An Innovative Hexagonal Geometry of the Metallization for Performance Improvement Simulated in Synopsys Sentaurus for PV Silicon Solar Cell
Creators: name: Stuckova, E.
Publisher: name: WIP
Year: 2015
Subjects: WAFER-BASED SILICON SOLAR CELLS AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY
Silicon Solar Cell Improvements

description: 31st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 709-712
description: Generally, the development of solar cells focuses on the following: reducing materials, the cost of production and increasing the efficiency. The new concept of geometrically optimised metallisation offers an alternative view to the production of Photovoltaic silicone solar cells. This process can increase or stabilize efficiency as well as lower material input, and therefore offering a useful environmental perspective to manufacturing. This paper will consider these aspects and present their potential as a new approach within solar cell design. The work presented here focuses on the product development and scientific research in this field; examining geometry of metallization which aims to reduce existing materials and increase radiance input in solar cell. Using an experimental approach with silver paste, a number of observations were carried out in this research project which focused on the efficiency of the solar cell design and fill factor without implementing new materials. Results showed that the new solar cell pattern has an exposure of 14,734% more than in standard solar cell with H metallisation. The front printed pattern of standard H metallization on silicone solar cell has been replaced with innovative hexagonal fingers in order to optimise the surface coverage. This newly-designed pattern includes hexagonal conductive fingers which connect to bus-bars that have reduced junctions of fingers and a lower percentage level of silver paste, as used on standard cells.
The experiments are supported by 3D simulations with an estimated accuracy of 70%. The most efficient samples simulated in 3D programming were simulated in two different sizes of surface areas. The first area is at 150,773 mm2 and second area is at 23305,070 mm2. The first experiment of 3D simulation claimed that cells which held the same surface area of the standard type of monocrystalline solar cells, (150,773 mm2), could present different results depending on the diverse design of pattern. The second experiment of 3D simulation described 6’’ solar cells with the same standard monocrystalline cell architecture, an H pattern and a new design of metallization fingers and finally a new position of bus-bars. The observations of the two concepts of experiments been selected from more than 50 simulated samples. The first H (reference) with the result of 19.101% showed a lower performance relative efficiency than the newly designed cell with hexagonal metallization. The new design of pattern 5MM353 reached 19,123% therefore showing a relative efficiency performance of 14,734% less covered area with silver paste. The new pattern has been designed with a appearance to its’ surface of monocrystalline solar cells, electrical resistance, length of fingers and efficiency ratio to the electrical output of PV solar cell and to the incident energy as input of simulated sun light by 3D program. The second experiment of 3D simulation is describing 6’’ solar cells with the same standard of monocrystalline cell architecture, with H pattern and a new design of metallisation fingers and a new position of bus-bars. By purposively multiplying pattern 5MM353 but with a slightly improved design was then applied to its surface area of 23305.0706 mm2. The description of an alternative sample of metallization pattern FlowLife 5MM40/6’’ with a higher efficiency than standard solar cell reached a relative efficiency of 19,23%.
The experiment was inspired by central multiplying of Vesica Piscis by geometrical evenly-spaced overlapping circles with a diameter of 43, 59 mm. The new design of FlowLife 5MM40 solar cell pattern temporarily satisfies the theory of reduction materials of PV solar cells. The reduction of materials in the new design has a smaller investment input but a high potential to be implemented immediately. Therefore, as a result this positively influences the issues of high coverage, material costs, efficiency and the Fill Factor.