First, the difference between raw material silicon wafer types
The fundamental difference between P-type components and N-type components stems from the type of raw material silicon wafers they use. P-type components use P-type silicon wafers, which create a hole-dominated semiconductor environment by incorporating trivalent boron into pure silicon wafers. N-type components use N-type silicon wafers, which are incorporated into the pentavalent element phosphorus to form a semiconductor structure with a majority of electrons. This difference in basic materials determines the fundamental difference in performance between the two.
Second, the difference of preparation technology
In terms of preparation technology, P-type components have undergone a transition from the traditional aluminum back field (Al-BSF) to PERC technology. PERC technology effectively improves the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the cell by adding a passivation layer on the back of the cell. However, as PERC technology gradually approaches its theoretical efficiency limits, the further development of P-type components faces challenges.
In contrast, the preparation technology of N-type components is more diverse, including TOPCon, HJT, PERT/PERL, IBC and so on. These technologies not only have high conversion efficiency, but also have the characteristics of anti-attenuation and low temperature coefficient, showing a stronger market potential. In particular, HJT technology, with its unique heterojunction structure, realizes higher open voltage and short circuit current, and becomes the leader in N-type components.
Third, performance and market application
In terms of actual performance, N-type components usually have higher conversion efficiency and better stability. This is due to the high electron mobility of N-type silicon materials and advanced preparation technology. In addition, the performance of N-type modules in double-sided power generation and low light conditions is also better than that of P-type modules, which makes them have a wider application prospect in distributed photovoltaic, photovoltaic poverty alleviation and other fields. However, the high cost of N-type components has been an obstacle to their large-scale adoption. At present, the industrialization of N-type technology is still in the early stage, and the production cost is relatively high, resulting in high market prices. This makes many consumers still prefer P-type modules with higher cost performance when choosing photovoltaic products.
Fourth, the history and development of photovoltaic cell technology
1, PERC occupies the mainstream, close to the conversion efficiency limit
By adding a passivation film on the back of the cell, PERC technology effectively reduces the recombination loss of photogenerated carriers, thereby improving the conversion efficiency of the cell. The introduction of this technology has significantly improved the conversion efficiency of P-type batteries, and has also promoted its popularity in the market. At present, PERC batteries have occupied a dominant position in the photovoltaic market and become the mainstream technology for P-type batteries. PERC cell technology is relatively mature, cost-effective, but the mass production efficiency has reached 23.2%, gradually approaching the theoretical limit efficiency of about 24.5%, the efficiency rise space is narrow, and the P-type cell due to rich boron oxygen caused by light to decay phenomenon can not be completely solved, manufacturers will face the marginal benefit rate of investment diminishing effect, P-type cell development space is very limited.
2, N-type batteries have obvious advantages, and are expected to become the new mainstream of the photovoltaic market
As the market's requirements for cell conversion efficiency continue to improve, photovoltaic manufacturers have begun to develop the next generation of cell technology with higher conversion efficiency limits - N-type high-efficiency batteries. N-type batteries, represented by TOPCon, HJT and IBC, have the advantages of high conversion efficiency, anti-attenuation, low temperature coefficient and high double-sided rate, which are conducive to improving photovoltaic power generation gain and reducing power generation costs, and have broad development prospects, but are still in the early stage of industrialization due to high investment costs.
N-type single crystal batteries have the following advantages compared with P-type single crystal batteries:
(1) high efficiency: the photoelectric conversion efficiency of N-type components is usually higher than that of P-type components, especially under low irradiation conditions.
(2)low temperature coefficient: the temperature coefficient of N-type components is low, can maintain relatively stable performance under high temperature conditions, suitable for application in hot areas.
(3) strong anti-light decay performance: N-type components have better anti-light decay performance and can maintain a high level of performance in long-term use.
The TopCon cell is a type of solar cell based on the selective carrier principle, also known as a tunneling oxidation passivation cell or i-TOPCon cell. Its working principle is based on the selective carrier principle, by adding a layer of silica on the surface of the cell, the cell can selectively pass through the electrons and block the hole, thus significantly improving the open circuit voltage and filling factor of the cell.
TopCon cell is characterized by high efficiency, long life, high temperature operation, low cost and other advantages. The structural design of the cell makes its open circuit voltage and filling factor significantly improve, so that the conversion efficiency of the cell is higher. At the same time, because of its long life, it can continue to work for decades. Moreover, this cell can work in a high temperature environment, improving the efficiency of the cell. Most importantly, the production cost of TopCon batteries is low, which is one of the reasons why it has received a lot of attention in the market.
（1）High efficiency: The open circuit voltage and fill factor of TopCon batteries have been significantly improved, making the cell more efficient to convert.
（2）Long life: TopCon batteries have a long life and can last for decades.
（3）High temperature operation: TopCon cell can work in a high temperature environment, improving the efficiency of the cell.