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Passivating contacts consisting of doped polycrystalline silicon (poly‐Si) on a thin tunnel‐oxide enable excellent operating voltages for crystalline silicon solar cells. However, hole‐collecting contacts based on boron‐doped poly‐Si do not yet reach their full surface‐passivation potential, likely due to boron diffusion during annealing. In this work, the authors show how the insertion of a thin intrinsic silicon buffer layer between the silicon oxide and poly‐Si is effective in improving the contact passivation. By tailoring the microstructure of the buffer layer, the chemical passivation and contact resistivity are simultaneously significantly improved. On device level, the buffer layer enables a ≈30 mV open‐circuit voltage enhancement and 1.4% absolute gain in power conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the progress of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells towards commercialization, highlighting advances in laboratory-scale performance, various device configurations, and the challenges of scaling up the manufacturing process. It emphasizes the need for improving stability, addressing material and sustainability considerations, and conducting rigorous testing to ensure the commercial viability and bankability of perovskite/silicon tandem technologies.

Abstract: The rear side of a silicon solar cell is often designed to minimize surface recombination, series resistance, and cost, but not necessarily parasitic absorption. We present a comprehensive study of parasitic absorption in the metal layer of solar cells with dielectric/metal rear reflectors. The sub-bandgap reflectance of a solar cell or test structure is proposed as an experimentally accessible probe of parasitic absorption, and it is correlated with short-circuit current density. The influence of surface texture, dielectric refractive index and thickness, and metal refractive index on sub-bandgap reflectance—and thus current—is then both calculated and measured. From the results, we formulate design rules that promote optimum infrared response in a wide variety of silicon solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]