Investigation of laser doping and plating process for cost-effective PV metallization

Plating has long been recognized as a promising alternative to screen printing in commercial PV metallization due to its cost-saving and scaling-up potential. In this paper, we investigated the laser doping effects on plated contact formation. Critical parameters, such as laser power, focal position, and scanning speed, have been systematically analyzed by comparing their impacts on surface morphology, electrical properties, and plating results. Moreover, it was found the LD openings made by different laser resources would need different plating strategies. We have also successfully developed a baseline procedure integrating laser doping and hydrogenation passivation for bifacial plated PERC solar cells. Despite severe technical challenges in experimental conditions, up to 20.4% cell efficiency has been achieved, which evidentially demonstrates the commercial potential of plated contacts.