• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2018

Beside several advantages, the PV power generation as a clean energy source, is still below the supply level due to high power generation cost. Therefore, the interest in fabricating low-cost thin film solar cells is increasing continuously. $Cu_2O$, a low cost photovoltaic material, has a wide direct band gap of ~2.1 eV has along with the high theoretical energy conversion efficiency of about 20%. On the other hand, it has other benefits such as earth-abundance, low cost, non-toxic, high carrier mobility ($100cm^2/Vs$). In spite of these various advantages, the efficiency of $Cu_2O$ based solar cells is still significantly lower than the theoretical limit as reported in several literatures. One of the reasons behind the low efficiency of $Cu_2O$ solar cells can be the formation of CuO layer due to atmospheric surface oxidation of $Cu_2O$ absorber layer. In this work, atomic layer deposition method was used to remove the CuO layer that formed on $Cu_2O$ surface. First, $Cu_2O$ absorber layer was deposited by electrodeposition. On top of it buffer (ZnO) and TCO (AZO) layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition and rf-magnetron sputtering respectively. We fabricated the cells with a change in the deposition temperature of buffer layer ranging between $80^{\circ}C$ to $140^{\circ}C$. Finally, we compared the performance of fabricated solar cells, and studied the influence of buffer layer deposition temperature on $Cu_2O$ based solar cells by J-V and XPS measurements.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.45-49
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• 2020

Molybdenum (Mo) thin films are widely used as back contact in copper indium diselenide (CISe) solar cells. However, despite this, there are only few published studies on the properties of Mo and characteristics of CISe solar cells formed on such Mo substrates. In this studies, we investigated the properties of sputter deposited Mo bilayer, and fabricated non-vacuum CISe solar cells using bilayer Mo substrates. The changes in surface morphology and electrical resistivity were traced by varying the gas pressure during deposition of the bottom Mo layer. In porous surface structure, it was confirmed that the electrical resistivity of Mo bilayer was increased as the amount of oxygen bonded to the Mo atoms increased. The resulting solar cell characteristics vary as the bottom Mo layer deposition pressure, and the maximum solar cell efficiency was achieved when the bottom layer was deposited at 7 mTorr with a thickness of 100 nm and the top layer deposited at 3 mTorr with a thickness of 400 nm.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.135-139
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• 2014

Different power output of solar cells can be observed at high-temperature regions such as desert areas. In this study, performance dependence on operating temperature of crystalline silicon solar cells with different emitter types was analyzed. Based on the light current-voltage (LIV) measurement, temperature coefficients of short-circuit current density ($J_{SC}$), open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$), fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency were measured and compared for two groups of crystalline silicon solar cells with different emitter types. One group had homogeneously doped (conventional) emitter and another selectively doped (selective) emitter. Varying the operating temperature from 25 to 40, 60, and $80^{\circ}C$, LIV characteristics of the cells were measured and the properties of saturation current densities ($J_0$) were extracted from dark current-voltage (DIV) curve. From the DIV data, effect of temperature on the performance of the solar cells with different electrical structures for the emitter was analyzed. Increasing the temperature, both emitter structures showed a slight increase in $J_{SC}$ and a rapid degradation of $V_{OC}$. FF and power conversion efficiency also decreased with the increasing temperature. The degrees of $J_{SC}$ increase and $V_{OC}$ degradation for two groups were compared and explained. Also, FF change was explained by series and shunt resistances from the LIV data. It was concluded that the degradation of solar cells shows different values at different temperatures depending on the emitter type of solar cells.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.120-123
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• 2014

Thermal doping method using furnace is generally used for solar-cell wafer doping. It takes a lot of time and high cost and use toxic gas. Generally selective emitter doping using laser, but laser is very high equipment and induce the wafer's structure damage. In this study, we apply atmospheric pressure plasma for solar-cell wafer doping. We fabricated that the atmospheric pressure plasma jet injected Ar gas is inputted a low frequency (1 kHz ~ 100 kHz). We used shallow doping wafers existing PSG (Phosphorus Silicate Glass) on the shallow doping CZ P-type wafer (120 ohm/square). SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy) are used for measuring wafer doping depth and concentration of phosphorus. We check that wafer's surface is not changed after plasma doping and atmospheric pressure doping width is broaden by increase of plasma treatment time and current.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2014

