How efficient are indium-free SHJ solar cells?

Based on above, we successfully fabricated the indium-free SHJ solar cells with TTO films and achieved an efficiency of 25.15 % (Figs. 3 g and 3 h), Fig. S12) and a certified efficiency of 25.10 % (total area of 274.30 cm 2) (Fig. 3 i), which is the highest efficiency in published research of indium-free SHJ solar cells (Table 1). Table 1.

What causes low efficiency of indium-free SHJ solar cells?

One of the main causes for low efficiency of indium-free SHJ solar cells is the reduced fill factor (FF), which is closely related to the poor electrical properties of TCO and the large contact resistance between TCO and the adjacent n-type or p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H).

Is indium a problem for heterojunction solar cells?

Nonetheless, the indium contained in ITO is a rare metal with limited reserves and mining capacity, resulting in higher production costs . This poses a significant hurdle to the future expansion of heterojunction solar cell industry.

How to reduce indium consumption in high efficiency silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells?

Reducing indium consumption has received increasing attention in contact schemes of high efficiency silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. It is imperative to discover suitable, low-cost, and resource-abundant transparent electrodes to replace the conventional, resource-scarce indium-based transparent electrodes.

How to avoid the use of indium in solar cells?

To avoid the use of indium, basic strategies include: (a) developing TCO-free SHJ solar cells; (b) using indium-free TCO materials such as aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) , , which has attracted much attention.

Are indium-free transparent conductive oxides sustainable for SHJ solar cells?

Table 1. PV parameters of SHJ solar cells with indium-free transparent conductive oxides in the previous published work. TTO as an alternative to indium-based TCO material, must have better sustainability for future scale-up of indium-free SHJ solar cells.