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In addition to the different technologies of silicon solar cells in crystalline form, TOPCon solar cells have an exceptionally great efficiency of 26%, accomplished by the manufacturing scale technique for industrialization, and have inordinate cell values of 732.3 mV open-circuit voltage (Voc) and a fill factor (FF) of 84.3%. The thickness of tunnel oxide, which is less than 2 nm in the TOPCon cell, primarily affects the electrical properties and efficiency of the cell. In this review, various techniques of deposition were utilized for the layer of SiOx tunnel oxide, such as thermal oxidation, ozone oxidation, chemical oxidation, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). To monitor the morphology of the surface, configuration of annealing, and rate of acceleration, a tunnel junction structure of oxide through a passivation quality of better Voc on a wafer of n-type cell might be accomplished. The passivation condition of experiments exposed to rapid thermal processing (RTP) annealing at temperatures more than 900 °C dropped precipitously. A silicon solar cell with TOPCon technology has a front emitter with boron diffusion, a tunnel-SiOx/n+-poly-Si/ SiNx:H configuration on the back surface, and electrodes on both sides with screen printing technology. The saturation current density (J0) for such a configuration on a refined face remains at 1.4 fA/cm2 and is 3.8 fA/cm2 when textured surfaces of the cell are considered, instead of printing with silver contacts. Following the printing of contacts with Ag, the J0 of the current configuration improves to 50.8 fA/cm2 on textured surface of silicon, which is moderately lesser for the metal contact. Tunnel oxide layers were deposited using many methods such as chemical, ozone, thermal, and PECVD oxidation are often utilized to deposit the thin SiOx layer in TOPCon solar cells. The benefits and downsides of each approach for developing a SiOx thin layer depend on the experiment. Thin SiOx layers may be produced using HNO3:H2SO4 at 60 °C. Environmentally safe ozone oxidation may create thermally stable SiOx layers. Thermal oxidation may build a tunnel oxide layer with low surface recombination velocity (10 cm/s). PECVD oxidation can develop SiOx on several substrates at once, making it cost-effective.

A newly developed handheld device, the IC01 transpalpebral tonometer, was engineered to determine intraocular pressure (IOP) autonomously through upper eyelid palpation. This study aimed to evaluate the repeatability of the IC01 and to investigate its agreement with a non-contact tonometer (TOPCON CT-800). A comparative design was employed to analyze the agreement in IOP measurements between the innovative IC01 device and both the non-contact (TOPCON CT-800) and rebound (iCare IC200) tonometers, as well as its repeatability. Trained operators recorded measurements from 189 subjects at both the initial and one-month follow-up visits, adhering to a randomized sequence. IOP measurements from the IC01 showed no statistically significant difference from those obtained with the iCare IC200 or TOPCON CT-800. Repeatability, indicated by the intraclass correlation coefficient, averaged 0.77 for right eyes and 0.75 for left eyes. Furthermore, the mean IOP values at the one-month follow-up were 8.65 ± 4.15 mmHg for the right eye and 7.68 ± 2.61 mmHg. No sight-threatening adverse events occurred. Regarding patient preference among a subset of 69 respondents, 46.37% (n = 32) favored the IC01, compared to 17.39% (n = 12) for the TOPCON CT-800, while 36.23% (n = 25) expressed no preference. Gender did not show a significant correlation with outcomes. However, participants aged 50 years or younger demonstrated a greater preference for the IC01 (χ 2  = 5.68, P  = 0.012). The IC01 tonometer demonstrated clinical equivalence to established devices, showing superior repeatability and higher patient acceptance. Its distinctive practical advantages include the avoidance of corneal contact, operational independence from a clinician, and a design suitable for self-monitoring in a home environment.

