Scientific publications
Find all of BURST Scientific publications here and on the project’s Zenodo repository for Open Access publications.
Selective laser ablation of single layers from SiO2/poly-Si superlattices for patterning of 26% efficient IBC solar cells
by Udo Römer, Michael Rienäcker, Robby Peibst (ISFH & LUH MBE)
Highlights of the publication
- Selective laser ablation of single layers from SiO2/poly-Si superlattices.
- Damage free structuring of passivating contacts, using laser ablation and chemical etching.
- A lean, laser-based process flow for POLO2 IBC solar cell fabrication.
- Independently confirmed champion efficiency of 26.0 % on a 24.5 cm2 large n-type solar cell.
These results were presented during SiliconPV2025 in Oxford, UK and were recognised as Top10 Abstract Submission with the SiliconPV award.
Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2025.113992
The preprint is available on our Zenodo here: https://zenodo.org/records/18862297
Novel c-Si Solar Cell Architectures for Achieving 28 % Efficiency and Beyond
by Paul Procel Moya, Yifeng Zhao, and Olindo Isabella (TUDelft)
Highlights of the publication
- The study identifies key factors for CSC performance: contact layer work function, energy barriers at heterointerfaces, and energy alignment across the CSC stack.
- Advanced numerical simulations provide a framework for optimizing CSC designs, including poly-Si, SHJ, and dopant-free structures.
- New architectures using TCO materials are introduced, offering simpler manufacturing processes.
- Simulations show that advanced FBC structures can achieve up to 28% PCE with localized CSCs, and optimized IBC designs could reach 28.64% efficiency.
- Precision patterning remains a major challenge to achieving theoretical efficiency limits in both FBC and IBC designs.
- The publication presents a comprehensive roadmap for integrating high-efficiency CSCs into next-generation c-Si solar cells.
Read the article here: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11132476
Developing a Hybrid Dry and Wet Etching Technique for Silicon Photonic Crystals
by Karolin Helling, Robby Peibst, Alexej Haller, Jan Krügener (ISFH, LUH MBE)
Highlights of the poster & conclusion
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A combination of reactive ion etching and wet-chemical etching was used for the preparation of photonic crystals
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Different masking layers, (SiO2and SiNx)lead to different etching characteristics
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Best results for moderately RIE pre-etched surface
Check the poster here: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13585.08808
Nanovoid-driven light management in emerging c-Si solar technologies
by Ivan M. Santos, Miguel Alexandre, Valentin D. Mihailetchi, Kezheng Li, António T. Vicente, Eva Almeida, Mónica Dyreby, Tiago Mateus, Tomás Calmeiro, Elvira Fortunato, Rodrigo Martins, Hugo Águas, Manuel J. Mendes (UNINOVA, ISC Konstanz)
Highlights of the publication – presentation at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2025:
- A new FDTD post-processing method is introduced to directly calculate diffuse, direct, and total transmittance, as well as angle-resolved distributions.
- The method is implemented in an open-source package for easy integration and independent verification.
- Reliability is demonstrated by simulating three crystalline-silicon architectures: planar, upright pyramids, and photonic nanovoids.
- Angular power maps are used to extract the silicon critical angle and quantify light retention by total internal reflection, linking optical scattering to carrier generation.
- Nanovoid coatings enable broadband diffusion, increasing the optical path length for incoming solar radiation.
- The approach eliminates the need for laboratory integrating-sphere measurements, reducing development cycles from weeks to hours.
- The framework is architecture-agnostic and extensible to industry standards, supporting rapid materials discovery and large-scale manufacturing.
Check the presentation here: https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3063812
Optimization of Photolithographic Fabrication of Photonic Crystals and their Use in High Efficiency Solar Cells
by Leon Salomon, Michael Rienäcker, Yevgeniya Larionova, Alexej Haller, Sarah Spätlich, Robby Peibst, Jan Krügener (LUH MBE and ISFH)
Highlights of the publication
- Developed an optimized process for making inverted pyramid photonic crystals (PCs) on silicon substrates to improve light trapping in solar cells.
- Achieved very narrow ridge widths (down to 150 ± 50 nm) and high yield across multiple wafer areas.
- Antireflection coatings were optimized, resulting in low reflection similar to random pyramid reference samples.
- The new structure provided a path length enhancement of 25 at 1200 nm wavelength—comparable to, but not better than, random pyramids and still below the theoretical maximum.
- First demonstration of POLO2-IBC solar cells with these photonic crystals on the front, reaching a power conversion efficiency of 22.9%.
Read the full article here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396054524_Optimization_of_Photolithographic_Fabrication_of_Photonic_Crystals_and_their_Use_in_High_Efficiency_Solar_Cells
Unlocking the potential of carrier-selective contacts: Key insights for designing c-Si solar cells with efficiency beyond 28%
by Paul Procel- Moya, Yifeng Zhao and Olindo Isabella (TUDelft, Delft University of Technology)
Highlights of the publication
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Key aspects of Carrier-Selective Contacts: work function, energy barriers, and energy alignment across the stack of layers.
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Advanced CSC Designs: Evaluation of various CSC types for c-Si solar cells and the introduction of novel CSC structures.
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High-Efficiency FBC and IBC Designs: Simulated efficiencies up to 28% in FBC and above 28% in IBC solar cells.
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Technological barriers to achieving theoretical efficiency limits include the challenge of precise small-scale patterning.
Read the full article here: http://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024825001059?dgcid=coauthor
