Design of optimized metallization patterns for front-contact silicon PV cells

对清洁环保能源的不断增长的需求提供了一个强劲的 发展商业上可行的光伏产业的动力；特别是，其中成本 通过改进太阳能电池和组件，来自光伏的电能等于来自电网的电能(即所谓的电网奇偶) 效率和降低电池/模块成本。光伏路线图设想满足全球5%的能源需求 到2010年，到2030年达到11%，其中大部分必须通过改善当前的商业 硅太阳能电池技术，在替代技术能够发展和成熟之前。这需要增加 硅电池的效率将从目前的16%-20%到2020年达到约23%，到2030年达到约25%， 除了继续降低成本外。 我们的工业合作伙伴加拿大太阳能公司是领先的光伏制造商，年收入超过16亿美元 2013年。保持市场地位，满足低成本、高材料利用率、高质量的要求 为了提高效率，CSI迫切需要过渡到更新的电池设计，包括优化的正面触点图案 为减少阴影和电阻损耗，指间背接触(IBC)电池和异质结构电池 设计。 这里提出的工作结合了最先进的计算方法来优化设备 利用高分辨率表征技术开发新的光伏电池的性能和资源利用率 可用于CSI现有和计划中的制造设施的设计。设备设计将是 与CSI工程师合作，对CSI生产的原型进行测量验证。该项目 将为我们的加拿大工业合作伙伴提供一个独特的环境来培训高素质的人才， 并帮助加拿大保持在新兴行业的领先地位。

The ever increasing demand for clean environmentally friendly sources of energy has provided a strong impetus for developing commercially a viable photovoltaics (PV) industry; in particular, one in which the cost of electricity from PV equals that from the grid (i.e., so called grid parity) by improving solar cell and module efficiency and reducing cell/module costs. The PV roadmap envisions meeting 5% of the global energy needs by 2010 and 11% by 2030,the bulk of which has to be achieved by improvements in current commercial Silicon solar cell technology, before alternative technologies can develop and mature. This requires increase in the efficiency of Silicon cells from the present level of 16-20% to about 23% by 2020 and about 25% by 2030, in addition to continued cost reduction. Our industrial partner, Canadian Solar Inc., is a leading PV manufacturer with over $1.6 billion revenue in 2013. To keep the market position meeting the demands of lower cost, better material utilization and higher efficiencies, CSI urgently needs to transition to newer cell designs including optimized front contact patterns for reduced shading and resistive losses, inter-digitated back-contact (IBC) cells and hetero-structured cell designs. The work proposed here combines state-of-the art computational methodologies for optimization of device performance and resource utilization with high-resolution characterization techniques to develop new PV cell designs that could be utilized in the current and planned manufacturing facilities of CSI. Device designs will be validated by measurements on prototypes produced by CSI, in collaboration with CSI engineers. The project will provide a unique milieu for the training of highly qualified personnel for our Canadian industrial partner, and help keep Canada at the forefront of the burgeoning industry.