Emanuel Sachs
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Well over half of the current $10B photovoltaic (PV) market is based on multi-crystalline silicon wafers that operate at an approximate 16% conversion efficiency. The best commercial silicon solar cells available today are 20% efficient, but are made from more expensive single crystal substrates. Current PV can compete with the high end of residential electricity rates without subsidy, however in order for grid-connected solar panels to compete in more of the electric power market; a substantial cost reduction is needed.

This project will explore texturing the multi-crystalline wafer using novel approaches to light-trapping and metallization, two of the performance limiting factors in multi-crystalline solar cell technologies. This method will improve the efficiency of multi-crystalline solar cells by up to 25% -- with little added manufacturing cost. This improvement in efficiency could lower the cost per watt of solar energy, allowing it to become more competitive with grid electricity.