Development of High Efficiency Thin Film Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells using Vest Process

1997 ◽  
Vol 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Ishihara ◽  
S. Arimoto ◽  
H. Morikawa ◽  
Y. Nishimoto ◽  
Y. Kawama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Front Surface ◽  
Zone Melting ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Hydrogen Implantation ◽  
Si Films

AbstractThin film Si solar cell has been developed using Via-hole Etching for the Separation of Thin films(VEST) process. The process is based on SOI technology of zone-melting recrystallization (ZMR) followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), separation of thin film, and screen printing. Key points for achieving high efficiency are (1)quality of Si films, (2)back surface emitter (BSE), (3)front surface emitter etch-back process, (4)back surface field (BSF) layer thickness and its resistivity, and (5)defect passivation by hydrogen implantation. As a result of experiments, we have achieved 16% efficiency(Voc:0.589V, Jsc:35.6mA/cm2, F.E:0.763) with a cell size of 95.8cm2 and the thickness of 77μm. It is the highest efficiency ever reported for large area thin film Si solar cells.

Development of high-efficiency thin-film Si solar cells using zone-melting recrystallization

2001 ◽  
Vol 65 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 261-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Morikawa ◽  
Y Kawama ◽  
Y Matsuno ◽  
S Hamamoto ◽  
K Imada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Zone Melting ◽  
Si Solar Cells

CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cells

MRS Bulletin ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 45-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suntola
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Cadmium Telluride ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Cdte Thin Film ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Cell Structures

Cadmium telluride is currently the most promising material for high efficiency, low-cost thin-film solar cells. Cadmium telluride is a compound semiconductor with an ideal 1.45 eV bandgap for direct light-to-electricity conversion. The light absorption coefficient of CdTe is high enough to make a one-micrometer-thick layer of material absorb over 99% of the visible light. Processing homogenous polycrystalline thin films seems to be less critical for CdTe than for many other compound semiconductors. The best small-area CdTe thin-film cells manufactured show more than 15% conversion efficiency. Large-area modules with aperture efficiencies in excess of 10% have also been demonstrated. The long-term stability of CdTe solar cell structures is not known in detail or in the necessary time span. Indication of good stability has been demonstrated. One of the concerns about CdTe solar cells is the presence of cadmium which is an environmentally hazardous material.

High-Efficiency, Thin-Film GaAs Solar Cells

1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Zwerdling ◽  
K. L. Wang ◽  
Y. C. M. Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Weight Ratio ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Oxide Semiconductor ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Coated Metal ◽  
Cvd Growth ◽  
First Time

The present research is directed toward demonstrating the feasibility of producing high-efficiency GaAs solar cells with high power-to-weight ratio by organo-metallic chemical vapor deposition (OM-CVD) growth of thin epi-layers on suitable substrates. Antireflection-coated, metal-oxide-semiconductor (AMOS), GaAs solar cells grown on bulk polycrystalline Ge substrates were initially studied, with the best efficiency achieved being about 9 percent AM1 (7 percent AM0). Subsequently, a new direct deposition method for fabricating ultra-thin top layer, epitaxial n+ /p shallow homojunction solar cells on (100) GaAs substrates (without anodic thinning) was developed by means of which large area (1 cm2) cells were produced with about 19 percent AM1 (15 percent AM0) conversion efficiency. An AM1 conversion efficiency of about 18 percent (14 percent AM0), or about 17 percent (13 percent AM0) with 5 percent grid coverage, was achieved for a single-crystal, GaAs, n+ /p cell grown by OM-CVD on a Ge wafer. These achievements led to the fabrication, for the first time, of thin GaAs epi-layers OM-CVD grown with good crystallographic quality, using a (100) Si-substrate on which a thin Ge epi-interlayer was first deposited by CVD from GeH4 and processed for improved surface morphology.

Numerical modeling of CdTe solar cells thin film investigation by using PC1D model

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assiya Haddout ◽  
Abderrahim Raidou ◽  
Mounir Fahoume
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Solar Cell ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Photovoltaic Cell ◽  
Experimental Result ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Content Type ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Cdte Solar Cell

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of individual layers of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell. Design/methodology/approach To improve the performances of CdTe thin-film solar cells, the thickness of CdTe and cadmium sulfide (CdS) have been modified separately. High-efficiency ultra-thin CdTe solar cell with ZnTe layer as back surface field (BSF) was achieved. The CdTe solar cell is under AM1.5 g illumination using a one-dimensional (1-D) model, i.e. personal computer one dimensional (PC1D). Findings The highest conversion efficiency of about 15.3 per cent was achieved for ultrathin CdTe solar cell with a ZnTe BSF layer. The results of simulation were compared with experimental and analytical results by other researchers. Originality/value In this paper, according to the authors’ knowledge ZnO:Al/CdS/CdTe/ZnTe is simulated by PC1D model for the first time and is compared with experimental result (ZnO:Al/CdS/CdTe). The results show a suitable performance.

