Enhancing large area PERC solar cell efficiency through optimized additive-assisted silicon wafer texturization

Abstract Silicon wafer texturization plays a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of passivated emitter and rear cells (PERC) by minimizing optical losses and improving light trapping. This study investigates the impact of two additive compositions, Additive-1 and Additive-2, on the alkaline texturization process. A key distinction is the inclusion of an epoxide polymer in Additive-2, which significantly enhanced monocrystalline silicon texturization. The introduction of these additives reduced texturization time to 400 s and extended chemical bath life to 240 cycles, improving process scalability. Silicon wafers treated with these formulations exhibited uniform and densely packed pyramidal structures, achieving an average weighted reflectance of 10.24% over 330.82 cm 2 , demonstrating excellent light trapping characteristics. These advancements translated into high-efficiency PERC solar cells, achieving an average efficiency of 23.51%, validated across 7258 tested cells, with consistent improvements observed in short-circuit current density ( J sc ), open-circuit voltage ( V oc ), and fill factor. These results highlight the potential of customized formulations in optimizing solar cell performance and advancing scalable manufacturing processes.