Implementation of hydrogen passivation in an industrial low-cost multicrystalline silicon solar cell process

The aim of this study was the incorporation of the microwave induced remote hydrogen plasma (MIRHP) passivation into a screen-printed solar cell process using different multicrystalline silicon base materials (BAYSIX (Bayer), Eurosil (Eurosolare), EMC (Sumitomo Sitix)). MIRHP before cell metallization including an antireflection coating (APCVD TiO/sub 2/ or PECVD SiN) as a capping layer to avoid the out-diffusion of hydrogen during contact firing as well as the MIRHP after cell metallization on uncoated cells have been investigated. As a reference, solar cells were processed without a MIRHP passivation. Using a PECVD SIN ARC on high quality material such as EUROSIL and BAYSIX an increase in the short circuit current density of 0.7 mAcm/sup -2/ and in the open circuit voltage of 3-4 mV have been observed by comparing cells with and without MIRHP. Using an APCVD TiO/sub 2/ ARC on solar cells based on EMC resulted in an increase in the short circuit current density of 0.7 mAcm/sup -2/ due to the MIRHP.