A Study of Back Electrode Stacked With Low Cost Reflective Layers For High-Efficiency Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cell

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsung-Wei Chang ◽  
Chao-Te Liu ◽  
Wen-Hsi Lee ◽  
Yu-Jen Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Visible Region ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Solid Content ◽  
Thin Film Silicon

In this study, commercially available white paint is used as a pigmented dielectric reflector (PDR) in the fabrication of a low-cost back electrode stack with an Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer for thin-film silicon solar cell applications. An initial AZO film was deposited by the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. In order to obtain the highest transmittance and lowest resistivity of AZO film, process parameters such as sputtering power and substrate temperature were investigated. The optimal 100-nm-thick AZO film with low resistivity and high transmittance in the visible region are 6.4 × 10−3 Ω·cm and above 80%, respectively. Using glue-like white paint doped withTiO2 nanoparticles as the PDR enhances the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of a microcrystalline silicon absorptive layer owing to the doped white particles improving Fabry–Pérot interference (FPI), which raises reflectance and scattering ability. To realize the cost down requirement, decreasing the noble metal film thickness such as a 30-nm-thick silver reflector film, and a small doping particle diameter (D50 = 135 nm) and a high solid content (20%) lead to FPI improvement and a great EQE, which is attributed to improved scattering and reflectivity because of optimum diameter (Dopt) and thicker PDR film. The results indicate that white paint can be used as a reflector coating in low-cost back-electrode structures in high-performance electronics.

A Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cell: Design and Processing Approach

1997 ◽  
Vol 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhushan L. Sopori ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Jamal Madjdpour ◽  
Marta Symko
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Device Structure ◽  
New Device ◽  
Thin Film Silicon ◽  
A Cell

AbstractWe present a new device structure for a high efficiency, thin-film, silicon solar cell. A preliminary design and an approach for fabrication of such a cell are discussed. The cell structure uses interface texturing and a back surface reflector for effective light trapping. A theoretical analysis is applied to determine the major parameters of the cell. These analyses indicate that a cell efficiency of about 18% is attainable with a Si film thickness of 10–15 μm, and grain size of about 50 μm. A method for making a large-grain thin cell is proposed.

Advanced, Thin, Polycrystalline Silicon-Film™ Solar Cells on Low-Cost Substrates

1996 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Hall ◽  
Allen M. Barnett ◽  
Jeff E. Cotter ◽  
David H. Ford ◽  
Alan E. Ingram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Silicon Film ◽  
Silicon Layer ◽  
Thin Polycrystalline

AbstractThin, polycrystalline silicon solar cells have the potential for the realization of a 15%, lowcost photovoltaic product. As a photovoltaic material, polycrystalline material is abundant, benign, and electrically stable. The thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cell design achieves high efficiency by incorporating techniques to enhance optical absorption, ensure electrical confinement, and minimize bulk recombination currents. AstroPower's approach to a thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cell technology is based on the Silicon-Film™ process, a continuous sheet manufacturing process for the growth of thin films of polycrystalline silicon on low-cost substrates. A new barrier layer and substrate have been developed for advanced solar cell designs. External gettering with phosphorus has been employed to effect significant improvements leading to effective minority carrier diffusion lengths greater than 250 micrometers in the active silicon layer. Light trapping has been observed in 60-micrometer thick films of silicon grown on the new barrier-coated substrate. An efficiency of 12.2% in a 0.659 cm2 solar cell has been achieved with the advanced structure.

A high efficiency thin film silicon solar cell and module

Solar Energy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 939-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Yamamoto ◽  
Akihiko Nakajima ◽  
Masashi Yoshimi ◽  
Toru Sawada ◽  
Susumu Fukuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Thin Film Silicon

scholarly journals Thin-Film Silicon PV Technology

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 271-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Zeman
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Thin Film Silicon ◽  
Cell Structures ◽  
Solar Electricity ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Photovoltaic Technologies ◽  
Near Future

Thin-Film Silicon PV TechnologyThin-film silicon solar cell technology is one of the promising photovoltaic technologies for delivering low-cost solar electricity. Today the thin-film silicon PV market (402MWpproduced in 2008) is dominated by amorphous silicon based modules; however it is expected that the tandem amorphous/microcrystalline silicon modules will take over in near future. Solar cell structures based on thin-film silicon for obtaining high efficiency are presented. In order to increase the absorption in thin absorber layers novel approaches for photon management are developed. Module production and application areas are described.

Single to multi-scale texturing for high efficiency micromorph thin film silicon solar cell

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Boccard ◽  
Peter Cuony ◽  
Corsin Battaglia ◽  
Simon Hanni ◽  
Sylvain Nicolay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Thin Film Silicon

High Haze and Low Resistive MgO/AZO Bi-layer Transparent Conducting Oxide for Thin Film Solar Cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Won Kang ◽  
Jong Seok Woo ◽  
Sung Hwan Choi ◽  
Seung Yoon Lee ◽  
Heon Min. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
Transparent Conducting Oxide ◽  
Visible Region ◽  
Xrd Analysis ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Transparent Conducting

ABSTRACTWe have propsed MgO/AZO bi-layer transparent conducting oxide (TCO) for thin film solar cells. From XRD analysis, it was observed that the full width at half maximum of AZO decreased when it was grown on MgO precursor. The Hall mobility of MgO/AZO bi-layer was 17.5cm2/Vs, whereas that of AZO was 20.8cm2/Vs. These indicated that the crystallinity of AZO decreased by employing MgO precursor. However, the haze (=total diffusive transmittance/total transmittance) characteristics of highly crystalline AZO was significantly improved by MgO precursor. The average haze in the visible region increased from 14.3 to 48.2%, and that in the NIR region increased from 6.3 to 18.9%. The reflectance of microcrystalline silicon solar cell was decreased and external quantum efficiency was significantly improved by applying MgO/AZO bi-layer TCO. The efficiency of microcrystalline silicon solar cell with MgO/AZO bi-layer front TCO was 6.66%, whereas the efficiency of one with AZO single TCO was 5.19%.

Case study of failure analysis in thin film silicon solar cell

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 1800-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mello ◽  
R. Ricciari ◽  
A. Battaglia ◽  
M. Foti ◽  
C. Gerardi
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
Thin Film Silicon
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