20% efficient Sliver cells fabricated with a simplified processing sequence

Sliver technology, first developed at the ANU [1-8], offers large reductions in silicon consumption and wafer throughput per MW. However, sliver technology requires more processing steps than conventional silicon solar cell fabrication. The additional processing costs per wafer are easily justified because the cells are highly efficient and because far less silicon is used and far fewer wafers require processing for a given module area when compared to conventional technologies. Current research at the ANU is aimed at delivering a simplified processing sequence capable of producing sliver cells with a reduced manufacturing cost and with better performance than the originally developed fabrication process. With a simplified process it should be possible to reliably manufacture highly efficient sliver cells with a high yield and a very low cost compared to conventional solar cells. Cells have been manufactured at ANU using the new processing sequence with recorded efficiencies of over 20%.