Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T15:50:51.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Periodic textures for enhanced current in thin film silicon solar cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Franz-Josef Haug ,
Thomas Söderström ,
Oscar Cubero ,
Vanessa Terrazzoni-Daudrix ,
Xavier Niquille ,
Stephanie Perregeaux  and
Christophe Ballif
Franz-Josef Haug
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland, 41327183325
Thomas Söderström
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Oscar Cubero
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Vanessa Terrazzoni-Daudrix
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Xavier Niquille
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Stephanie Perregeaux
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Christophe Ballif
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Neuchatel, Institute of Microtechnology, Rue A.-L. Breguet 2, Neuchatel, N/A, Switzerland
Get access

Abstract

For thin film silicon solar cells it is vital to increase the optical path of light in the absorber because this allows for thinner cells with better stability and higher production throughput. We discuss the effect of periodically textured interfaces for the case of thin film silicon solar cells in n-i-p configuration using embossed plastic substrate which allows us studying the effect of a wide range of random or periodic textures. Due to the moderate thickness of the individual layers the texture is carried into each interface with a high degree of conformity even for the front contact which is the last layer. Solar cells on periodic structures show excellent performance; in a microcrystalline cell on a simple sinusoidal grating we achieved a gain in current density of 30%. Furthermore, the periodicity serves as a useful tool for the study of light management because the underlying phenomena like diffraction or grating coupling to plasma excitations of the metallic back reflector are governed by a relatively low number of well defined parameters like the periodicity and the amplitude of the grating.

Keywords

optical propertiesamorphousSi
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1101: Symposium KK – Light Management in Photovoltaic Devices–Theory and Practice , 2008 , 1101-KK13-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] Carlson, D. E. and Wronski, C. R. Applied Physics Letters 28 (1976) 671.Google Scholar
[2] Deckman, H. W. Wronski, C. R. Witzke, H. and Yablonovitch, E. Applied Physics Letters 42 (1983) 968.Google Scholar
[3] Bennett, M. S. Newton, J. L. and Rajan, K. in Proc. 7th European PVSEC, Sevilla, 1986, p. 544.Google Scholar
[4] Meier, J. Spitznagel, J. Faÿ, S. Bucher, C. Graf, U. Kroll, U. Dubail, S. and Shah, A. in Proc. 29th IEEE PVSC, New Orleans, 2002, p. 1118.Google Scholar
[5] Kambe, M. Fukawa, M. Taneda, N. Yoshikawa, Y. Sato, K. Ohki, K. Hiza, S. Yamada, A., and Konagai, M. in Proc. 3rd World PVSEC, Osaka, 2003.Google Scholar
[6] Müller, J., Rech, B. Springer, J. and Vanecek, M. Solar Energy 77 (2004) 917.Google Scholar
[7] Banerjee, A. and Guha, S. Journal of Applied Physics 69 (1991) 1030.Google Scholar
[8] Hayashi K., S. K.; Yamamoto, K., Solid state communications 79 (1991) 763.10.1016/0038-1098(91)90792-TGoogle Scholar
[9] Westphalen, M. Kreibig, U. Rostalski, J. Lüth, H., and Meissner, D. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 61 (2000) 97.Google Scholar
[10] Rand, B. P. Peumans, P. and Forrest, S. R. Journal of Applied Physics 96 (2004) 7519.Google Scholar
[11] Moulin, E. Luo, P. Sukmanowski, J. Schulte, M. Royer, F. X. and Stiebig, H. in Proc. 22nd European PVSEC, Milan, 2007, p. 2195.Google Scholar
[12] Paulick, T. C. Journal of Applied Physics 62 (1987) 3016.Google Scholar
[13] Heine, C. and Morf, R. H. Applied Optics 34 (1995) 2476.Google Scholar
[14] Eisele, C. Nebel, C. E. and Stutzmann, M. Journal of Applied Physics 89 (2001) 7722.Google Scholar
[15] Shah, A. V. Vanecek, M. Meier, J. Meillaud, F. Guillet, J. Fischer, D. Droz, C. Niquille, X., Fa, S. and Vallat-Sauvain, E., Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 338 (2004) 639.Google Scholar
[16] Daudrix, V. Terrazzoni, Guillet, J. Freitas, F. Shah, A. Ballif, C. Winkler, P. Ferreloc, M. Benagli, S. Niquille, X. and Fischer, D. Progress in photovoltaics 14 (2006) 485.10.1002/pip.681Google Scholar
[17] Stiebig, H. Senoussaoui, N. Zahren, C. Haase, C. and Muller, J. Progress in Photovoltaics 14 (2006) 13.Google Scholar
[18] Haug, F.-J. Terrazzoni-Daudrix, V., Söderström, T., Niquille, X. Bailat, J. and Ballif, C. in Proc. 21st European PVSEC, Dresden, 2006.Google Scholar
[19] Beckmann, P. and Spizzichino, A. The scattering of electromagnetic waves from rough surfaces, Artech House, Inc., Norwood (MA) 1987.Google Scholar
[20] Harvey, J. E. and Krywonos, A. in Proc. SPIE AM100-26, Denver, 2004.Google Scholar
[21] Ritchie, R. H. Physical Review 106 (1957) 874.Google Scholar
[22] Raether, H. Surface Plasmons, Springer Berlin, 1988.Google Scholar
[23] Ritchie, R. H. Arakawa, E. T. Cowan, J. J. and Hamm, R. N. Physical Review Letters 21 (1968) 1530.Google Scholar
[24] Laks, B. Mills, D. L. and Maradudin, A. A. Physical Review B 23 (1981) 4965.Google Scholar
[25] Glass, N. E. Weber, M. and Mills, D. L. Physical Review B 29 (1984) 6548.Google Scholar
[26] Kretschmann, E. Ferrell, T. L. and Ashley, J. C. Physical Review Letters 42 (1979) 1312.10.1103/PhysRevLett.42.1312Google Scholar
[27] Springer, J. Rech, B. Reetz, W. Muller, J. and Vanecek, M. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 85 (2005) 1.Google Scholar
[28] Sainju, D. Oever, P. J. van den, Podraza, N. J. Syed, M. Stoke, J. A. Chen, J. Yang, X. Deng, X., and Collins, R. W. in Proc. 4th World PVSEC, Hawaii, 2006.Google Scholar