Use of Transparent Conductive Oxide Materials with Low Indices of Refraction in Amorphous Silicon-Based Solar Cell Technology

2005 ◽  
Vol 862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott J. Jones ◽  
Joachim Doehler ◽  
Tongyu Liu ◽  
David Tsu ◽  
Jeff Steele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Transparent Conductive Oxide ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Back Reflectors ◽  
Stability Issues ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Solar Cell Technology

AbstractNew types of transparent conductive oxides with low indices of refraction have been developed for use in optical stacks for the amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cell and other thin film applications. The alloys are ZnO based with Si and MgF added to reduce the index of the materials through the creation of SiO2 or MgF2, with n=1.3-1.4, or the addition of voids in the materials. Alloys with 12-14% Si or Mg have indices of refraction at λ=800nm between 1.6 and 1.7. These materials are presently being used in optical stacks to enhance light scattering by Al/multi-layer/ZnO back reflectors in a-Si based solar cells to increase light absorption in the semiconductor layers and increase open circuit currents and boost device efficiencies. In contrast to Ag/ZnO back reflectors which have long term stability issues due to electromigration of Ag, these Al based back reflectors should be stable and usable in manufactured PV products. In this manuscript, structural properties for the materials will be reported as well as the performance of solar cell devices made using these new types of materials.

Development of transparent conductive oxide materials for improved back reflector performance for amorphous silicon based solar cells

2004 ◽  
Vol 808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott J. Jones ◽  
David Tsu ◽  
Tongyu Liu ◽  
Jeff Steele ◽  
Rey Capangpangan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cell ◽  
Structural Analysis ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Transparent Conductive Oxide ◽  
Oxide Materials ◽  
Conductive Oxide ◽  
Back Reflector ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Conversion Efficiencies ◽  
Substrate Temperatures

ABSTRACTA new back reflector comprised of an Al/(multi-layered stack)/ZnO structure is being developed to replace Al/ZnO used in manufacturing and boost conversion efficiencies with improved back reflector performance. Use of the multi-layered stack should lead to improved reflectivity which will in turn improve solar cell currents and efficiencies. The results from studies of different transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) which comprise the multi-layered stack are reported with emphasis on ZnO alloys. Alloying with Si or MgF2 and using moderately high substrate temperatures, TCOs with low indices of refraction between 1.6 and 1.7 have been fabricated. The Si, Mg and F contents for these alloys were near 14, 12 and 33 at.%. Structural analysis demonstrates that alloys with MgF2 have smother surfaces and finer morphologies than those for ZnO. The expected high values for multi-layered structures with these alloys have yet to be achieved but this is likely due to properties of layers in the structure other than the ZnO alloys which have yet to be fully optimized.

Novel Micro-Photodiodes for Retina Stimulation

2000 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rojahn ◽  
M.B. Schubert
Keyword(s):  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
In Vitro Tests ◽  
Buffer Solution ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Current Voltage

ABSTRACTWe present a new design of micro-photodiodes for in-vitro tests to electrically stimulate the ganglion cells of chicken and rat retinae upon light exposure of the photodiodes. Based on amorphous silicon, our laterally series connected double-stacked micro-photodiodes provide an open circuit voltage of 2.3 volts. Photolithographic steps as well as etching procedures for patterning the back contact, the amorphous silicon layers and the front contact are described. We analyse current- voltage-measurements performed with direct contact of the metal needles of a micro-positioning system to the device's electrodes. In order to test the performance of an individual micro-photodiode in an electrolyte environment, the stimulation electrode of the device is also contacted with a micro-droplet of buffer solution. Further improvement is needed, mainly addressing the problem of long-term stability of the device in electrolyte environments.

Advances In High-Efficiency, Multiple-Gap, Multijunction Amorphous Silicon-Based Alloy Thin-Film Solar Cells

1989 ◽  
Vol 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Guha
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Alloy Thin Film ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Made In

ABSTRACTIt is now well-recognized that multijunction, multi-gap amorphous silicon-based alloy solar cells offer the attractive advantage of obtaining high efficiency with good long-term stability. In this paper we review the progress made in this field. Research directions to further improve the efficiency are discussed.

17.8%-efficient Amorphous Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells on p-type Silicon Wafers

2006 ◽  
Vol 910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Matt P. Page ◽  
Eugene Iwancizko ◽  
Yueqin Xu ◽  
Yanfa Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Layer Growth ◽  
Surface Recombination Velocity ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
P Type

AbstractWe have achieved an independently-confirmed 17.8% conversion efficiency in a 1-cm2, p-type, float-zone silicon (FZ-Si) based heterojunction solar cell. Both the front emitter and back contact are hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). This is the highest reported efficiency for a HWCVD silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell. Two main improvements lead to our most recent increases in efficiency: 1) the use of textured Si wafers, and 2) the application of a-Si:H heterojunctions on both sides of the cell. Despite the use of textured c-Si to increase the short-circuit current, we were able to maintain the same 0.65 V open-circuit voltage as on flat c-Si. This is achieved by coating a-Si:H conformally on the c-Si surfaces, including covering the tips of the anisotropically-etched pyramids. A brief atomic H treatment before emitter deposition is not necessary on the textured wafers, though it was helpful in the flat wafers. It is essential to high efficiency SHJ solar cells that the emitter grows abruptly as amorphous silicon, instead of as microcrystalline or epitaxial Si. The contact on each side of the cell comprises a thin (< 5 nm) low substrate temperature (~100°C) intrinsic a-Si:H layer, followed by a doped layer. Our intrinsic layers are deposited at 0.3-1.2 nm/s. The doped emitter and back-contact layers were deposited at a higher temperature (>200°C) and grown from PH3/SiH4/H2 and B2H6/SiH4/H2 doping gas mixtures, respectively. This combination of low (intrinsic) and high (doped layer) growth temperatures was optimized by lifetime and surface recombination velocity measurements. Our rapid efficiency advance suggests that HWCVD may have advantages over plasma-enhanced (PE) CVD in fabrication of high-efficiency heterojunction c-Si cells; there is no need for process optimization to avoid plasma damage to the delicate, high-quality, Si wafers.

scholarly journals High-performance hole conductor-free perovskite solar cell using a carbon nanotube counter electrode

RSC Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (59) ◽  
pp. 35831-35839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa K. A. Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Counter Electrode ◽  
Perovskite Solar Cells ◽  
Perovskite Solar Cell ◽  
Manufacturing Cost ◽  
Long Term Stability

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) are the most promising photovoltaic (PV) due to their low material and manufacturing cost and superior long-term stability.

scholarly journals Numerical Design of Ultrathin Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon-Based Solar Cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
F. X. Abomo Abega ◽  
A. Teyou Ngoupo ◽  
J. M. B. Ndjaka
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Buffer Layer ◽  
Defect Density ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hydrogenated Amorphous

Numerical modelling is used to confirm experimental and theoretical work. The aim of this work is to present how to simulate ultrathin hydrogenated amorphous silicon- (a-Si:H-) based solar cells with a ITO BRL in their architectures. The results obtained in this study come from SCAPS-1D software. In the first step, the comparison between the J-V characteristics of simulation and experiment of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell is in agreement. Secondly, to explore the impact of certain properties of the solar cell, investigations focus on the study of the influence of the intrinsic layer and the buffer layer/absorber interface on the electrical parameters ( J SC , V OC , FF, and η ). The increase of the intrinsic layer thickness improves performance, while the bulk defect density of the intrinsic layer and the surface defect density of the buffer layer/ i -(a-Si:H) interface, respectively, in the ranges [109 cm-3, 1015 cm-3] and [1010 cm-2, 5 × 10 13  cm-2], do not affect the performance of the ultrathin a-Si:H-based solar cell. Analysis also shows that with approximately 1 μm thickness of the intrinsic layer, the optimum conversion efficiency is 12.71% ( J SC = 18.95   mA · c m − 2 , V OC = 0.973   V , and FF = 68.95 % ). This work presents a contribution to improving the performance of a-Si-based solar cells.

Amorphous Silicon based Solar Cell Technologies: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

2004 ◽  
Vol 808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeewa R. Arya
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell ◽  
Building Integrated Photovoltaic ◽  
Photovoltaic Applications ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Module Development ◽  
Silicon Based ◽  
Conversion Efficiencies

ABSTRACTAdvances in amorphous silicon solar cell and module development over the past two decades has led to widespread commercial application in consumer and building integrated photovoltaic applications (BIPV). The technology has taken two pathways: (i) superstrate and (ii) substrate. Both pathways have unique advantages over crystalline modules and have demonstrated promising stability and reliability with continuous improvement in performance. Multi-junction modules with amorphous and microcrystalline silicon have demonstrated initial conversion efficiencies in the range of 13%-13.5%.

Silicon-Based Solar Cell Fabricated by Metal-Induced Lateral Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon Film

2006 ◽  
Vol 45 (10A) ◽  
pp. 7675-7676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Dar Hwang ◽  
Tzu-Yi Chi ◽  
Jun-Chin Liu ◽  
Chung-Yuan Kung ◽  
In-Cha Hsein
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cell ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Silicon Film ◽  
Amorphous Silicon Film ◽  
Lateral Crystallization ◽  
Silicon Based
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