Fundamentals, present status and future perspective of TOPCon solar cells: A comprehensive review

Solar photovoltaics researchers have devoted enough time to improve the performance of various types of high efficiency crystalline silicon based solar cells including passivated emitter rear cells, hetrojunction with intrinsic thin-layer solar cells, interdigitated back contact solar cells, heterojunction with interdigitated back contact solar cells and tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cells. Out of these various high efficiency solar cells, tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells are gaining more interests due to possessing various advantages such as availability of raw material, easy process sequence, high efficiency potential etc. In this review article, we shall discuss the evolutionary development of this high efficiency TOPCon solar cell, the progress made by the researchers in various aspects to improve the cell efficiency, current status of commercialization and finally future scopes of works with possible challenges.