SiOnyx's Black Silicon process enables 17% efficient multicrystalline silicon photovoltaic cells

SiOnyx recently revealed that its patented ultrafast laser texturing technology BlackSilicon has increased the absolute efficiency of traditional industrial baseline solar cells by 0.3%. The company's 156mm multicrystalline silicon cells are produced in cooperation with ISCKonstanz and are said to have an average absolute efficiency of more than 17%.

SiOnyx said its BlackSilicon technology can achieve such high efficiency because the silicon wafer is thinner. The 150-micron-thick multicrystalline silicon cell, which is 20% thinner than ordinary cells, has an average efficiency of 16.9%.

The cell was processed at the ISC Konstanz facility using a standard emitter, screen-printed metal and aluminum backside field. BlackSilicon texturing was then completed using a Coherent Aethon tool and a Talisker picosecond laser.

"These results are further validation of the Black Silicon process and its potential to improve mainstream solar economics, now that the technology is mature," said Stephen Saylor, president and CEO of SiOnyx. "SiOnyx's single-sided texturing significantly reduces surface reflectivity compared to industry-standard heterostructures, improving cell performance. We have improved infrared performance, making SiOnyx Black Silicon a great complement to modern emitter technologies."

The company further highlighted that its process results significantly improve process consistency, noting that the standard deviation of cell efficiency and current can be reduced by a factor of two using BlackSilicon technology.