Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-x5cpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-31T08:53:19.386Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Novel Poly-Si Solar Cell using Grain Boundary Etching Treatment and Transparent Conducting Oxide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Dong Gun Lim
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-746, Korea
Wook Jae Lee
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-746, Korea
Junsin Yi
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University 300 Chunchun-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-746, Korea
Get access

Abstract

This paper deals with a novel structure of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) solar cell for terrestrial applications. Grain boundary (GB) in poly-Si degrades a conversion efficiency of poly-Si solar cell. To reduce the GB side-effect, we investigated various parameters such as the preferential GB etch, etchtime, ITO electrode, heat treatment, and emitter layer effect. Among various preferential etchants such as Sirtl, Yang, Secco, and Schimmel, a Schimmel etchant illustrated an excellent preferential etching property. We observed a 10μm deep trench along grain boundaries and randomly textured grain surface with pyramid structure. We used rf magnetron sputter grown tin doped indium oxide (ITO) film as a top contact metal. ITO films showed a resistivity of 1.14 ×10-4 Ω-cm and transmittance of 90.5% for the wavelength of 594 nm. ITO films served as a top electrode as well as an effective AR coating layer. ITO film properties were strongly influenced by the preparation temperatures. Substrate temperature of 400oC gave the highest conversion efficiency of poly-Si solar cell. With well-fabricated poly-Si solar cells, we were able to achieve conversion efficiency as high as 16% at the input power of 20 mW/cm2.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Wang, A., Zhao, J., and Green, M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 602 ((1990).Google Scholar
[2] Rath, J. K., Meiling, H., and Schropp, R. E. I., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 36, 5436 ((1997).Google Scholar
[3] Yi, J., Kim, S. S., and Lim, D. G., J. Korean Phys. Soc. 30, s245 (1997).Google Scholar
[4] Joshi, D. P., Solid-State Electronics 29, 19 ((1986).Google Scholar
[5] Dutta, J. and Ray, S., Thin Solid Films 162, 119 ((1988).Google Scholar
[6] Chopra, K. L., Major, S., and Pandya, D. K., Thin Solid Films 102, 21 ((1983).10.1016/0040-6090(83)90256-0Google Scholar
[7] Schimmel, D. G., J. Electrochem. Soc.: Solid-State Sci. and Tech. 126, 479 ((1979).Google Scholar
[8] Hartnagel, H. L., Dawar, A. L., Jain, A. K., and Jagadish, C., Semiconducting Transparent Thin Films, (Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, 1995), p. 91.Google Scholar
[9] Kanicki, J., Amorphous and Microcrystalline Semiconductor Deivices: Material and Device Physics, (Artech House, Boston, 1992), p. 6.Google Scholar
[10] Nubile, P, Thin Solid Films, 342, 257 ((1999).Google Scholar
[11] Ebong, A. U., Kim, S. D., and Lee, S. H., J. Korean Phys. Soc. 29, 239 ((1996).Google Scholar