Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gq7q9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-18T14:15:48.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Status of nc-Si:H Solar Cells at United Solar and Roadmap for Manufacturing a-Si:H and nc-Si:H Based Solar Panels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Baojie Yan ,
Guozhen Yue  and
Subhendu Guha
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
byan@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, Research and Development, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States, 248-519-5304, 248-632-4442
Guozhen Yue
Affiliation:
gyue@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
sguha@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States
Get access

Abstract

This paper reviews the research and development of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) solar cells at United Solar Ovonic LLC. We have been studying nc-Si:H solar cells since 2001 and have made significant progress. We have achieved an initial active-area cell efficiency of 15.1% using an a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H/nc-Si:H triple-junction structure, a stable active-area cell efficiency of 13.3% using an a-Si:H/nc-Si:H/nc-Si:H triple-junction structure, and a stable aperture-area (420 cm2) fully encapsulated module efficiency of 9.5% using an a-Si:H/nc-Si:H double-junction structure. Although the cell efficiencies with nc-Si:H in the middle and/or bottom cells have exceeded the corresponding efficiencies achieved using a-Si:H and a-SiGe:H, we still need to address several critical issues before using nc-Si:H in photovoltaic manufacturing plants. First, the cell efficiency needs to be improved further to show a clear advantage over the conventional a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H/a-SiGe:H triple-junction cell structure. Second, we need to increase the deposition rate further to make the nc-Si:H based technology more cost effective. Third, we need to develop a machine design to overcome the large-area uniformity issue, especially for very high frequency glow discharge deposition. Fourth, we need to qualify nc-Si:H based solar cell product, especially with respect to long term reliability. We have been addressing these critical issues, and will discuss the roadmap for manufacturing a-Si:H and nc-Si:H based solar panels using the roll-to-roll technology.

Keywords

photovoltaicnanostructureplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 989: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology-2007 , 2007 , 0989-A15-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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

1 Meier, J., Flückiger, R., Keppner, H., and Shah, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 860 (1994).Google Scholar
2 Shah, A., Dutta, J., Wyrsch, N., Prasad, K., Curtins, H., Finger, F., Howling, A., and Hollenstein, Ch., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 258, 15 (1992).Google Scholar
3 Meier, J., Torres, P., Platz, R., Dubail, S., Kroll, U., Selvan, J. A. Anna, Vaucher, N. Pellaton, Hof, Ch., Fischer, D., Keppner, H., Shah, A., Ufert, K.-D., Giannoulès, P., and Koehler, J., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 420, 3 (1996).Google Scholar
4 Guo, L., Kondo, M., Fukawa, M., Saitoh, K., and Matsuda, A., Jpan. J. Appl. Phys. Part 2 37, L1116 (1998).Google Scholar
5 Rech, B., Roschek, T., Müller, J., Wieder, S., and Wagner, H., Technical Digest of 11th PVSEC, Sapporo, Japan, 1999, p. 241.Google Scholar
6 Matsui, T., Matsuda, A., and Kondo, M., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 808, 557 (2004).Google Scholar
7 Mai, Y., Klein, S., Carius, R., Wolff, J., Lambertz, A., Finger, F., and Geng, X., J. Appl. Phys. 97, 114913 (2005).Google Scholar
8 Mai, Y., Klein, S., Carius, R., Sriebig, H., Geng, X., and Finger, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 073503 (2005).Google Scholar
9 Rath, J. K., Verkerk, A., Franken, R., Bommel, C. van, Werf, K. van der, Gordijn, A., and Schopp, R., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1473.Google Scholar
10 Yan, B., Yue, G., Owens, J. M., Yang, J., and Guha, S., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1477.Google Scholar
11 Yamamoto, K., Nakajima, A., Yoshimi, M., Sawada, T., Fukada, S., Suezaki, T., Ichikawa, M., Koi, Y., Goto, M., Meguro, T., Matsuda, T., Sasaki, T., and Tawada, Y., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1489.Google Scholar
12 Saito, K., Sano, M., Okabe, S., Sugiyama, S., and Ogawa, K., Solar. Energy Matter & Solar Cells 86, 565 (2005).Google Scholar
13 Yang, J., Banerjee, A., and Guha, S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 2975 (1997).Google Scholar
14 Banerjee, A., Yang, J., and Guha, S., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 557, 743 (1999).Google Scholar
15 Yan, B., Lord, K., Yang, J., Guha, S., Smeets, J., and Jacquet, J-M., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 715, 629 (2002).Google Scholar
16 Yan, B., Yue, G., Yang, J., Banerjee, A., and Guha, S., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 762, 309 (2003).Google Scholar
17 Yan, B., Yue, G., Yang, J., Lord, K., Banerjee, A., and Guha, S., Proc. of 3rd World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, May 11-18, 2003, Osaka, Japan, p. 2773 Google Scholar
18 Roschek, T., Repmann, T., Müller, J., Rech, B., and Wagner, H., Proc. of 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anchorage, AK, Sep. 15-22, 2000, (IEEE New York, 2000), p. 150.Google Scholar
19 Kočka, J., Jejfar, A.. Vorlĺček, V., Stuchlĺkova, H., and Stuchlĺk, J., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 557, 483 (1999).Google Scholar
20 Yan, B., Yue, G., Yang, J., Guha, S., Williamson, D. L., Han, D., and Jiang, C.-S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 1955 (2004).Google Scholar
21 Pawlikiewicz, A. and Guha, S., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 118, 599 (1988).Google Scholar
22 Yan, B., Yue, G., Owens, J. M., Yang, J., and Guha, S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 1925 (2004).Google Scholar
23 Yue, G., Yan, B., Yang, J., and Guha, S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 092103 (2005).Google Scholar
24 Yue, G., Yan, B., Yang, J., and Guha, S., J. Appl. Phys. 98, 074902 (2005).Google Scholar
25 Yue, G., Yan, B., Ganguly, G., Yang, J., Guha, S., Teplin, C. W., and Williamson, D.L., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1588.Google Scholar
26 Ganguly, G., Yue, G., Yan, B., Yang, J., Guha, S., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1712.Google Scholar
27 Takatsuka, H., Yamauchi, Y., Takeuchi, Y., Fukagawa, M., Goya, S., and Takano, A., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 2028.Google Scholar
28 Repmann, T., Weider, S., Klein, S., Stiebig, H., and Rech, B., Conf. Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conf. on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Hawaii, USA, May 7-12, 2006, p. 1724.Google Scholar