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UNSW engineers have developed a way to dramatically improve the quality of low-grade silicon, with flow-on implications for the electrical efficiency and cost of solar panels.
The team of UNSW scientists found a mechanism to control hydrogen atoms so that they can better correct deficiencies in silicon, which is the most expensive component used to construct solar cells.
The new process effectively allows scientists and manufacturers to use lower-quality, cheaper silicon to create solar cells which outperform conventional modules made from better-quality materials.
Currently, premium quality commercial silicon solar cells have a maximum efficiency of around 19 percent. The world record of lab-created solar cells is 25 percent (also held by UNSW). The new technique allows efficiencies between 21 and 23 percent, even though it uses lower quality silicon.
Cheaper silicon is lower quality, having more defects and contaminants which reduce efficiency. However, hydrogen atoms can be introduced into the atomic structure of silicon to correct the defects, but researchers have had limited success in understanding or controlling the mechanism to maximise the benefits. The UNSW breakthrough changes this.
The research team found out how to control the charge state of hydrogen atoms in silicon, toggling it between positive, neutral and negative charges.
The charge state determines how well the hydrogen can move around the silicon and its reactivity, which is important to help correct the defects.
By controlling the charges, the team saw a 10,000 times improvement in the mobility of the hydrogen atoms, and can now control the hydrogen so it chemically bonds to, and deactivates, defects and contaminants.
The UNSW team currently has eight industry partners interested in commercialising the technology, and is also working with manufacturing equipment companies to implement the new capabilities.
The project was supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. It is expected to be completed in 2016.