Photovoltaic technology is increasingly being recognised as a likely major contributor to the world's future energy needs. Lasers are playing an increasingly important role in the design and fabrication of high efficiency solar cells.
Pioneering work with lasers at The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has led to the development of several new successful photovoltaic technologies and numerous accompanying performance records, as lasers have been successfully used to incorporate high efficiency attributes into commercial cell designs.
In particular, lasers are being used for selective emitter formation, creation of localised heavy doping beneath metal contacts, dielectric patterning to replace photolithographic techniques, groove formation for burying metal contacts, surface texturing for reflection control, edge junction isolation and hydrogen charge state control to greatly enhance hydrogen passivation techniques for improving wafer bulk and surface qualities.
The latter advanced hydrogenation technology has attracted funding from many industry partners including several of the world's largest solar cell manufacturers as well as from the Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The funding from the AF Harvey Engineering Prize will allow an expansion of this work to cover more academically interesting aspects of the work associated with the reactivity and mobility of the hydrogen.
Stuart Wenham is Scientia Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at the University of New South Wales, and CTO of Suntech-Power Co, one of the world's largest PV manufacturers.
