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Thin-film polycrystalline-silicon solar cells on high-temperature glass based on aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ivan Gordon
Affiliation:
[email protected], IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Lode Carnel
Affiliation:
[email protected], IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Linda R. Pinckney
Affiliation:
[email protected], Corning Inc., SP-FR, Corning, NY, 14830, United States
Alexandre Mayolet
Affiliation:
[email protected], Corning Inc., SP-FR, Corning, NY, 14830, United States
Jan D'Haen
Affiliation:
[email protected], Hasselt University, Institute for Materials Research, Wetenschapspark 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Guy Beaucarne
Affiliation:
[email protected], IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
Jef Poortmans
Affiliation:
[email protected], IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, N/A, N/A, Belgium
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Abstract

Efficient thin-film polycrystalline-silicon (pc-Si) solar cells on foreign substrates could lower the price of photovoltaic electricity. Aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon followed by epitaxial thickening at high temperatures seems a good way to obtain efficient pc-Si solar cells. Due to its transparency and low cost, glass is well suited as substrate for pc-Si cells. However, most glass substrates do not withstand temperatures around 1000°C that are needed for high-temperature epitaxial growth. In this paper we investigate the use of experimental transparent glass-ceramics with high strain-point temperatures as substrates for pc-Si solar cells. AIC seed layers made on these substrates showed in-plane grain sizes up to 16 μm. Columnar growth was observed on these seed layers during high-temperature epitaxy. First pc-Si solar cells made on glass-ceramic substrates in substrate configuration showed efficiencies up to 4.5%, fill factors up to 75% and open-circuit voltage (Voc) values up to 536 mV. This is the highest Voc reported for pc-Si solar cells on glass and the best cell efficiency reported for cells made by AIC on glass.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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