Abstract
Crystalline silicon photovoltaic technology has seen its cost reduced by over 99% since 1976 (from >$70/Wp to less than $0.21/Wp in 2020 according to ITRPV). Strangely enough, between 1989 and 1994, solar cells with conversion efficiencies of over 24%, whose architecture is very similar to the PERC solar cells that dominate the photovoltaic market today, were already being manufactured at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Improvements in PV performance and costs are therefore not strictly linked to solar cell architecture, but above all to the choice of the most suitable materials and the deployment of manufacturing processes compatible with industrialization. To achieve this, a strong link between research and industry is essential, as is an " open mind " to draw inspiration from other technologies and application areas (microelectronics, large-area electronics, OLEDS, etc.). This seminar traces some of the major technological developments in industrial crystalline silicon over the last thirty years, and links them to the future challenges facing the c-Si sector.
