Patent ID: 8263176

Claim:
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic element with stabilized efficiency, comprising the following steps: providing a boron-doped, oxygen-containing silicon substrate; forming an emitter layer on a surface of the silicon substrate; forming electrical contacts on the silicon substrate; performing stabilization treatment, comprising: maintaining the temperature of the substrate during a treatment time t within a selectable temperature range having a lower temperature limit of 50° C. and an upper temperature limit of 230° C.; and generating excess minority charge carriers in the silicon substrate during the treatment time; wherein the step of generating excess minority carriers involves applying an external electrical voltage to the contacts; wherein the treatment time t in minutes during which the substrate is held within the selectable temperature range is given by: t ≥ a ( y + b ) c * exp ⁡ ( x ( T + 273 ) ) where T is the average temperature of the selectable temperature range in ° C. during the treatment time, y is the current density through the photovoltaic element brought about by the applied voltage in A/cm2 and a=4.247*10 −14 , b=0.00286, c=0.887 and x=12550.