Hole-Selective Front Contact Stack Enabling 24.1%-Efficient Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

The window-layer stack limits the efficiency of both-side-contacted silicon heterojunction solar cells. We discuss here the combination of several modifications to this stack to improve its optoelectronic performance. These include the introduction of a nanocrystalline silicon-oxide p-type layer in lieu of the amorphous silicon p-type layer, replacing indium tin oxide with a zirconium-doped indium oxide for the front transparent electrode, capping this layer with a silicon-oxide film and applying a postfabrication electrical biasing treatment. The influence of each of these alterations is discussed as well as their interactions. Combining all of them finally enables the fabrication of a highly transparent and electrically well-performing window-layer stack, leading to a screen-printed silicon heterojunction solar cell with 24.1% efficiency. Paths toward industrialization and further improvements are finally discussed.