• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.192-195
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• 2012

We reported diborane ($B_2H_6$) doped wide bandgap hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (p-type a-SiOx:H) films prepared by using silane ($SiH_4$) hydrogen ($H_2$) and nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) in a radio frequency (RF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. We improved the $E_{opt}$ and conductivity of p-type a-SiOx:H films with various $N_2O$ and $B_2H_6$ ratios and applied those films in regards to the a-Si thin film solar cells. For the single layer p-type a-SiOx:H films, we achieved an optical band gap energy ($E_{opt}$) of 1.91 and 1.99 eV, electrical conductivity of approximately $10^{-7}$ S/cm and activation energy ($E_a$) of 0.57 to 0.52 eV with various $N_2O$ and $B_2H_6$ ratios. We applied those films for the a-Si thin film solar cell and the current-voltage characteristics are as given as: $V_{oc}$ = 853 and 842 mV, $J_{sc}$ = 13.87 and 15.13 $mA/cm^2$. FF = 0.645 and 0.656 and ${\eta}$ = 7.54 and 8.36% with $B_2H_6$ ratios of 0.5 and 1% respectively.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2016

The surface morphology of the front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films plays a vital role in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells (a-Si TFSCs) due to their high transparency, conductivity and excellent light scattering properties. Recently, plasma textured glass surface morphologies received much attention for light trapping in a-Si TFSCs. We report various plasma textured glass surface morphologies for the high efficiency of a-Si TFSCs. Plasma textured glass surface morphologies showed high rms roughness, haze ratio with micro- and nano size surface features and are proposed for future high efficiency of a-Si TFSCs.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.13-16
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• 2012

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited by an RF magnetron sputtering system with the RF power of 200W and 300W and flow rate of oxygen gases of 20 and 30 sccm, in order to research the growth of ZnO on carbon doped silicon oxide (SiOC) thin film. The reflectance of SiOC film on Si film deposited by the sputtering decreased with increasing the oxygen flow rate in the range of long wavelength. In comparison between ZnO/Si and ZnO/SiOC/Si thin film, the reflectance of ZnO/SiOC/Si film was inversed that of ZnO/Si film in the rage of 200~1000 nm. The transmittance of ZnO film increased with increasing the oxygen gas flow rate because of the transition from conduction band to oxygen interstitial band due to the oxygen interstitial (Oi) sites. The low reflectance and the high transmittance of ZnO film was suitable properties to use for the front electrode in the display or solar cell.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.235.2-235.2
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• 2015

The front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films must exhibit good transparency, low resistivity and excellent light scattering properties for high efficiency amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells. The light trapping phenomenon is limited due to non-uniform and low aspect ratio of the textured glass [1]. We present the low cost electrochemically deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. Since the major drawback of the electrochemically deposited ZnO nanorods was the high sheet resistance and low transmittance that was overcome by depositing the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films as a seed layer with various thicknesses [2]. The length and diameters of the ZnO nanorods was controlled by varying the deposition conditions. The length of ZnO nanorods were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The uniform ZnO nanorods showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nanorods and much higher aspect ratios degraded the light scattering phenomenon. Therefore, we proposed our low cost and uniform ZnO nanorods for the high efficiency of thin film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.236.1-236.1
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• 2015

The surface morphology of front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films is very important to achieve high current density in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells since it can scatter the light in a better way. In this study, we present the low cost hydrothermal deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-flower structure with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. The ZnO nano-flower structures with various aspect ratios were grown on the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films. The diameters and length of the ZnO nano-flowers was controlled by varying the annealing time. The length of ZnO nano-flowers were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The ZnO nano-flowers with higher surface area as compared to conventional ZnO nano structure are preferred for the better light scattering. The conductivity and crystallinity of ZnO nano-flowers can be enhanced by annealing in hydrogen atmosphere at 350 oC. The vertical aligned ZnO nano-flowers showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nano-flowers. Therefore, we proposed low cost and vertically aligned ZnO nano-flowers for the high performance of thin film solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.367-369
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• 2009