scholarly journals Performance Improvement of Microcrystalline p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si Thin Film Solar Cells by Using Laser-Assisted Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Hsin-Ying Lee ◽  
Ting-Chun Wang ◽  
Chun-Yen Tseng
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Laser Power ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Si Films ◽  
Si Thin Film

The microcrystalline p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si thin film solar cells treated with hydrogen plasma were fabricated at low temperature using a CO2laser-assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (LAPECVD) system. According to the micro-Raman results, the i-Si films shifted from 482 cm−1to 512 cm−1as the assisting laser power increased from 0 W to 80 W, which indicated a gradual transformation from amorphous to crystalline Si. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, the microcrystalline i-Si films with (111), (220), and (311) diffraction were obtained. Compared with the Si-based thin film solar cells deposited without laser assistance, the short-circuit current density and the power conversion efficiency of the solar cells with assisting laser power of 80 W were improved from 14.38 mA/cm2to 18.16 mA/cm2and from 6.89% to 8.58%, respectively.

scholarly journals Thin film solar cells on glass by transfer of monocrystalline Si films

1999 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Bergmann ◽  
T. J. Rinke ◽  
R. M. Hausner ◽  
M. Grauvogl ◽  
M. Vetter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Surface Recombination ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Thin Film Solar Cells ◽  
Device Processing ◽  
Cell Conversion ◽  
Si Films ◽  
Si Wafer

Thin film solar cells based on monocrystalline Si films are transferred to a glass superstrate. Chemical vapor deposition serves to epitaxially deposit Si on quasi-monocrystalline Si films obtained from thermal crystallization of a double layer porous Si film on a Si wafer. A separation layer that forms during this crystallization process allows one to separate the epitaxial layer on top of the quasi-monocrystalline film from the starting Si wafer. We presently achieve an independently confirmed solar cell conversion efficiency of 9:26%. Ray tracing studies in combination with electrical device simulation indicate an efficiency potential of around 17% using simple device processing and moderate assumptions on minority carrier lifetime and surface recombination.

Broadband Absorption Enhancement in Thin Film Solar Cells Using Inverse Optimization of Light Trapping Mechanisms

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shima Hajimirza ◽  
Alex Heltzel ◽  
John Howell
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Absorption Spectrum ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Indium Tin Oxide ◽  
Rear Surface ◽  
Front Surface ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Absorption Enhancement ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Metallic Gratings

In this paper, global optimization techniques are used to design broadband solar absorption enhancement in thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells, using periodic nanostructures on the top and bottom surfaces of the cell. Considering a combination of silver rectangular gratings and indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings on both surfaces of the a-Si, numerical optimization techniques such as Simulated Annealing and a local constrained Quasi-Newton algorithm are used to optimize the surface texture patterns. Numerical results indicate that, unlike the case of metallic gratings on the front surface, a periodic silver grating structure on the back surface results in a modification of the absorption spectrum largely independent of the effect of anti-reflection ITO coatings on the front of the cell. Furthermore, additional improvement can be obtained by using a thin rear surface ITO layers. Therefore, using a combination of metallic gratings and ITO coatings on both sides, a wideband absorption spectrum enhancement is achievable. Simulations predict integrated enhancement factors as high as 2.0 (100% improvement) for the case of metallic grating on the back surface and ITO layers on the front, and as high as 2.2 (120% improvement) when a combination of grating and ITO coatings on both sides is used. Such noteworthy improvements are made possible by efficient multi-parameter optimization supplanting an intractable exhaustive search.

scholarly journals Simulation of CdTe, CIGS and CZTS Solar Cells using WxAMPS Software

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galib Hashmi ◽  
Md. Shawkot Hossain ◽  
Mohammad Junaebur Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Indium Tin Oxide ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Buffer Layers ◽  
Back Surface ◽  
Optical Parameters ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Tin Sulfide

Abstract Solar cells made of Cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) are currently the most widely studied thin film technologies.To increase the performance and for better understanding of the behavior of CdTe, CIGS and CZTS solar cell simulations have been performed using WxAMPS software. Moreover, all the solar cells have been simulated with different buffer layers and transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers such as Cadmium Sulphide (CdS), Zinc Sulphide (ZnS), Aluminum Zinc Oxide (AZO) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).Variations in the thickness and doping concentrations of TCO layers, buffer layers, and absorber layers have been done to test the performance of the solar cells.The effects of using a Back-Surface Reflector (BSR) layer made of Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) have also been studied.Furthermore, the simulation work is exceptional in this regard since all of the layers of CdTe, CIGS, and CZTS solar cells were modeled using optical parameters (absorption coefficients) from the literature. All the solar cell's open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc), maximum power (Pm), fill factor (FF), and photovoltaic efficiencies have been represented in this work. The simulation results may provide valuable insight in developing and better understanding of high-efficiency thin film solar cells.

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