Chinese researchers achieve record 26.3% efficiency in TOPCon solar cells

Researchers in China have developed a new metallisation method for Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) silicon solar cells that reaches a certified power‑conversion efficiency of 26.31 %. The approach combines an aluminium‑free silver paste with laser‑enhanced contact optimisation (LECO), allowing ultra‑thin, high‑aspect‑ratio gridlines and eliminating the high‑temperature firing step that normally damages the passivation layer.

The work was carried out by the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences together with Soochow University and reported in the journal *Matter*. Because the technique can be applied on existing production lines, it promises to boost the performance of photovoltaic panels without major retooling of factories worldwide.