Plasma processing cuts solar cell production costs

Semiconducting silicon is used in around 90 per cent of solar cell production, facilitating the generation of an electric current after it is doped with impurities.

Multi-layered material dissipates heat in electronic devices

A technical challenge arises at the exposed surface of the silicon, described by Areej Alzahrani, a Ph.D. student at KAUST in Saudi Arabia, as the problem of so-called ‘dangling bonds.’

She said that the reduced availability of silicon atoms to bond together at the surface leaves scope for electrons ejected by light to recombine with the positively charged ‘holes’ that the departing electrons leave behind.

According to KAUST, this problem can be resolved by generating a layer of silicon oxide at the surface regions used to form electrical contacts. Several methods can achieve this, but they all come with difficulties and limitations. They also introduce an additional and costly fabrication step.

"The problems with existing methods challenged us to find a more simple and practical process," Alzahrani said in a statement.