• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

This study was trying to focus on achieving high efficiency of multi junction solar cell with thin film silicon solar cells. The proposed thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell concept with a combination of low-cost thin-film silicon solar cell technology and high-efficiency c-Si cells in a monolithically stacked configuration. The tandem junction solar cells using amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) as an absorption layer of upper sub-cell were simulated through ASA (Advanced Semiconductor Analysis) simulator for acquiring the optimum structure. Graded Ge composition - effect of E_g profiling and inserted buffer layer between absorption layer and doped layer showed the improved current density (J_sc) and conversion efficiency (η). 13.11% conversion efficiency of the tandem junction solar cell was observed, which is a result of showing the possibility of thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.257.2-257.2
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• 2015

In this paper, we report on the 10.33% efficient thin film/bulk tandem solar cells with the top cell made of amorphous silicon thin film and p-type bulk crystalline silicon bottom cell. The tunneling junction layers were used the doped nanocrystalline Si layers. It has to allow an ohmic and low resistive connection. For player and n-layer, crystalline volume fraction is ~86%, ~88% and dark conductivity is $3.28{\times}10-2S/cm$, $3.03{\times}10-1S/cm$, respectively. Optimization of the tunneling junction results in fill factor of 66.16 % and open circuit voltage of 1.39 V. The open circuit voltage was closed to the sum of those of the sub-cells. This tandem structure could enable the effective development of a new concept of high-efficiency and low cost cells.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

Extensive investigation on silicon based thin film reveals a wide range of film characteristics, from low optical gap to high optical gap, from amorphous to micro-crystalline silicon etc. Fabrication of single junction, tandem and triple junction solar cell with suitable materials, indicate that fabrication of solar cell of a relatively moderate efficiency is possible with a better light induced stability. Due to these investigations, various competing materials like wide band gap silicon carbide and silicon oxide, low band gap micro-crystalline silicon and silicon germanium etc were also prepared and applied to the solar cells. Such a multi-junction solar cell can be a technologically promising photo-voltaic device, as the external quantum efficiency of such a cell covers a wider spectral range.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Among the various types of solar cells, silicon based two terminal tandem solar cell is one of the most popular one. It is designed to split the absorption of incident AM1.5 solar radiation among two of its component cells, thereby widening the wavelength range of external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra of the device, in comparison to that of a single junction solar cell. In order to improve the EQE spectra further and raise short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) an optimization of the tradeoff between the top and bottom cell is needed. In an optimized cell structure, the $J_{sc}$ and hence efficiency of the device can further be enhanced with the help of light trapping scheme. This can be achieved by texturing front and back surface as well as a back reflector of the device. In this brief review we highlight the development of light trapping in the silicon based tandem solar cell.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2020

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a two-terminal tandem solar cell depends upon the tunnel-recombination junction (TRJ) between the top and bottom sub-cells. An optimized TRJ in a tandem cell helps improve its open-circuit voltage (V_oc), short-circuit current density (J_sc), fill factor (FF), and efficiency (PCE). One of the parameters that affect the TRJ is the buffer layer thickness. Therefore, we investigated various TRJs by varying the thickness of the buffer or intermediate layer (TRJ-buffer) in between the highly doped p-type and n-type layers of the TRJ. The TRJ-buffer layer was p-type nc-Si:H, with a doping of 0.06%, an activation energy (E_a) of 43 meV, an optical gap (E_g) of 2.04 eV, and its thickness was varied from 0 nm to 125 nm. The tandem solar cells we investigated were a combination of a heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) bottom sub-cell and an a-Si:H (amorphous silicon) top sub-cell. The initial cell efficiency without the TRJ buffer was 7.65% while with an optimized buffer layer, its efficiency improved to 11.74%, i.e., an improvement in efficiency by a factor of 1.53.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.115-118
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• 2017

Highly photosensitive and wide bandgap amorphous silicon oxide (a-$SiO_x$:H) films were developed at low temperature ranges ($100{\sim}150^{\circ}C$) with employing plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition by optimizing $H_2/SiH_4$ gas ratio and $CO_2$ flow. Photosensitivity more than $10^5$ and wide bandgap (1.81~1.85 eV) properties were used for making the a-$SiO_x$:H thin film solar cells, which exhibited a high open circuit voltage of 0.987 V at the substrate temperature of $100^{\circ}C$. In addition, a power conversion efficiency of 6.87% for the cell could be improved up to 7.77% by employing a new n-type nc-$SiO_x$:H/ZnO:Al/Ag triple back-reflector that offers better short circuit currents in the thin film photovoltaic devices.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.228-231
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• 2006

