Nanotextured multicrystalline Al-BSF solar cells reaching 18% conversion efficiency using industrially viable solar cell processes

We report recent achievements in adapting industrially used solar cell processes on nanotextured surfaces. Nanostructures were etched into c‐Si surfaces by dry exothermic plasma‐less reaction of F species with Si in atmospheric pressure conditions and then modified using a short post‐etching process. Nanotextured multicrystalline wafers are used to prepare Al‐BSF solar cells using industrially feasible solar cell proc‐ essing steps. In comparison to the reference acidic textured solar cells, the nanostructured cells showed gain in short circuit current (Jsc) of up to 0.8 mA/cm2 and absolute gain in conversion efficiency of up to 0.3%. The best nanotextured solar cell was independently certified to reach the conversion efficiency of 18.0%. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim) The authors present significant enhancement in the conversion efficiency of large area multicrystalline Si based Al‐BSF solar cells by applying nanotexturing process. F2‐based plasma‐less atmospheric pressure dry etching (ADE) process is used to prepare nanotextured substrates. 18.0% conversion efficiency of the nanotextured solar cell was confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab.