Fabrication and Characterization of Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells using Preferential Etching of Grain Boundaries

결정입계의 선택적 식각을 이용한 다결정 규소 태양전지의 제작과 특성

A solar cell conversion effiency was degraded by grain boundary effect in polycrystalline silicon. To reduce these effects of the grain boundaries, we investigated various influencing factors such as preferential chemical etching of grain boundaries, grid design, transparent conductive thin film, and top metallization along grain boundaries. Pretreatment in $N_2$ atmosphere and gettering by $POCl_3$ and Al were performed to obtain polycrystalline silicon of the reduced defect density. Structural, electrical, and optical properties of solar cells were characterized. Improved conversion efficiencies of solar cell were obtained by a combination of Al diffusion into grain boundaries on rear side, fine grid finger, top Yb metal grid on Cr thin film of $200{\AA}$ and buried contact metallization along grain boundaries.