Investigating light-induced plating of silicon solar cells using in-situ current-voltage analysis

Light-induced plating of Si solar cells was analyzed using in-situ linear sweep voltammetry using a potentiostat configured with a reference electrode. The current-voltage relationships recorded depend on the characteristics of the solar cell, the electrochemical reactions at the interface and the electrolyte resistance. Linear sweep voltammetry can be used to ensure that the solar cell operates under forward bias during plating, thereby eliminating the potential of non-uniform plating which can occur if the solar cell operates under reverse bias.