Project Info
Passivated contacts for ultra-high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells
Sumit Agarwal | sagarwal@mines.edu
Ultra-high-efficiency mono-crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells provide the most promising pathway to achieve the $0.02-0.03/kWh levelized cost of electricity target by 2030. Amongst the different types of industrially manufactured designs for c-Si solar cells, fully passivated contact solar cells are the most efficient, and can provide ~25% efficiency by reducing recombination losses. However, these type of cells only account for a small fraction of the c-Si solar cells that are currently manufactured due to the process complexity and high cost. This project will address the basic materials science and chemical processing questions related to passivated contacts.
More Information
Grand Engineering Challenge: Make solar energy economical
Student Preparation
Qualifications
Any prior lab experience is very desirable, but not required. Students who are committed to research over the long term will be preferred.
Time Commitment
40-50 hours/month
Skills/Techniques Gained
The students will gain skills in semiconductor device processing. The project will be partly conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The student will have access to and will be trained on state of the art tools for solar cell fabrication.
Mentoring Plan
The student will be directly mentored in one-on-one meetings, and will work in the lab under the supervision of a graduate student.