Development of Pid-resistant Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

In this abstract, we focus on reinforcing silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells against degradation mechanisms induced by moisture and high-negative voltages. In order to verify that, the solar cells are encapsulated in a glass/backsheet (G/BS) module scheme with an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as an encapsulant. The aim of this module configuration is to accelerate degradation caused by PID. Firstly, we investigate the role of the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) morphology, thickness, homogeneity and texturization on the degradation mechanism. Secondly, we seek to develop SHJ cells resistant to PID (and DH as a consequence) by the addition of capping layers on top of the TCO. The roles of the capping layer material, deposition process, density and thickness regarding their potentially beneficial impact on the degradation kinetics and rates are investigated.