Novel c-Si Solar Cell Architectures for Achieving 28 % Efficiency and Beyond

Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells are achieving unprecedented efficiency milestones, with front/back-contacted (FBC) designs now exceeding 27% power conversion efficiency (PCE) and interdigitated back-contacted (IBC) cells surpassing 27.3%. These advancements reveal a shift from conventional FBC PERC architectures to high-performance TOPCon, SHJ, and IBC configurations, where carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) play a pivotal role. This work identifies the key factors influencing CSC performance: the work function of contact layers, energy barriers at heterointerfaces, and energy alignment across the CSC layer stack. Using advanced numerical simulations, we establish a framework for optimizing CSC designs, including poly-Si, SHJ, and dopant-free structures. Additionally, novel architectures utilizing TCO materials are introduced with promising simpler manufacturing processes. Our simulations indicate that advanced FBC structures can achieve PCEs up to 28% with localized CSC architectures, while optimized IBC designs could reach efficiencies as high as 28.64%. However, limitations in precision patterning remain a significant obstacle to achieving theoretical efficiency limits in both FBC and IBC configurations. This study outlines a comprehensive roadmap for integrating high-efficiency CSCs into next-generation c-Si solar cells.