• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.100.2-100.2
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• 2012

Surface texturing of crystalline silicon is carried out in alkaline solutions for anisotropic etching that leads to random pyramids of about $10{\mu}m$ in size. Recently textured pyramids size gradually reduced using new solution. In this paper, we investigated that texture pyramids size had an impact on emitter property and front electrode (Ag) contact. To make small (${\sim}3{\mu}m$) and large (${\sim}10{\mu}m$) pyramids size, texturing times control and one side texturing using a silicon nitride film were carried out. Then formation and quality of POCl3-diffused n+ emitter in furnace compare with small and large pyramids by using SEM images, simulation (SILVACO, Athena module) and emitter saturation current density (J0e). After metallization, Ag contact resistance was measured by transfer length method (TLM) pattern. And surface distributions of Ag crystallites were observed by SEM images. Also, performance of cell which is fabricated by screen-printed solar cells is compared by light I-V.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.841-845
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• 2013

We give a textured front on silicon wafer for high-efficiency solar cells by using micro contact printing method which uses PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) silicon rubber as a stamp and SAM (self assembled monolayer)s as an ink. A random pyramidal texturing have been widely used for a front-surface texturing in low cost manufacturing line although the cell with random pyramids on front surface shows relatively low efficiency than the cell with inverted pyramids patterned by normal optical lithography. In the past two decades, the micro contact printing has been intensively studied in nano technology field for high resolution patterns on silicon wafer. However, this promising printing technique has surprisingly never applied so far to silicon based solar cell industry despite their simplicity of process and attractive aspects in terms of cost competitiveness. We employ a MHA (16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid) as an ink for Au deposited $SiO_2/Si$ substrate. The $SiO_2$ pattern which is same as the pattern printed by SAM ink on Au surface and later acts as a hard resist for anisotropic silicon etching was made by HF solution, and then inverted pyramidal pattern is formed after anisotropic wet etching. We compare three textured surface with different morphology (random texture, random pyramids and inverted pyramids) and then different geometry of inverted pyramid arrays in terms of reflectivity.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.835-840
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• 2008

Texturing for crystalline silicon solar cells is one of the important techniques to increase conversion efficiency by effective photon trapping. Generally, incoming wafers or alkali etched wafers are used for texturing. From this conventional etching process, $7{\sim}10{\mu}m$-sized random pyramids are formed. In this study, acid etching for removal of saw damages was practiced before texturing. This improved the resulting surface morphology, which consisted of $2{\sim}4{\mu}m$-sized pyramids. Because these pyramids covered the surface much more extensively, we obtained reduction of optical losses on the surface. In order to compare with conventional texturing, FE-SEM is used for observing surface morphology and reflectance data is analyzed by UV-VIS spectrophotometer.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2009

The influence of various surface morphologies on the mechanical strength of silicon substrates was investigated in this study. The yield for the solar cell industry is mainly related to the fracturing of silicon wafers during the manufacturing process. The flexural strengths of silicon substrates were influenced by the density of the pyramids as well as by the size and the rounded surface of the pyramids. To characterize and optimize the relevant texturing process in terms of mechanical stability and the fabrication yield, the mechanical properties of textured silicon substrates were investigated to optimize the size and morphology of random pyramids. Several types of silicon substrates were studied, including the planar type, a textured surface with large and small pyramids, and a textured surface with rounded pyramids. The surface morphology and a cross-section of the as-textured and fractured silicon substrates were investigated by scanning electron microscopy.