Highly efficient hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells were prepared on flexible stainless steel substrates using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. To enhance the performance of solar cells, material properties of back reflectors, n-doped seed layers and wide bandgap nc-SiC:H window layers were optimized. The light scattering efficiency of Ag back reflectors was improved by increasing the surface roughness of the films deposited at elevated substrate temperatures. Using the n-doped seed layers with high crystallinity, the initial crystal growth of intrinsic nc-Si:H absorber layers was improved, resulting in the elimination of the defect-dense amorphous regions at the n/i interfaces. The nc-SiC:H window layers with high bandgap over 2.2 eV were deposited under high hydrogen dilution conditions. The vertical current flow of the films was enhanced by the formation of Si nanocrystallites in the amorphous SiC:H matrix. Under optimized conditions, a high conversion efficiency of 9.13% ($V_{oc}=0.52$, $J_{sc}=25.45mA/cm^2$, FF = 0.69) was achieved for the flexible nc-Si:H thin-film solar cells.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2014

Light trapping techniques can change the propagation direction of incident light and keep the light longer in the absorption layers of solar cells to enhance the power conversion efficiency. In thin film silicon (Si) solar cells, the thickness of absorption layer is generally not enough to absorb entire available photons because of short carrier life time, and light induced degradation effect, which can be compensated by the light trapping techniques. These techniques have been adopted as textured transparent conduction oxide (TCO) layers randomly or periodically textured, intermediate reflection layers of tandem and triple junction, and glass substrates etched by various patterning methods. We reviewed the light trapping techniques for thin film Si solar cells and mainly focused on the commercially available techniques applicable to textured TCO on patterned glass substrates. We described the characterization methods representing the light trapping effects, texturing of TCO and showed the results of multi-scale textured TCO on etched glass substrates. These methods can be used tandem and triple thin film Si solar cells to enhance photo-current and power conversion efficiency of long term stability.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2013

In contrast to conventional crystalline cells, back-contact solar cells feature high efficiencies, simpler module assembly, and better aesthetics. The highest commercialized cell and module efficiency was recorded by n-type back-contact solar cells. However, the mainstream PV industry uses a p-type substrate instead of n-type due to the high costs and complexity of the manufacturing processes in the case of the latter. P-type back-contact solar cells such as metal wrap-through and emitter wrap-through, which are inexpensive and compatible with the current PV industry, have consequently been developed. In this paper the characteristics of EWT (emitter wrap-through) solar cells and their status and prospects for development are discussed.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2015

CIGS solar cell consisted of various films. In this research, we investigated electrode materials in $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) cells, including Al-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al), intrinsic ZnO (i-ZnO), and Al films. The sputtered ZnO:Al film with a sputtering power at 200W showed the lowest series resistance and highest cell efficiency. The electrical resistivity of the 200-W sputtered ZnO:Al film was $5.2{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ by the rapid thermal annealing at $200^{\circ}C$ for 1 min. The electrical resistivity of i-ZnO was not measurable due to its high resistance. But the optical transmittance was highest with less oxygen supply and high efficiency cell was achieved with $O_2/(Ar+O_2)$ ratio was 1% due to the increase of short-circuit current. No significant change in the cell performance by inserting a Ni layer between Al and ZnO:Al films was observed.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.135-139
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• 2015

$Cu_2SnS_3$ (CTS) based thin film solar cells (TFSCs) are of great interest because of its earth abundant, low-toxic and eco-friendly material with high optical absorption coefficient of $10^4cm^{-1}$. In this study, the DC sputtered precursor thin films have been sulfurized using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system in the graphite box under Ar gas atmosphere for 10 minute. The systematic variation of sulfur powder during annealing process has been carried out and their effects on the structural, morphological and optical properties of CTS thin films have been investigated. The preliminary power conversion efficiency of 1.47% with a short circuit current density of $33.9mA/cm^2$, an open circuit voltage of 159.7 mV, and a fill factor of 27% were obtained for CTS thin film annealed with 0.05g of S powder, although the processing parameter s have not yet been optimized.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2015

High efficiency $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ solar cells are generally prepared above $500^{\circ}C$. Lowering the process temperature can allow wider selection of substrate material and process window. In this paper, the three-stage co-evaporation process widely used to grow CIGS thin film at high temperature was modified to reduce the maximum substrate temperature. Below $400^{\circ}C$ the CIGS films show poor crystal growth and lower solar cell performance, in spite of external Na doping by NaF. As a new approach, Cu source instead of Cu with Se in the second stage was applied on the $(In,Ga)_2Se_3$ precursor at $400^{\circ}C$ and achieved a better crystal growth. The distribution of Ga in the films produce by new method were investigated and solar cells were fabricated using these films.