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

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
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.

Nanoimprint Photonic Crystal Film Enhanced Light-Trapping in a-Si Thin Film Solar Cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 110-116 ◽  
pp. 497-502
Author(s):  
Wei Ping Chu ◽  
Fuh Shyang Juang ◽  
Jian Shian Lin ◽  
Tien Chai Lin ◽  
Chen Wei Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Photonic Crystals ◽  
Current Density ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Short Circuit Current Density ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Uv Lamp

We utilize photonic crystals to enhanced lighttrapping in a-Si:H thin film solar cells. The photonic crystals effectively increase Haze ratio of glass and decrease reflectance of a-Si:H solar cells. Therefore, increase the photon path length to obtain maximum absorption of the absorber layer. The photonic crystals can effective in harvesting weakly absorbing photons with energies just above the band edge. We were spin coated UV glue on the glass, and then nanoimprint of photonic crystals pattern. Finally, used UV lamp was curing of UV glue on the glass. When the 45∘composite photonic crystals structures, the haze was increase to 87.9 %, resulting the short circuit current density and efficiency increasing to 13.96 mA/cm2 and 7.39 %, respectively. Because 45∘composite photonic crystals easy to focus on the point of light lead to the effect of scattering can’t achieve. So, we designs 90∘V-shaped photonic crystals structures to increase scattering. When the 90∘V-shaped photonic crystals structures, the Haze was increase to 93.9 %. Therefore, the short circuit current density and Efficiency increasing to 15.62 mA/cm2 and 8.09 %, respectively. We observed ~35 % enhancement of the short-circuit current density and ~31 % enhancement of the conversion efficiency.

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

2013 ◽  
Vol 737 ◽  
pp. 105-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riza Muhida ◽  
Toshihiko Toyama ◽  
Hiroaki Okamoto
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Surface Morphology ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Photovoltaic Performance ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Optical Absorption Coefficient ◽  
Root Mean Square Roughness ◽  
Textured Surface ◽  
Si Thin Film

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.

scholarly journals Enhanced Light Trapping in Thin Film Solar Cells Using a Plasmonic Fishnet Structure

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayan Seal ◽  
Vinay Budhraja ◽  
Liming Ji ◽  
Vasundara V. Varadan
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Wire Mesh ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Plasmonic Structures ◽  
Spacer Layer ◽  
High Absorption

Incorporating plasmonic structures into the back spacer layer of thin film solar cells (TFSCs) is an efficient way to improve their performance. The fishnet structure is used to enhance light trapping. Unlike other previously suggested discrete plasmonic particles, the fishnet is an electrically connected wire mesh that does not result in light field localization, which leads to high absorption losses. The design was verified experimentally. A silver fishnet structure was fabricated using electron beam lithography (EBL) and thermal evaporation. The final fabricated structure optically resembles a TFSC. The results predicted by numerical simulations were reproduced experimentally on a fabricated sample. We show that light absorption in the a-Si absorber layer is enhanced by a factor of 10.6 at the design wavelength of 690 nm due to the presence of the fishnet structure. Furthermore, the total absorption over all wavelengths was increased by a factor of 3.2. The short-circuit current of the TFSC was increased by 30% as a result of including the fishnet.

scholarly journals Optical developments for silicon thin film solar cells in the substrate configuration

2008 ◽  
Vol 1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Soderstrom ◽  
Franz-Joseph Haug ◽  
Xavier Niquille ◽  
Oscar Cubero ◽  
Stéphanie Perregaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Series Resistance ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Silicon Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Silicon Thin Film ◽  
Optical Behavior

AbstractIn the nip or substrate configuration thin film silicon solar cells, the choice of front TCO contact is critical because there is a trade off between its transparency which influences the current in the solar cell and its conductivity which influences the series resistance. Here, we investigate the optical behavior of two different TCO front contacts, either a 70 nm thick, nominally flat ITO or a 2 μm thick rough LPCVD ZnO. The back contact consists of LP-CVD ZnO with random texture. First we investigate the influence of the rough and flat front TCOs in μc-Si:H and a-Si:H solar cells. With the back contact geometries used in this work, the antireflection properties of ITO are effective at providing as much light trapping as the rough LP-CVD ZnO. In the second part, we demonstrate that total of 25 to 26 mA/cm2is achievable in nip micromorph tandem cells and show short circuit current up to 11.7 mA/cm2 using an SIO based intermediate reflector.

Influence of back contact roughness on light trapping and plasmonic losses of randomly textured amorphous silicon thin film solar cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 102 (8) ◽  
pp. 083501 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Palanchoke ◽  
V. Jovanov ◽  
H. Kurz ◽  
R. Dewan ◽  
P. Magnus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Silicon Thin Film

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

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.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 401-408 ◽  
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

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

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.

Improvement of light trapping in thin-film silicon solar cells by combining periodic and random interfaces

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 888-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Bittkau ◽  
A. Hoffmann ◽  
R. Carius
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Light Trapping ◽  
Diffraction Theory ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Trapping Efficiency ◽  
Silicon Solar Cells ◽  
Back Contact ◽  
Scalar Scattering ◽  
Random Interfaces

The concept of photonic random textures for application as a light-trapping scheme in thin-film solar cells is introduced. Those textures consist of a randomly textured interface, as commonly applied in thin-film solar cells, which is superimposed with a two-dimensional grating structure. The light-scattering properties of those textures are investigated by scalar scattering theory for transmission into the absorber layer and reflection at the back contact. A quantity to describe the light-trapping efficiency is derived and verified by rigorous diffraction theory. The photonic random textures outperform the random textures and the grating structures significantly.

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