Glow-discharge-implanted, thermally annealed, oxide-passivated silicon solar cells of 19% efficiency

Single-crystal silicon solar cells with efficiencies as high as 19.3% AM1.5 have been fabricated using simple, glow-discharge ion implantation followed by conventional furnace annealing during which an oxide layer was grown for surface passivation. Fine-line (∼5 μm) photolithography was used for metallization to reduce carrier recombination at the metal-silicon interface and optimized ZnS/MgF2 antireflection coatings were applied. The efficiencies of these cells are the highest reported to date for ion-implanted cells.