Concept and performance of a field-effect amorphous silicon solar cell

Abstract

We propose a novel solar cell structure based on the concept of forming p or n window layers by the field effect instead of impurity doping, and we verify its performance experimentally. The device, a field-effect amorphous silicon solar cell (FESC), was designed with the aid of a device simulator and fabricated by a plasma chemical vapour deposition system. We have verified that the output current of the FESC was amplified by the field-effect bias application to the gate electrode. The fundamental properties of this new type of amorphous silicon solar cell are demonstrated for the first time.

Field-effect a-Si:H solar cells with transparent conductive oxide comb-shaped electrodes

“…All the data for the FESC with TCO CSE are superior to the data for the FESC with Ti CSE (from Ref. [16]), which are plotted in the same viewgraph.…”

“…There are two possible ways of forming an FESC: applying a bias voltage to the gate of a metal/insulator/a-Si:H (MIS) structure or polarizing a ferroelectric layer deposited on a-Si:H. We investigated the former in order to study the fundamental characteristics of FESCs under various gate biases. Experimental operation of an FESC was demonstrated recently [16]. This first FESC had low conversion efficiencies of 1.4% and 1.6% at gate bias voltages of 0 and +40 V, respectively.…”

Electrical stabilities of half-Corbino thin-film transistors with different gate geometries

“…To increase their ON-current characteristics, organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) were also made to employ these structures [3,4]. Comb-shaped electrodes have also been used to enhance the output power in field effect hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells [5]. In the a-Si:H TFT, one pair of interdigitated, the so-called 'fork-shaped' electrodes was introduced to reduce the gate-to-source capacitance and photo-leakage current, which reduce the high resolution and power efficiency of active-matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs) [6,7].…”

Investigation of single field-effect surface passivation by constructing electrolyte/Si solar cell structure

“…Many groups have studied different methods for forming field-effect passivation. Field-effect passivity construction can be obtained by embedding charge in double dielectric layers，by using intrinsic fixed charge of dielectric material, by introducing external electric field through metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure, etc [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. However, the interference factor on contact surfaces of dielectric material should be avoided, such as interfacial stress, surface defects and inter diffusion.…”