Influence of Surface Morphology of Textured Substrate against Poly-Si Thin Film Solar Cells Performance

Since poly-Si is an indirect band gap material and has low optical absorption coefficient in the visible-infrared region, the light trapping in thin film poly-Si layer by using textured substrate is one of the important technical issue for achievement of high short current. Surface texture of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer on a glass substrate as well as SnO2 with a large grain are usually utilized for the light-trapping technique, i.e., path lengths of the incident light in the poly-Si layer are effectively enhanced by the light-scattering at the textured surface. In this paper, a systematic investigation has been carried out concerning the relationship between poly-Si thin film solar cells performance and surface morphology of substrate texture as a function of root mean square roughness of substrate surface, in order to find the optimum textured substrate and realize the light trapping in the poly-Si solar cells. Furthermore, the influence of textured substrate on optical reflectance, poly-Si microstructure and photovoltaic performance are also discussed.

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A novel light trapping concept for liquid phase crystallized poly-Si thin-film solar cells on periodically nanoimprinted glass substrates

10.1117/12.2023989 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

V. Preidel ◽

D. Amkreutz ◽

T. Sontheimer ◽

F. Back ◽

E. Rudigier-Voigt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Liquid Phase ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Glass Substrates ◽

Si Thin Film

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Enhancing Light-Trapping Properties of Amorphous Si Thin-Film Solar Cells Containing High-Reflective Silver Conductors Fabricated Using a Nonvacuum Process

International Journal of Photoenergy ◽

10.1155/2014/627127 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jun-Chin Liu ◽

Chen-Cheng Lin ◽

Yu-Hung Chen ◽

Chien-Liang Wu ◽

Chia-Ming Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

High Performance ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Short Circuit ◽

Wavelength Region ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Vacuum System ◽

Back Contact ◽

Si Thin Film

We proposed a low-cost and highly reflective liquid organic sheet silver conductor using back contact reflectors in amorphous silicon (a-Si) single junction superstrate configuration thin-film solar cells produced using a nonvacuum screen printing process. A comparison of silver conductor samples with vacuum-system-sputtered silver samples indicated that the short-circuit current density (Jsc) of sheet silver conductor cells was higher than 1.25 mA/cm2. Using external quantum efficiency measurements, the sheet silver conductor using back contact reflectors in cells was observed to effectively enhance the light-trapping ability in a long wavelength region (between 600 nm and 800 nm). Consequently, we achieved an optimal initial active area efficiency and module conversion efficiency of 9.02% and 6.55%, respectively, for the a-Si solar cells. The results indicated that the highly reflective sheet silver conductor back contact reflector layer prepared using a nonvacuum process is a suitable candidate for high-performance a-Si thin-film solar cells.

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Analysis of Poly-Si Thin Film Solar Cells by IR-LBIC

ISTFA 2009: Conference Proceedings from the 35th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis ◽

10.31399/asm.cp.istfa2009p0157 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

M. Boostandoost ◽

H.-P. Lin ◽

U. Kerst ◽

C. Boit ◽

S. Gall

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Infrared Light ◽

Active Volume ◽

Mesa Structure ◽

Carrier Collection ◽

Silicon Based ◽

Si Thin Film

Abstract The carrier collection properties of polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin film solar cells on glass with interdigitated mesa structure have been locally analysed with Infrared Light Beam Induced Current (IR-LBIC) and compared to LBIC measurements using visible light. The low absorption of IR light leads to a low current level when the light is coupled vertically into the active volume. An enhanced carrier collection has been detected at the corners of the mesa because the etch allows to couple the light horizontally into the solar cell, This investigation shows that IR-LBIC is sensitive to light trapping structures in silicon based thin film solar cells.

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Management of light trapping capability of AZO film for Si thin film solar cells-via tailoring surface texture

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells ◽

10.1016/j.solmat.2018.01.036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 179 ◽

pp. 401-408 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yanfeng Wang ◽

Jianmin Song ◽

Lisha Bai ◽

Fu Yang ◽

Bing Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Surface Texture ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Si Thin Film

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Absorption enhancement in a-Si thin-film solar cells based on silver nanopillar arrays

Microelectronics International ◽

10.1108/mi-09-2017-0044 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 211-214

Author(s):

Boyang Qu ◽

Peng Zhang ◽

Jianmin Luo ◽

Shie Yang ◽

Yongsheng Chen

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Solar Cell ◽

Thin Film Solar Cell ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Thin Film Solar Cells ◽

Absorption Enhancement ◽

Content Type ◽

Si Thin Film ◽

Nanopillar Arrays

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a light-trapping structure based on Ag nanograting for amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cell. Silver nanopillar arrays on indium tin oxide layer of the a-Si thin-film solar cells were designed. Design/methodology/approach The effects of the geometrical parameters such as nanopillar radius (R) and array period (P) were investigated by using the finite element simulation. Findings The optimization results show that the absorption of the solar cell with Ag nanopillar structure and anti-reflection film is enhanced up to 29.5 per cent under AM1.5 illumination in the 300- to 800-nm wavelength range compared with the reference cell. Furthermore, physical mechanisms of absorption enhancement at different wavelength range are discussed according to the electrical field amplitude distributions in the solar cells. Research limitations/implications The research is still in progress. Further studies mainly focus on the performance of solar cells with different nanograting materials. Practical implications This study provides a feasible method for light-trapping structure based on Ag nanograting for a-Si thin-film solar cell. Originality/value This study is promising for the design of a-Si thin-film solar cells with enhanced performance.

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