Inkjet Texturing for Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Texturing remains one of the key issues in the industrial fabrication of multicrystalline silicon solar cells and suitable texturing methods to optimize cell performance are still being developed. Laboratory-based cells have set the efficiency records using acidic and reactive ion etching through a photolithographically patterned dielectric mask. This paper looks at a novel method for texturing surfaces of multicrystalline wafers which may be more suitable for commercial production. Inkjet printing is used as an alternative to photolithography to pattern dielectric layers, allowing chemical etching of silicon and the fabrication of honey-comb and also u-groove surface structures. The performance of inkjet texturing on multicrystalline wafers is analysed by reflection measurements and compared to chemically polished multicrystalline wafers and isotexturing, a technique predominantly used in the industry today.