This paper briefly introduces silicon based thin film solar cells: amorphous (a-Si:H), microcrystalline ${\mu}c-Si:H$ single junction and $a-Si:H/{\mu}c-Si:H$ tandem solar cells. The major difference of a-Si:H and ${\mu}c-Si:H$ cells comes from electro-optical properties of intrinsic Si-films (active layer) that absorb incident photon and generate electron-hole pairs. The a-Si:H film has energy band-gap (Eg) of 1.7-1.8eV and solar cells incorporating this wide Eg a-Si:H material as active layer commonly give high voltage and low current, when illuminated, compared to ${\mu}c-Si:H$ solar cells that employ low Eg (1.1eV) material. This Eg difference of two materials make possible tandem configuration in order to effectively use incident photon energy. The $a-Si:H/{\mu}c-Si:H$ tandem solar cells, therefore, have a great potential for low cost photovoltaic device by its various advantages such as low material cost by thin-film structure on low cost substrate instead of expensive c-Si wafer and high conversion efficiency by tandem structure. In this paper, the structure, process and operation properties of Si-based thin-film solar cells are discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.322.1-322.1
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• 2014

Many research groups have studied tandem or multi-junction cells to overcome this low efficiency and degradation. In multi-junction cells, band-gap engineering of each absorb layer is needed to absorb the light at various wavelengths efficiently. Various absorption layers can be formed using multi-junctions, such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H), amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) and microcrystalline silicon (${\mu}c$-Si:H), etc. Among them, ${\mu}c$-Si:H is the bottom absorber material because it has a low band-gap and does not exhibit light-induced degradation like amorphous silicon. Nevertheless, ${\mu}c$-Si:H requires a much thicker material (>2 mm) to absorb sufficient light due to its smaller light absorption coefficient, highlighting the need for a high growth rate for productivity. ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H has a much higher absorption coefficient than ${\mu}c$-Si:H at the low energy wavelength, meaning that the thickness of the absorption layer can be decreased to less than half that of ${\mu}c$-Si:H. ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H films were prepared using 40 MHz very high frequency PECVD method at 1 Torr. SiH4 and GeH4 were used as a reactive gas and H2 was used as a dilution gas. In this study, the ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H layer for triple solar cells applications was performed to optimize the film properties.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.63.1-63.1
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• 2010

실리콘 박막 태양전지의 효율을 향상시키기 위해 밴드갭이 다른 흡수층을 적용한 tandem형 적층 태양전지를 이용하고 있다. 일반적으로 1.7eV이상의 밴드갭이 큰 비정질 실리콘을 이용하여 단파장의 빛을 흡수하고, 상대적으로 낮은 1.1eV 정도의 밴드갭을 갖는 미세결정 실리콘 층으로 장파장을 흡수하게 된다. 이렇게 연결된 tandem형 태양전지의 효율을 극대화하기 위해서는 각 태양전지에서 발생하는 전류 밀도를 일치시키는 것이 필요하다. 이를 위해 비정질 실리콘의 두께가 증가되는 경우가 있는데 이러한 경우 비정질 실리콘의 광열화 특성(Lihgt-induced degradation)으로 안정화 효율이 감소하게 된다. 따라서 비정질 실리콘 태양전지의 전류 밀도를 향상 시켜 두께를 최소화하는 것이 매우 중요하다. Tandem형 태양전지에서 비정질 실리콘 태양전지의 전류 밀도를 향상시키기 위해 두 개의 전지사이에 광 반사층을 적용하여 태양전지를 제조하게 된다. 이러한 경우 비정질 실리콘의 전류 밀도는 증가하지만, 광 반사 층의 장파장 흡수로 인하여 하부 태양전지의 전류 밀도 감소가 더 커지게 되어 전체 발생 전류 밀도는 오히려 감소하게 된다. 본 논문에서는 비정질 실리콘의 밴드갭을 제어하여 광 흡수 파장 영역 확대로 전류 밀도를 향상시키는 연구를 진행하였다. PECVD의 RF power 조건을 제어하여 1.75eV에서 1.67eV까지 밴드갭을 변화시켰다. 이와 같은 조건의 박막을 광 흡수층으로 갖는 p-i-n 구조의 비정질 실리콘 태양전지를 제작하였다. i층의 밴드갭이 감소됨에 따라 장파장 영역의 흡수가 확대되어 전류 밀도가 증가 하였지만, Voc의 감소가 컸다. 이는 i층의 밴드갭이 좁아짐에 따라 p층과의 불연속성이 커졌기 때문이다. 이러한 악영향을 줄이기 위해 p층과 i층 사이에 buffer층을 삽입하여 태양전지를 제작하였다. 이와 같은 최적의 buffer층 삽입을 통하여 불연속성을 줄임으로써 Voc의 상승효과를 확인하였다. 본 연구의 결과로 좁은 밴드갭을 갖는 광 흡수 층을 적용하여 전류 밀도를 향상시키고, 최적화된 buffer층 삽입으로 Voc를 향상시킴으로써 고효율의 비정질 실리콘 태양전지를 제작하였다. 이를 tandem형 태양전지에 적용할 경우 초기 효율뿐만 아니라 얇은 두께에서 제조할 수 있기 때문에 광열화 특성이 향상되어 안정화 효율의 증가를 가져올 수 있다.