플렉서블 태양전지용 연성기판재에는 플라스틱재와 금속재가 있다. 기존의 연성기판인 플라스틱의 경우 열과, 내구성, 화학약품에 약하다는 단점이 있으며, 금속기판은 높은 생산원가, 박판화의 어려움 등의 문제를 안고 있다. 일반적으로 기판재와 cell을 구성하는 반도체 층의 열팽창 거동 차이에 의한 열 변형이 태양전지의 공정안정성에 영향을 주는 것으로 알려져 있으며, cell을 구성하는 반도체 층과 열팽창 거동이 유사한 금속기판재의 적용이 필요하다. Si 박막 태양전지의 경우 Si 열팽창 거동과 비슷한 특성을 갖는 기판재의 개발이 필요하다. 전주법을 적용하여 조성이 다른 Ni계 합금의 열팽창 거동을 TMA 장비를 사용하여 측정하였다. 그리고 전산해석 Tool을 활용하여 가상의 Si 박막 태양전지 제조공정을 설정하고 고온 공정온도에서 상온으로 냉각시 발생되는 층간 열변형 연구를 수행하였고 열팽창 거동이 다른 합금 상에 Si층을 증착하여 열 충격에 의한 결함 발생여부를 관찰하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.1155-1159
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• 1999

Thin film solar cells on a glass/$SnO_2$ substrate with p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si heterojunction structures were fabricated using a plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition system. The photovoltaic properties of the solar cells were examined with varying the gas phase composition, x=$CH_4/\;(SiH_4+CH_4)$, during the deposition of the p-SiC layer. In the range of x=0~0.4, the efficiency of solar cell increased because of the increased band gap of the p-SiC window layer. Further increase in the gas phase composition, however, led to a decrease in the cell efficiency probably due to in the increased composition mismatch at the p-SiC/i-Si layers. As a result, the efficiency of a glass/$SnO_2$/p-SiC/i-SiC/i-Si/n-Si/Ag thin film solar cell with $1cm^2$ area was 8.6% ($V_{oc}$=0.85V, $J_{sc}$=16.42mA/$cm^2$, FF=0.615) under 100mW/$cm^2$ light intensity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3160-3164
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• 2012

To obtain available process at low temperature, SiOC thin film was prepared with various flow rates by using the rf magnetron sputtering, and AZO thin film was also deposited on SiOC film by rf magnetron sputtering system. The optical electrical properties of the SiOC film and SiOC/AZO were analyzed by the uv visible spectrometer and PL spectra. SiOC film on n type Si showed various type emission according to the deposition condition. The SiOC film showed the blue shift with increasing the thickness in PL spectra. AZO/SiOC/Si film had a broad emission characteristic, which is enhanced the efficiency in solar cell.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 2018

The stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film was prepared from horizontal furnace. Using extrapolation method of X-ray diffraction patterns for the polycrystal $CaAl_2Se_4$, it was found orthorhomic structure whose lattice constant $a_0$, $b_0$ and $c_0$ were 6.4818, $11.1310{\AA}$ and $11.2443{\AA}$, respectively. To obtain the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film, $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co mixed crystal was deposited on throughly etched Si (100) by the HWE (Hot Wall Epitaxy) system. The source and substrate temperature were $600^{\circ}C$ and $440^{\circ}C$ respectively. The crystalline structure of $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co single crystal thin film was investigated by the double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXD). Hall effect on this sample was measured by the method of Van der Pauw and studied on carrier density and mobility depending on temperature. From Hall data, the mobility was likely to be decreased by impurity scattering in the temperature range 30 K to 100 K and by lattice scattering in the temperature range 100 K to 293 K. The temperature dependence of the energy band gap of the $CaAl_2Se_4$: Co obtained from the absorption spectra was well described by the Varshni's relation, $E_g(T)=3.8239eV-(4.9823{\times}10^{-3}eV/K)T_2/(T+559K)$. The open-circuit voltage, short current density, fill factor, and conversion efficiency of $p-Si/p-CaAl_2Se_4$: Co heterojunction solar cells under $80mW/cm^2$ illumination were found to be 0.42 V, $25.3mA/cm^2$, 0.75 and 9.96%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2018

Solar panels are modules made up of many cells, like the N-type monosilicon, P-type monosilicon, P-type multisilicon, amorphous thin-film silicon, and CIGS solar cells. An efficient photovoltaic (PV) power is important to use to determine what kind of cell types are used because residential solar systems receive attention. In this study, we used 3-type solar panels - such as N-type monosilicon, P-type monosilicon, and CIGS solar cells - to investigate what kind of solar panel on a house or building performs the best. PV systems were composed of 3-type solar panels on the roof with each ~1.8 kW nominal power. N-type monosilicon solar panel resulted in the best power generation when monitored. Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) and Performance Ratio (PR) of the N-type Si solar panel were 14.6% and 75% respectively. In comparison, N-type monosilicon and CIGS solar panels showed higher performance in power generation than P-type monosilicon solar power with increasing solar irradiance.