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Reduced power degradation in bifacial PERC modules by a rear silicon oxide additive layer
Author(s) -
Pu Tian,
Shen Honglie,
Neoh Kuang Hong,
Ye Fei,
Tang Quntao
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.6402
Subject(s) - passivation , materials science , silicon nitride , plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition , stack (abstract data type) , layer (electronics) , optoelectronics , silicon , degradation (telecommunications) , chemical vapor deposition , nitride , oxide , composite material , electronic engineering , metallurgy , computer science , engineering , programming language
Summary In this paper, we investigate the influence of silicon oxide (SiO x ) layer on the potential induced degradation (PID) of P‐type monocrystalline PERC cells and modules. A SiO x layer was added between the aluminum oxide (AlO x ) and silicon nitride (SiN x ) layers on the rear side of PERC cells using a newly designed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) tool, MAiA from Meyer Burger. The performance of cells and modules with this AlO x + SiO x + SiN x stack was characterized by electrical breakdown (EBD), cell degradation indicator (CDi) and climate chamber PID tests. The EBD test results indicate that the AlO x + SiO x + SiN x stack has higher breakdown voltage than the typically used AlO x + SiN x stack. After undergoing CDi tests, power degradation is more severe in PERC cells with AlO x + SiN x passivation stack than those with AlO x + SiO x + SiN x passivation stack, as evidenced by darker photoluminescence. Bifacial modules made from PERC cells with the AlO x + SiO x + SiN x rear passivation stack demonstrate a significant reduction in rear PID from 12.3% to 4.2%. The results above depict that the addition of a SiO x layer between the AlO x and SiN x layers could effectively reduce the transfer of positive charges from the SiN x layer into the AlO x layer.