24% efficient silicon solar cells

This paper reports significant progress in silicon solar cell performance, taking confirmed efficiency beyond 24% for the first time. This progress has been achieved by a combination of several mechanisms. One is the reduction of recombination at the cell front surface by improved passivation of the silicon/silicon dioxide interface. Resistive losses in the cell have been reduced by a double-plating process which increases the thickness for the coarse cell metallization features. Finally, reflective losses have been reduced by the application of a double layer anti-reflection (DLAR) coating. Another advantage of DLAR coating is that it will give further 3% higher current density than the SiO/sub 2/ single layer antireflection (SLAR) coated cells when encapsulated into modules. The cells display a monochromatic light energy conversion efficiency of 46.3% for 1.04 /spl mu/m wavelength light, also the highest ever for a silicon device.