the contradiction between spacing and leakage current prevention
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same. The solar cell includes a support substrate; a back electrode layer on the support substrate, the back electrode layer being formed with at least one first through hole to expose a part of a top surface of the support substrate; a light absorbing layer on the back electrode layer; a buffer layer on the light absorbing layer; a window layer on the buffer layer; and a high-resistance region on a lateral side of the back electrode layer forming the first through hole. The high-resistance region has a resistance value higher than a resistance value of the light absorbing layer.