Exploring mc-Silicon Wafers: Utilizing Machine Learning to Enhance Wafer Quality Through Etching Studies

This paper provides a method for improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency and optical attributes of silicon solar cells manufactured from as-cut boron doped p-type multi-crystalline silicon wafers using acid-based chemical texturization via machine learning. A decreased reflectance, which can be attained by the right chemical etching conditions, is one of the key elements for raising solar cell efficiency. In this work, the mc-Silicon wafer surface reflectance is obtained under (<2%) after optimization of wet chemical etching. The HF + HNO₃ + CH₃COOH chemical etchant is used in the ratio 1:3:2 at different conditions of the etching duration of 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, and 4 min, respectively. The as-cut boron doped p-type mc-silicon wafers are analysed with ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, optical microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, thickness profilometer, and scanning electron microscopy before and after etching. The chemical etching solution produces good results in 3 min etched wafer, with a reflectivity value of <2%.The reflectivity and optical images are inputs to the convolutional neural network model and the linear regression model to obtain the etching rate for better reflectivity. The classification model provides 99.6% accuracy and the regression model results in the minimum mean squared error (MSE) of 0.062.