Committee:

Dr. Rohatgi , Advisor

Dr. Thomas Gaylord, ECE

Dr. Bernard Kippelen, ECE

Dr. Gee-Kung Chang, ECE

Dr. Shreyes Melkote, ME

Abstract: 

The objective of this research is to achieve high efficiency screen-printed Si solar cell with reduced material cost. Two specific solutions to material cost reduction are studied: 1. Low to medium concentrator (2-20 suns) Si solar cell which reduces the required cell area by a factor of concentration ratio. 2. The use of epitaxially grown kerfless Si wafers which eliminates the need of polycrystalline Si, ingot growth, and wafer slicing. In addition, high efficiency Si solar cell with reduced metal contact recombination is studied and modeled by implementation of passivated contact composed of tunnel oxide, n+ polycrystalline Si and metal on top of n-Si absorber.