Scientists at the University of New South Wales have developed a copper plating technique to address contaminant-induced degradation in TOPCon solar cells. Their study, published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, highlights that front-side metallization of TOPCon cells is prone to corrosion during damp-heat testing. Applying Cu plating to screen-printed TOPCon cells, using silver paste with up to 3% aluminum, has improved performance by increasing the fill factor and reducing reliance on silver, lowering material costs. Reliability tests involved NaCl as a contaminant and 6 hours of damp-heat exposure. Cu-plated cells showed an ∼11.5% relative efficiency loss compared to ∼80% in unplated cells, with improved corrosion resistance from a denser contact structure. This technique enhances TOPCon cell stability, longevity, and cost-efficiency, advancing photovoltaic technology adoption.