The impact of pulsed Nd:YAG laser on the surface of n-Si and photo-electrical performance of silicon solar cells

Texturizing the surface of a silicon solar cell enhances performance by reducing reflection losses. Pyramidal texturization via wet chemical etching is standard in manufacturing, while plasma etching is often used for vertical hole texturization. Laser texturization offers a chemical-free, user-friendly alternative to plasma etching. Infrared (IR) transmission studies indicate that laser-textured samples transmit more IR light through n-Si than normally textured samples, suggesting that vertical grooves from laser texturization allow deeper light penetration. Analyses using cross-sectional Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersion x-ray (EDX), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) demonstrate the effects of laser texturization on the front surface of textured n-Si wafers. However, silicon solar cells with laser-textured surfaces demonstrated lower conversion efficiencies (1.20% to 4.30%) compared to conventionally textured cells (14.30%). The short-circuit current density (JSC) was also lower in laser-textured cells, below 17 mA cm−2, compared to 34.44 mA cm−2 in normally textured cells. At the same time, higher laser power (114 W) during texturization also led to the lowest JSC and open-circuit voltage (VOC), indicating that laser texturization may introduce defects and dislocations that degrade Si properties.