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APL Electronic Devices, 2025. We show that applying an electric field during heat treatment can improve passivation in silicon solar cells using ultra-thin SiOx/AlOx/SiNx layers. By introducing surface charge with corona discharge, we reduced energy loss from charge recombination, achieving excellent performance. The improvement is linked to hydrogen and charge effects at the interface, with AlOx playing a key role despite lower hydrogen content than SiNx. This method offers a practical way to boost efficiency in advanced solar cells like TOPCon without adding complexity or cost.
 

RSC Energy Advances, 2025. Aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) has emerged as an indium-free transparent conducting oxide (TCO) for high-efficiency solar cells (Si heterojunction and Pvk/Si tandems). ALD AZO offers optical transparency, electrical conductivity, and surface passivation. We demonstrates exceptional passivation with a J0 < 1 fA/cm² and implied VOC of 740 mV, achieved by optimising ALD precursor dosing. The findings highlight AZO's potential to replace indium-based TCOs, enabling scalable, cost-effective solar cell production and supporting renewable energy goals.

ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2024, 7, 22, 10259–10270. To boost the efficiency of silicon solar cells we propose hole-selective passivating contacts based on  silicon nitride (SiNx) and aluminium oxide (AlOx). We applied these nanolayers using advanced deposition techniques between silicon – polysilicon interfaces. By deeply understanding their properties we identified strategies to significantly enhance their performance, fabricating a hole-selective contact with an implied Voc of 698 mV and a J₀ of 34 fA/cm2. These results are among the best reported for nitride based hole-selective contacts.