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Effect of Buffer Structure on the Performance of a-Si:H/a-Si:H Tandem Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2011

C.H. Hsu ,
C.Y. Lee ,
P.H. Cheng ,
C.K. Chuang  and
C.C. Tsai
C.H. Hsu
Affiliation:
Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
C.Y. Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
P.H. Cheng
Affiliation:
Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
C.K. Chuang
Affiliation:
Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
C.C. Tsai
Affiliation:
Department of Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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Abstract

The study focuses on the influence of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) buffer layer in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) single-junction and tandem thin-film solar cells. By increasing the undoped a-SiC:H buffer layer thickness from 6nm to 12nm, the JSC in single-junction cell was significantly improved, and the efficiency was increased by 4.5%. The buffer layer also effectively improves the efficiency of the a-Si:H/a-Si:H tandem cells by 7% as a result of the increase in open-circuit voltage (VOC) and short-circuit current (JSC). Although the bottom cell absorbs less short-wavelength photons, the wider-bandgap doped and buffer layers were still necessary for improving the cell efficiency. Presumably, this is because these wider-bandgap layers allow more photons to reach the bottom cell. Also, they can reduce interface recombination.

Keywords

photovoltaicplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)Si
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1321: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology , 2011 , mrss11-1321-a17-13
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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