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Amorphous Silicon, Microcrystalline Silicon, and Thin-Film Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Ruud E.I. Schropp ,
Reinhard Carius  and
Guy Beaucarne
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Abstract

Thin-film solar cell technologies based on Si with a thickness of less than a few micrometers combine the low-cost potential of thin-film technologies with the advantages of Si as an abundantly available element in the earth's crust and a readily manufacturable material for photovoltaics (PVs). In recent years, several technologies have been developed that promise to take the performance of thin-film silicon PVs well beyond that of the currently established amorphous Si PV technology. Thin-film silicon, like no other thin-film material, is very effective in tandem and triple-junction solar cells. The research and development on thin crystalline silicon on foreign substrates can be divided into two different routes: a low-temperature route compatible with standard float glass or even plastic substrates, and a high-temperature route (>600°C). This article reviews the material properties and technological challenges of the different thin-film silicon PV materials.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 32 , Issue 3: Advanced Inorganic Materials for Photovoltaics , March 2007 , pp. 219 - 224
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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