Wookjin Choi, a Ph. D candidate in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has received the Best Student Paper Award in the area of silicon materials and devices at the prestigious 49th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference (PVSC). PVSC is the signature event in the solar power technology and the market sector where over 2,000 scientists and engineers at the forefront of photovoltaic research and development gather.

Choi is part of ECE’s University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics, led by his Ph.D. advisor Ajeet Rohatgi. His award-winning paper, “Development of a Co-anneal Process for Double TOPCon Precursor Fabricated by Ex-situ POCI and APCVD Boron Diffusion,” discusses a novel cell design and fabrication method to make next-generation, low-cost, high-efficiency Silicon solar cells. This method utilizes Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contacts (TOPCON) technology to reduce diffusion and metal-induced recombinations in silicon solar cells to significantly enhance their efficiency. The approach can make solar electricity two times cheaper than fossil fuels.

“Solar technology is fascinating not only because it converts the photon to an electron, but because it [benefits the environment],” said Choi. “This award made my mission to fight the climate crises much stronger. My future research work will continue to align with this global decarbonization movement.”

The Best Student Presentation Award recognizes outstanding work by students in various technical areas. In addition to judging the technical content of the student’s work, oral presentations and the student’s role in the work are assessed.

This year’s PVSC was held in Philadelphia from June 5-10. The conference is divided into 12 areas covering cutting-edge developments in the science and engineering of photovoltaics, spanning from fundamentals to applications, emphasizing material science, devices, systems, solar resources, and policy-related matters.