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Nanotechnology

Breakthrough in Nanocrystal Research: Layer-Separated Treatment Accelerates Growth of P-type Hydrogenated Nanocrystalline Silicon in SHJ Cells

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanotechnology, revealing a novel layer-separated treatment method that accelerates the growth of p-type hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This innovative approach has led to a significant increase in cell efficiency, reaching an impressive 25.88%.

This research, funded by the National Key Research & Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, and the MIITPRC 2023X, demonstrates the potential of nanocrystals to improve the performance of solar cells. The study focuses on the growth mechanism of p-type hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (p-nc-Si:H) thin films as doped emitter layers of SHJ solar cells.

Key Takeaways:

  • The layer-separated treatment method was found to balance growth rate and film quality, resulting in high crystallinity and improved solar cell efficiency.
  • The study showed that the solar cell performs worse if the deposition rate of p-nc-Si:H is dramatically increased, highlighting the importance of controlled growth conditions.
  • The research concluded that the layer-separated treatment method can accelerate the growth of p-nc-Si:H at a fast deposition rate of 2.11 Å/s, achieving a high crystallinity and a solar cell efficiency of 25.88%.
  • The findings have significant implications for the development of high-efficiency solar cells and the potential to accelerate the growth of nanocrystals in various applications.
  • The research team, led by Rui Jia, includes Jialing Tao, Xing Li, Yongyao Li, Chunlin Guo, Jiawang Chen, Ke Tao, Baojie Yan, Baohai Yang, Yong Gao, and Xiaoping Ouyang.

Statistics:

  • Solar cell efficiency reached 25.88% using the layer-separated treatment method.
  • The deposition rate of p-nc-Si:H was increased to 2.11 Å/s using the layer-separated treatment method.
  • The study found that the solar cell performs worse if the deposition rate of p-nc-Si:H is dramatically increased.
  • The research was funded by multiple sources, including the National Key Research & Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, and the MIITPRC 2023X.
  • The publication date of the study is June 16, 2025, in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings in Nanocrystals Reported from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Layer-separated Treatment Accelerating Growth of P-type Hydrogenated Nanocrystalline Silicon In Shj Cells). Nanotechnology Weekly. June 16, 2025; p 371.
  • Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. Layer-separated Treatment Accelerating Growth of P-type Hydrogenated Nanocrystalline Silicon In Shj Cells. 2025;285.
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences. Institute for Microelectronics. Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China.

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