A new cell structure for very thin high-efficiency silicon solar cells

The cell has a corrugated structure, which is formed by aligned V grooves on both the front and back surfaces. The substrate thickness is reduced to 50 μm while retaining high mechanical strength. This permits ease of handling during the fabrication process and subsequent procedures. This thin substrate promises a very high open-circuit voltage, and the structure is also beneficial to high optical performance. The surface reflectance is reduced in the same manner as that of V-grooved cells, but the optical path is lengthened by a minimum of four times the substrate thickness. Performance of experimental cells is also discussed