Heterojunction (HJT) equipment manufacturer Maxwell Technologies and Australian solar technology start-up SunDrive have brought the efficiency of a full-size silicon HJT solar cell to record 26.41%.
The result has been confirmed by the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin (ISFH) in Germany.
The new record is 0.34% higher than the efficiency of 26.07% the two companies have announced in March this year.
The HJT cell, with a total area of 274.5 cm2 (M6), has been made with Maxwell’s chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment. The cell’s improvement has been verified in short circuit current (Isc), open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF).
The plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process was realized through Maxwell’s latest generation bifacial microcrystalline silicon layer deposition equipment. The equipment, which is available for mass production, has improved the rear-side passivation and contact resistance. SunDrive’s copper plating technology has also helped improve the solar cell’s efficiency.
Maxwell and SunDrive have started working together on the research and development of HJT cells since 2021.
After less than a year of technical iteration and process optimization, the conversion efficiency of silver-free HJT cells jointly developed by the two companies has risen rapidly from 25.54% to 26.41%.
Maxwell said it would continue its commitment to the R&D of HJT cells, and promote the mass production of HJT cells through more advanced equipment and technical solutions.
