The influence of Ag-ion concentration on the performance of mc-Si silicon solar cells textured by metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) method

Zhang, Pengfei; Jia, Rui; Tao, Ke; Jiang, Shuai; Dai, Xiaoying; Sun, Hengchao; Jin, Zhi; Ji, Zhuoyu; Liu, Xinyu; Zhao, Chongyou; Liu, Hongzhi; Zhao, Yaopei; Tang, Lei

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2019.109983

Cited by 30 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…However, we have previously shown that while deep RIE textures do exhibit very low weighted average reflectance (WAR), RIE texture with an EAF of 2.3, which is close to the EAF of our simulated shallow nanotexture, exhibited a significantly lower WAR than random pyramids (RPD) [26]. Although a deep RIE nanotexture with large EAF can have a near-zero reflectance without antireflection coating, the collection efficiency could be problematic [40], which outweighs the optical gains and leads to a low external quantum efficiency [42]. On the other hand, a shallow nanotextured can be combined with a microtexture to form a hierarchical structure which has a better optical performance and also a high collection efficiency [43]- [45].…”

Section: E Optimization Of B-si Emitterssupporting

confidence: 62%

Quantifying the Effect of Nanofeature Size on the Electrical Performance of Black Silicon Emitter by Nanoscale Modeling

Wang

Scardera

et al. 2022

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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Nanostructured black silicon (b-Si) surfaces with an extremely low reflectance are a promising light-trapping solution for silicon solar cells. However, it is challenging to develop a high-efficiency front-junction b-Si solar cell due to the inferior electrical performance of b-Si emitters, which outweighs any optical gain. This article uses three-dimensional numerical nanoscale simulations, which are corroborated with experiment results, to investigate the effect of the surface nanofeature sizes on the b-Si emitter performance in terms of the sheet resistance (R sheet ) and the saturation current density (J 0e). We show that the specific surface area (SSA) is an effective parameter to evaluate the nanofeature size. A shallow surface nanofeature with a large SSA will contribute to a better electrical performance. We will show that b-Si emitter R sheet measured by a four-point probe is not a measure of the doping level in the nanofeature, but is ruled by the doping level in the underlying substrate region. We also show that a small nanofeature with SSA > 100 µm -1 and height < 100 nm can lead to a relatively low J 0e (33 fA/cm 2 lower than the best b-Si results reported in the literature) by suppressing surface minority carrier density and minimizing the total Auger recombination loss.

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Section: E Optimization Of B-si Emitterssupporting

confidence: 62%

Quantifying the Effect of Nanofeature Size on the Electrical Performance of Black Silicon Emitter by Nanoscale Modeling

Wang

Scardera

et al. 2022

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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“…WAR versus EAF for various as-etched textures before the application of SiN x . − , The inset graph shows the WAR of conventional RPD textures (MT RPD ), ,,,,,− iso-textures (MT iso ), ,,− and b-Si textures − ,,,− reported in the literature.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The corresponding (b) Δ J sc versus ΔWAR, (c) Δ V oc versus ΔWAR, (d) ΔFF versus ΔWAR, and (e) Δη versus ΔWAR. The data are from the literature. ,,− …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Investigation on the Potential of Black Silicon Nanotextures for Silicon Solar Cells

Wang

Xie

Liang

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Nano Mater.

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Black silicon (b-Si) nanotextures are of interest for Si solar cells because of their enhanced light trapping properties. However, the wide range of complex nanotextured b-Si surface morphologies makes a systematic investigation of b-Si solar cells challenging. A comprehensive performance review is necessary to determine the promising b-Si nanotextures for solar cell applications. In this work, we use artificial-intelligence approaches to assist in compiling a systematic and highly refined performance review of b-Si solar cells. We also perform numerical simulations of electrical properties for various nanotextured b-Si morphologies. We find that the weighted average reflectance (WAR) is an effective surface morphology metric for a wide range of surface textures. By correlating solar cell performance parameters to WAR, we show that multicrystalline Si solar cell efficiency can be improved with b-Si nanotexturing, and this is predominately attributed to an increase in short-circuit current density via the blue response improvement. We also show that some b-Si nanotextures can improve the performance of monocrystalline Si solar cells. Device simulations show that the electrical performance of hierarchical (combination of microtexture and nanotexture) and inverted-pyramidal b-Si nanotextures and microtextures can be comparable to or even better than random pyramids. As such, these textures show great potential for monocrystalline Si solar cells.

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“…MACE is described as a form of chemical etching of BSi for creating the micro-or nanotextured surface that occurs in the presence of oxidizing agents. This etching is accelerated via the deposition of metal nanoparticles, which play the role of catalyst in etching the Si substrate surface [23].…”

Section: Mechanism Of Mace Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

et al. 2021

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The metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) technique is commonly employed for texturing the wafer surfaces when fabricating black silicon (BSi) solar cells and is considered to be a potential technique to improve the efficiency of traditional Si-based solar cells. This article aims to review the MACE technique along with its mechanism for Ag-, Cu- and Ni-assisted etching. Primarily, several essential aspects of the fabrication of BSi are discussed, including chemical reaction, etching direction, mass transfer, and the overall etching process of the MACE method. Thereafter, three metal catalysts (Ag, Cu, and Ni) are critically analyzed to identify their roles in producing cost-effective and sustainable BSi solar cells with higher quality and efficiency. The conducted study revealed that Ag-etched BSi wafers are more suitable for the growth of higher quality and efficiency Si solar cells compared to Cu- and Ni-etched BSi wafers. However, both Cu and Ni seem to be more cost-effective and more appropriate for the mass production of BSi solar cells than Ag-etched wafers. Meanwhile, the Ni-assisted chemical etching process takes a longer time than Cu but the Ni-etched BSi solar cells possess enhanced light absorption capacity and lower activity in terms of the dissolution and oxidation process than Cu-etched BSi solar cells.

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The influence of Ag-ion concentration on the performance of mc-Si silicon solar cells textured by metal assisted chemical etching (MACE) method

Cited by 30 publications

References 24 publications

Quantifying the Effect of Nanofeature Size on the Electrical Performance of Black Silicon Emitter by Nanoscale Modeling

Quantifying the Effect of Nanofeature Size on the Electrical Performance of Black Silicon Emitter by Nanoscale Modeling

An Artificial-Intelligence-Assisted Investigation on the Potential of Black Silicon Nanotextures for Silicon Solar Cells

Fabrication of Black Silicon via Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching—A Review

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