TechnicalUp to date · Jan 15, 2026
Selective Emitter
A solar cell manufacturing technique that creates heavily doped regions under metal contacts and lightly doped regions elsewhere, improving both conductivity and light absorption.
Why It Matters
Selective emitter technology adds 0.3-0.5% absolute efficiency to solar cells. It is standard in modern PERC and TOPCon cells.
Related Terms
PERC Cell (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact)
A silicon solar cell design that adds a passivation layer to the rear surface, reducing electron recombination and boosting efficiency to 21-23%. Formerly the industry standard.
TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact)
An advanced silicon solar cell architecture that adds an ultra-thin oxide layer and doped polysilicon to reduce electron recombination at the contacts, improving efficiency to 24-26%.