An N-type TOPCon solar cell installed in a PV module looks exactly like a PERC cell. Both P-type and N-type solar cells are made from a silicon wafer. The difference between them lies in the way the wafers are doped with chemicals to improve power generation.
PERC technology is a cost-effective compromise between efficiency and mass production. The P-type modules commonly used today achieve an efficiency of around 21.4 %.
In short, P-type cells are doped with boron, while N-type cells are doped with phosphorus. In comparison, phosphorus degrades less quickly than boron when exposed to oxygen. In addition, phosphorus doping adds free electrons to the wafer, which increases efficiency. N-type modules can therefore achieve higher efficiencies.
The current efficiency levels for Tenka N-Type TOPCon and N-Type Back Contact panels are even higher than 24 percent.
The only drawback is that the N-type production process is still more expensive than the P-type.
