N/sup +/-type versus P/sup +/-type, passivated and homogeneous emitter silicon solar cells

Homogeneous and Gaussian profile emitters have been optimized using the most suitable parameters for two types of emitters: n/sup +/ and p/sup +/. The simulations revealed that both types are of high quality: high emitter collection efficiency and low emitter recombination. The n/sup +/pp/sup +/ and p/sup +/nn/sup +/ solar cell output parameters were compared for various emitter sheet resistivities, taking into consideration the grid-optimization. It was demonstrated that both structures (n/sup +/pp/sup +/ and p/sup +/nn/sup +/) with evaporated Ti contacts can provide high efficiencies, /spl eta//spl cong/22.6% and /spl eta//spl cong/21.2%, accordingly, for a wide range of emitter sheet resistivities. A comparison of the optimum cases using the recently proposed n/sub i/=9.65/spl times/10/sup 9/ cm/sup -3/ was made showing only slight differences in the efficiencies (about 0.1%).