Background To assess the precision and agreement of measurements of higher order aberrations (HOAs) obtained with a ray tracing aberrometer (iTrace) and a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer (Topcon KR-1 W). Methods Prospective evaluation of the diagnostic test. Data from the right eyes of 92 normal subjects obtained using the two devices were included in this study. Two observers performed 3 consecutive scans to determine the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility. About one week later, one observer performed an additional 3 consecutive scans to obtain the intersession reproducibility. The within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest repeatability (TRT) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to assess the precision, while Bland-Altman plots were performed to assess the agreement. Results For intraobserver repeatability of the ocular, corneal and internal HOAs, Topcon KR-1 W showed a 2.77Sw of 0.079 μm or less and ICCs of 0.761 or more; and iTrace showed a 2.77Sw of 0.105 μm or less and ICCs of 0.805 or more. The ICCs of the internal HOAs of interobserver reproducibility were less than 0.75 except for spherical aberration (SA) (0.862), and interobserver reproducibility of the counterpart showed similar but lower results. For the ocular, corneal and internal HOA measurements, statistically significant differences existed between the Topcon KR-1 W and iTrace (all P  < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the ocular SA and internal coma. Conclusions The ray tracing and Hartmann-Shack method aberrometers provided excellent repeatability but less reliable reproducibility in the measurement of HOAs (except for SA). The two aberrometers should not be interchangeable in clinical application because of the significant differences in HOA measurements between them.

Thin polysilicon (poly-Si)-based passivating contacts can reduce parasitic absorption and the cost of n-TOPCon solar cells. Herein, n+-poly-Si layers with thicknesses of 30~100 nm were fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to create passivating contacts. We investigated the effect of n+-poly-Si layer thickness on the microstructure of the metallization contact formation, passivation, and electronic performance of n-TOPCon solar cells. The thickness of the poly-Si layer significantly affected the passivation of metallization-induced recombination under the metal contact (J0,metal) and the contact resistivity (ρc) of the cells. However, it had a minimal impact on the short-circuit current density (Jsc), which was primarily associated with corroded silver (Ag) at depths of the n+-poly-Si layer exceeding 40 nm. We introduced a thin n+-poly-Si layer with a thickness of 70 nm and a surface concentration of 5 × 1020 atoms/cm3. This layer can meet the requirements for low J0,metal and ρc values, leading to an increase in conversion efficiency of 25.65%. This optimized process of depositing a phosphorus-doped poly-Si layer can be commercially applied in photovoltaics to reduce processing times and lower costs.

Mario Graziano,1 Luigi Capasso,2 Nicola Rosa1 1Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, \"Scuola Medica Salernitana\", University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy; 2Corneal Transplant Unit, ASL Napoli 1, Naples, ItalyCorrespondence: Mario GrazianoDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, \"Scuola Medica Salernitana\", University of Salerno, Via Salvador Allende, Baronissi, 84081, Salerno, ItalyTel +39089 965063Fax +39089 672407Email dottmariograziano@gmail.com View the original paper by Dr Beato and colleagues

High efficiency tunneling oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell is the traditional PN junction structure, combined the advantages of using a thin film of the passivated silicon surface to separate the metal from the silicon wafer. In this study, the patent analysis of high efficiency TOPCon solar cell is presented. The structure and process technology of TOPCon solar cell were analyzed first, which is used as the basis for the key words of the patent search. The patent management chart analysis is provided, and then the patent portfolio of the main research countries and important manufacturers on the research subject can be recognized. Moreover, the technology-function matrix analysis is used to comprehend the technical development trend of the research topic. The results indicate the TOPCon solar cell technology currently entered into the maturity stage in 2019, and the companies with the top three number of patents are LG Electronics, SunPower, and SolarCity (which was acquired by Tesla in 2016). SunPowern is the earliest patent assignee, and LG Electronics is the follower, while its patent outputs are heavily concentrated after 2014. Patent technology-function matrix found the development focus of the device-related technologies are tunneling oxide and polycrystalline silicon, with a total of 21 patents, and the development focus of process-related technologies are the process of tunneling oxide layers and the process of polysilicon film. Based on the analysis results, the future development prospects of the research topic and the direction of patent portfolio are evaluated.

