Defence in the field of Micro and Nanosciences, M. Sc. (Tech.) Henri Vahlman
The title of thesis is “Light-induced degradation due to Cu precipitation in crystalline silicon: Modeling and impact on PERC solar cells”
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Cost-competitive solar cells are required to realize carbon neutrality and interna-tional climate goals. However, material degradation that occurs upon light expo-sure currently impedes reaching the full potential of industrial silicon solar cells.
This thesis investigates light-induced degradation caused by copper, which is a very common metal impurity in industrial environments. The results provide quick and easy means of detecting contamination problems on solar cell manufacturing lines. In addition, simulations provide evidence on the root cause of degradation, as well as how the degradation decreases by a correct choice of material parame-ters.
The obtained results facilitate fast observation of contamination to avoid unnec-essary delays in production. Further, the results provide material selection strate-gies to minimize degradation of solar cell performance. These findings contribute to the overall cost reduction target of silicon photovoltaics and promote the neces-sary structural transition to clean energy systems.
Opponent: Dr. Gudrun Kissinger, Institute for High Performance Microelectronics, Germany
Supervisor: Professor Hele Savin, Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering.
Thesis website
Notice of dissertation defence (pdf.)
Contact information: Henri Vahlman, 050-4318869, henri.vahlman@aalto.fi, Tietotie 3, 02150 Espoo, Finland