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Chinese Researchers Develop Enhanced HJT Solar Cell with ITO Buffer Layer

A research team in China has developed a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell featuring an indium tin oxide (ITO) buffer layer, aiming to improve the cell’s optical and electrical properties. The breakthrough was achieved by researchers from Shanghai Hency Solar Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who published their findings in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.

The bilayer ITO design enhances crystal quality while reducing sputtering damage, a common issue in silicon heterojunction cells. The team built the cell using a 120 ?m n-type monocrystalline silicon wafer (182 mm × 105 mm), with hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline silicon passivation films deposited through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The ITO layer was applied via physical vapor deposition (PVD), and silver grids were screen-printed and annealed at 200°C.

The innovative bilayer ITO structure consists of:

• A thin buffer layer prepared at low power and oxygen concentration, optimizing electrical properties.
• A thicker outer layer prepared at higher power and oxygen concentration, improving optical performance by reducing refractive indices and extinction coefficients.

When tested under standard illumination conditions, the cell achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.36%, an improvement of 0.1% over devices without the ITO buffer layer. The enhancements are attributed to increased carrier mobility and concentration, leading to lower resistivity and a higher fill factor.

The researchers believe their approach could support high-yield, high-efficiency industrial silicon heterojunction solar cells, advancing the commercialization of next-generation solar technologies.