Limiting factors in the fabrication of microcrystalline silicon solar cells and microcrystalline/amorphous (‘micromorph’) tandems

Meillaud, Fanny; Feltrin, A.; Dominé, D.; Buehlmann, Peter; Python, M.; Bugnon, G.; Billet, Adrian; Parascandolo, Gaetano; Bailat, J.; Faÿ, S.; Wyrsch, Nicolas; Ballif, Christophe; Shah, A.

doi:10.1080/14786430902738772

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…1c. We have attempted to form series connection of these two optimized cells with minimized series resistance at the junction, which is essential to obtain the best-performing tandem devices 3,[9][10][11][12][13][14] . Typically in thin-film tandem cells, ultrathin doped layers are employed to form tunnel junctions between the sub-cells with extremely high doping 2,13,14 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have attempted to form series connection of these two optimized cells with minimized series resistance at the junction, which is essential to obtain the best-performing tandem devices 3,[9][10][11][12][13][14] . Typically in thin-film tandem cells, ultrathin doped layers are employed to form tunnel junctions between the sub-cells with extremely high doping 2,13,14 . Although ultrathin heavily n-doped a-Si:H film can be obtained, hole collection layer (HCL) for polymer cells such as MoO 3 sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) can be neither ultrathin nor highly doped [20][21][22] .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These efficiencies of polymer and a-Si:H cells are not acceptable for achieving grid parity. To maximize the efficiency of such kind of low-efficiency solar cells, a solar cell made by stacking the multiple absorbers with complementary absorption spectra, so called a tandem cell, is considered as one of the most effective approaches 3,[9][10][11][12][13][14] .…”

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10.5% efficient polymer and amorphous silicon hybrid tandem photovoltaic cell

Kim

Hong

et al. 2015

Nat Commun

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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10.5% efficient polymer and amorphous silicon hybrid tandem photovoltaic cell

Kim

Hong

et al. 2015

Nat Commun

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“…By changing the grain size, the light scattering properties of the front TCO can be adjusted to optimally fit the requirement of the desired cell (a-Si, mc-Si:H or tandem). The pyramidal structures in the ZnO layer can be smoothed to reduce the formation of cracks in the mc-Si:H cell, which can lead to low open circuit voltage (V oc ) and fill factor (FF) [31]. We used a similar ZnO film as back electric contact and optical reflector in combination with white paint.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐rate deposition of microcrystalline silicon in a large‐area PECVD reactor and integration in tandem solar cells

Parascandolo

Bugnon

Feltrin

et al. 2010

Progress in Photovoltaics

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We study the high-rate deposition of microcrystalline silicon in a large-area plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposition (PECVD) reactor operated at 40.68 MHz, in the little-explored process conditions of high-pressure and high-silane concentration and depletion. Due to the long gas residence time in this process, the silane gas is efficiently depleted using moderate feed-in power density, thus facilitating up-scaling of the process to large surfaces. As observed in more traditional deposition processes, the deposition rate and performance of device-quality material are limited by the inter-electrode gap of the reactor. We significantly increase the cell performances by reducing this gap. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) are used to characterize the microcrystalline material deposited in the modified reactor at a rate of 1 nm/s. Comparison with a microcrystalline process at a low deposition rate demonstrates that the crystallographic orientation of the absorbing layer of the cell and the concentrations of contaminants are strongly correlated and dependent on the process. We use microcrystalline cells with absorber layer grown at a rate of 1 nm/s integrated as bottom cells in amorphous-microcrystalline (micromorph) tandem solar cells using the superstrate configuration. We report an initial efficiency of 10.8% (9.6% stabilized) for a tandem cell with 1.2 cm 2 surface.

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“…The IR layer obviously should be as conductive as possible, the latter for minimizing electrical losses. ZnO was initially used as a material for the intermediate reflectors [71,72]. Unfortunately, ZnO reflectors should be deposited ex situ and their use in large modules would result in additional laser scribe for monolithic series interconnection to avoid lateral shunting of the segments.…”

Section: Microcrystalline Si and "Micromorph" Solar Cellsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amorphous and micromorph Si solar cells: current status and outlook

Avrutin¹,

Izyumskaya²,

Morkoç³

2014

Turk J Phys

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An overview of the current status and prospects of thin-film Si photovoltaics, including both hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline Si as well their combination known as micromorph solar cells, with a major focus on the technological development is given. Although thin-film Si solar cells have been one of the first commercially successful photovoltaic devices, today they face a tremendous challenge from variety of bulk Si technologies (mono-and multicrystalline Si) and compound-semiconductor thin-film solar cells, both of which have managed to substantially reduce the production cost and improve power conversion efficiency. Thin-film Si photovoltaics benefiting from the mighty mainstream Si industry have demonstrated the ability to reduce the production cost and cost per peak power; however, the performance improvement of amorphous-Si panels has been only marginal and further progress is hard to expect. The power conversion efficiencies of micromorph solar cells have already exceeded those of amorphous-Si devices.However, to improve their market penetration and even to hold their current share, the micromorph Si solar modules need to improve their performance, which today is approaching 11%, along the path to potential 15%, while keeping the manufacturing cost low. Further progress will require the improvement of light-trapping technologies and contact performance.

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Limiting factors in the fabrication of microcrystalline silicon solar cells and microcrystalline/amorphous (‘micromorph’) tandems

Cited by 20 publications

References 94 publications

10.5% efficient polymer and amorphous silicon hybrid tandem photovoltaic cell

10.5% efficient polymer and amorphous silicon hybrid tandem photovoltaic cell

High‐rate deposition of microcrystalline silicon in a large‐area PECVD reactor and integration in tandem solar cells

Amorphous and micromorph Si solar cells: current status and outlook

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