Effect of rapid thermal annealing on photovoltaic properties of silicon solar cell fabricated by one-step laser doping in liquid

In recent years, the growing demand for renewable energy sources has led to an increased interest for searching some ways to improve the factors affecting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. Silicon solar cells technology has reached a high level of development in relation to efficiency and stability. This study presents the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at different annealing temperatures and times on the characteristics of solar cells fabricated by Nd:YAG laser doping of p-type crystalline silicon wafer with phosphorus dopant to a depth of 3.7 µm and concentration of approximately 10 20 cm −3 . The conversion efficiency (η) was studied before and after rapid thermal annealing, which increased from 3.67 to 12.8% after RTA at 1073 K for 6 s. The large increase of the short-circuit current density (J SC ) and open-circuit voltage (V OC ) indicated an enhanced absorption coefficient, reduced lattice defects, and a redistribution of impurities, which improved the electrical activity of impurities. Furthermore, the results demonstrated increased minority carrier lifetime, diffusion length, and improved responsivity after rapid thermal annealing. Solar cells annealed at 1073 K for 6 s exhibited the best photovoltaic properties.