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Thin-film polycrystalline-silicon solar cells on high-temperature glass based on aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Dries Van Gestel ,
Ivan Gordon ,
Lode Carnel ,
Linda R. Pinckney ,
Alexandre Mayolet ,
Jan D'Haen ,
Guy Beaucarne  and
Jef Poortmans
Ivan Gordon
Affiliation:
gordoni@imec.be, IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Lode Carnel
Affiliation:
lode.carnel@imec.be, IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Linda R. Pinckney
Affiliation:
PinckneyL@corning.com, Corning Inc., SP-FR, Corning, NY, 14830, United States
Alexandre Mayolet
Affiliation:
MayoletA@corning.com, Corning Inc., SP-FR, Corning, NY, 14830, United States
Jan D'Haen
Affiliation:
jan.dhaen@uhasselt.be, Hasselt University, Institute for Materials Research, Wetenschapspark 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Guy Beaucarne
Affiliation:
guy.beaucarne@imec.be, IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Jef Poortmans
Affiliation:
Jef.Poortmans@imec.be, IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
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Abstract

Efficient thin-film polycrystalline-silicon (pc-Si) solar cells on foreign substrates could lower the price of photovoltaic electricity. Aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon followed by epitaxial thickening at high temperatures seems a good way to obtain efficient pc-Si solar cells. Due to its transparency and low cost, glass is well suited as substrate for pc-Si cells. However, most glass substrates do not withstand temperatures around 1000°C that are needed for high-temperature epitaxial growth. In this paper we investigate the use of experimental transparent glass-ceramics with high strain-point temperatures as substrates for pc-Si solar cells. AIC seed layers made on these substrates showed in-plane grain sizes up to 16 μm. Columnar growth was observed on these seed layers during high-temperature epitaxy. First pc-Si solar cells made on glass-ceramic substrates in substrate configuration showed efficiencies up to 4.5%, fill factors up to 75% and open-circuit voltage (Voc) values up to 536 mV. This is the highest Voc reported for pc-Si solar cells on glass and the best cell efficiency reported for cells made by AIC on glass.

Keywords

photovoltaicgrain boundarieschemical vapor deposition (CVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 910: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology – 2006 , 2006 , 0910-A26-04
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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