Featured in Powering AI – 03-2026

Tackling TOPCon degradation

Tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules have achieved incredible market penetration in just a few years. As the industry tackles long-term degradation, scientists continue to identify new failure modes. Near the physical limits of silicon cell technology, even small defects can have major impacts. Researchers are now developing mitigation strategies, as Lior Kahana reports.
Lior Kahana
By
Lior Kahana
From left: Dr. Muhammed Umair Khan, Prof. Bram Hoex and Dr. Chandany Sen work together at UNSW on solar-cell reliability | Image: UNSW

TOPCon technology arrived fast, scaled faster, and is now everywhere. However, its rapid rise has left the industry scrambling to catch up on one critical issue: long-term reliability. TOPCon technology does not introduce entirely new problems, but efficiency limits mean that as silicon cells approach their physical maximum, even minor damage can have a significant …

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