HiPER-Ni

The global photovoltaic market has grown exponentially over recent decades, reinforcing the role of solar energy in future clean power generation. Current PV technologies, Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) and Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contacts (TOPCon), face limits due to reliance on scarce, costly silver and production efficiencies around 25%, close to the 26% limit of alloyed front contacts. Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cells offer a higher efficiency potential above 27% and enable silver-free metallization by using less conductive metals such as nickel on the rear side with wider fingers. The HiPER-Ni project aims to develop and demonstrate high-efficiency, silver-free POLO2 IBC PV modules by replacing silver contacts with cost-efficient, widely available nickel contacts. The CETP proposal details the consortium goals and contributions of eight European partners. The ISFH subproject develops and optimizes the POLO2 IBC solar cell using industrial ISFH SolarTeC equipment and Cz wafers up to M10 size, printing novel nickel pastes to achieve silver-free POLO2 IBC cells with efficiencies above 26%. ISFH also supports Centrotherm in developing a high-rate PECVD p-poly process.