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Innovative Device Architecture for High Efficiency Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2012

Mathieu Boccard ,
Matthieu Despeisse  and
Christophe Ballif
Mathieu Boccard
Affiliation:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin film Electronics Laboratory, Rue Bréguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Matthieu Despeisse
Affiliation:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin film Electronics Laboratory, Rue Bréguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Christophe Ballif
Affiliation:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Photovoltaics and Thin film Electronics Laboratory, Rue Bréguet 2, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Abstract

The challenge for all photovoltaic technologies is to maximize light absorption, convert photons with minimal losses to electrical charges and efficiently extract them towards the electrical circuit. For thin film silicon solar cells, a compromise must be found as light trapping is usually performed through textured interfaces, that are detrimental to the subsequent growth of dense and high quality silicon layers. We introduce here the concept of smoothening intermediate reflecting layers (IRL), enabling to combine high currents and good electrical quality in Micromorph devices in the superstrate configuration. After exposing the motivation for such structures, we validate the concept by showing a VOCenhancement when employing a polished silicon-oxide-based IRL. Shunting issues and additional reflection losses are pointed out with such technique, highlighting the need to develop alternative techniques for an efficient morphology adaptation before the microcrystalline silicon cell growth.

Keywords

photovoltaicCMPplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)
Type
Plasmonics
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1426: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology—2012 , 2012 , pp. 131 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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