Selective emitter (SE) technology significantly influences the passivation and contact properties of n-TOPCon solar cells. In this study, three mask layers (SiOx, SiNx, and SiOxNy) were employed to fabricate n-TOPCon solar cells with phosphorus (P)-SE structures on the rear side using a three-step method. Additionally, phosphosilicon glass (PSG) was used to prepare n-TOPCon solar cells with P-SE structure on the rear side using four-step method, and the comparative analysis of electrical properties were studied. The SiOx mask with a laser power of 20 W (O2 group) achieved the highest solar cell efficiency (Eff, 24.85%), The open-circuit voltage (Voc) is 2.4 mV higher than that of the H1 group, and the fill factor (FF) is 1.88% higher than that of the L1 group. Furthermore, the final Eff of solar cell is 0.17% higher than that of the L1 group and 0.20% higher than that of the H1 group. In contrast, using the four-step method and a laser power of 20 W (P2 group), a maximum Eff of 24.82% was achieved. Moreover, it exhibited an Voc, which is elevated by 3.2 mV compared to the H1 group, and FF increased by 1.49% compared to the L1 group. Furthermore, the overall Eff of the P2 group outperforms both the L1 and H1 groups by approximately 0.14% and 0.17%, respectively. In the four-step groups, the Eff of each laser condition group was improved compared with the L1 group and H1 group, The stability observed within the four-step method surpassed that of the three-step groups. However, in terms of full-scale electrical properties, the three-step method can achieve comparable results as those obtained from the four-step method. This research holds significant guiding implications for upgrading the n-TOPCon solar cell rear-side technology during mass production.

Hole‐selective self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) have recently boosted the efficiency of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells (TSCs), but constructing dense, uniform, and particularly stable SAMs on textured surfaces remains challenging. Here, a cation–anion synergistic strategy is employed to suppress SAMs clustering and enhance molecular anchoring stability. The combined effects of cation–π interaction and phosphonic acid deprotonation enable the formation of high‐quality SAMs and perovskite absorbers, while simultaneously improving their interfacial contact at the buried interface. The resulting wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells yielded a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.04%, maintaining 84% of their initial efficiency after 1500 h of maximum power point (MPP) tracking under ISOS‐L‐1 protocol. Moreover, a 1 cm 2 monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell based on textured tunnel oxide passivated contacts (TOPCon) delivered an impressive efficiency of 32.13%, representing the highest reported value to date for perovskite/TOPCon tandems.

Due to the lower cost compared to screen-printed silver contacts, the Ni/Cu/Ag contacts formed by plating have been continuously studied as a potential metallization technology for solar cells. To address the adhesion issue of backside grid lines in electroplated n-Tunnel Oxide Passivating Contacts (n-TOPCon) solar cells and reduce ohmic contact, we propose a novel approach of adding a Ni/Si alloy seed layer between the Ni and Si layers. The metal nickel layer is deposited on the backside of the solar cells using electron beam evaporation, and excess nickel is removed by H2SO4:H2O2 etchant under annealing conditions of 300–425 °C to form a seed layer. The adhesion strength increased by more than 0.5 N mm−1 and the contact resistance dropped by 0.5 mΩ cm2 in comparison to the traditional direct plating Ni/Cu/Ag method. This is because the resulting Ni/Si alloy has outstanding electrical conductivity, and the produced Ni/Si alloy has higher adhesion over direct contact between the nickel–silicon interface, as well as enhanced surface roughness. The results showed that at an annealing temperature of 375 °C, the main compound formed was NiSi, with a contact resistance of 1 mΩ cm−2 and a maximum gate line adhesion of 2.7 N mm−1. This method proposes a new technical solution for cost reduction and efficiency improvement of n-TOPCon solar cells.