Large area wraparound cell development

Spectrolab has in recent years designed and successfully produced high powered wraparound contact devices for space applications. Back surface field (BSF) and back surface reflector (BSR) cell types were built from 10 and 2 omega-cm silicon. Cell sizes from 35 to 60 cm/sup 2/ were made from 4 inch diameter wafers. Computerized modeling and extensive process evaluation were used in the design and fabrication of 10 omega-cm (gridded back contact) and 2 omega-cm BSR cells with efficiencies of 12.1% and 13.3%, respectively. An efficiency of 13.7% and a thermal absorption of 0.67 (0.28 to 2.5 ..mu..m) were achieved with a novel gridded back BSF cell made from 10 omega-cm material.