The photovoltaic sector is now led by silicon solar cells because of their well-established technology and relatively high efficiency. Currently, industrially made silicon solar modules have an efficiency between 16% and 22% (Anon (2023b)).
After the first experimental demonstration of a-Si:H solar cell by Carlson and Wronski , hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells are studied extensively in the last three decades [11, 12, 13, 14] to use in multi-junction solar cells, tandem solar cells [15, 16].
Lin, H. et al. Silicon heterojunction solar cells with up to 26.81% efficiency achieved by electrically optimized nanocrystalline-silicon hole contact layers. Nat. Energy 8, 789–799 (2023). Lin, H. et al. Unveiling the mechanism of attaining high fill factor in silicon solar cells.
The best real-world silicon solar cell to date, developed by Kaneka Corporation, is able to achieve 26.7% conversion efficiency 7, 8. A loss analysis of this 165 μm -thick, heterojunction IBC cell shows that in absence of any extrinsic loss mechanism the limiting efficiency of such a cell would be 29.1% 7.
Amorphous silicon solar cells generate 15 mA/cm2 density of current and the voltage without connected load is above 800 mV. The efficiency is between 6 and 8% (S. W. Glunz et al. 2006). But, all solar cells require a light absorbing material contained within the cell structure to absorb photons and generate electrons (G. Sissoko et al. 1996).
Photovoltaics provides a very clean, reliable and limitless means for meeting the ever-increasing global energy demand. Silicon solar cells have been the dominant driving force in photovoltaic technology for the past several decades due to the relative abundance and environmentally friendly nature of silicon.