Texturing industrial multicrystalline silicon solar cells

Macdonald, Daniel; Cuevas, Andrés; Kerr, Mark; Samundsett, Christian; Ruby, D.S.; Winderbaum, Saul; Leo, Angelo

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2003.08.019

Cited by 252 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

107

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…[38][39][40][41] For large area photovoltaic applications, light trapping strategies that involve little or no micro-or nanofabrication and patterning are desirable to improve performance while minimizing cost. [42][43] An interesting strategy towards this end is the use of thin film interference. Figures 2b and 2d show two common strategies for lithography-free absorption enhancement in ultrathin semiconductor films.…”

Section: Absorption and Photonic Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Van der Waals Materials for Atomically-Thin Photovoltaics: Promise and Outlook

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors provide a unique opportunity for optoelectronics due to their layered atomic structure, electronic and optical properties. To date, a majority of the application-oriented research in this field has been focused on fieldeffect electronics as well as photodetectors and light emitting diodes. Here we present a perspective on the use of 2D semiconductors for photovoltaic applications. We discuss photonic device designs that enable light trapping in nanometer-thickness absorber layers, and we also outline schemes for efficient carrier transport and collection. We further provide theoretical estimates of efficiency indicating that 2D semiconductors can indeed be competitive with and complementary to conventional photovoltaics, based on favorable energy bandgap, absorption, external radiative efficiency, along with recent experimental demonstrations. Photonic and electronic design of 2D semiconductor photovoltaics represents a new direction for realizing ultrathin, efficient solar cells with applications ranging from conventional power generation to portable and ultralight solar power. *Corresponding author: haa@caltech.eduKeywords: Transition metal dichalcogenides, heterostructures, light-trapping, ShockleyQuessier, nanophotonics, 2D materials Since the isolation of graphene as the first free-standing two-dimensional (2D) material (from graphite), the class of layered 2D materials with weak van der Waals inter-planar bonding has expanded significantly. Two-dimensional materials now span a great diversity of atomic structure and physical properties. Prominent among these are the semiconductor chalcogenides of transition and basic metals (Mo, W, Ga, In, Sn, Re etc.) 1-3 , as well as layered allotropes of other p-block elements of the periodic table such as P, As, Te etc. 4 The availability of atomic layer thickness samples of stable, passivated, and dangling bond free semiconductor materials ushers in a new phase in solid state device design and optoelectronics.1, 5-8 A notable feature of the metal chalcogenide 2D semiconductors is the transition from an indirect bandgap in bulk to direct bandgap (Eg) in monolayer form, resulting in a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) [9][10] in turn corresponding to high radiative efficiency. This combined with the bandgap ranging from visible to near infrared part of the spectrum (1.1 to 2.0 eV) 1 makes the chalcogenides

show abstract

Section: Absorption and Photonic Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Van der Waals Materials for Atomically-Thin Photovoltaics: Promise and Outlook

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…4 Alkaline etching may also be used for multicrystalline Si, but due to the random orientation of the crystal grains, isotropic acidic etching that results in a random dimple-like pattern is a more common approach. 5 Pyramidal structures have been demonstrated on crystalline Si solar cells with thickness in the 30 micron range 6 despite structure sizes with a depth of more than 10 lm. These structures have excellent anti-reflection properties, but better light confinement may be achieved with other structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of periodic light-trapping structures in thin crystalline silicon solar cells

Gjessing

Sudbø

Marstein

2011

Journal of Applied Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Material costs may be reduced and electrical properties improved by utilizing thinner solar cells. Light trapping makes it possible to reduce wafer thickness without compromising optical absorption in a silicon solar cell. In this work we present a comprehensive comparison of the light-trapping properties of various bi-periodic structures with a square lattice. The geometries that we have investigated are cylinders, cones, inverted pyramids, dimples (half-spheres), and three more advanced structures, which we have called the roof mosaic, rose, and zigzag structure. Through simulations performed with a 20 μm thick Si cell, we have optimized the geometry of each structure for light trapping, investigated the performance at oblique angles of incidence, and computed efficiencies for the different diffraction orders for the optimized structures. We find that the lattice periods that give optimal light trapping are comparable for all structures, but that the light-trapping ability varies considerably between the structures. A far-field analysis reveals that the superior light-trapping structures exhibit a lower symmetry in their diffraction patterns. The best result is obtained for the zigzag structure with a simulated photo-generated current Jph of 37.3 mA/cm2, a light-trapping efficiency comparable to that of Lambertian light-trapping.

show abstract

“…Especially for the isotexture, the etching process has to start at nucleation points so that no planar surface results (as a result of a homogeneous etching). A simplified process for the effective texturing of multicrystalline silicon using acidic etching processes is based on using saw damages on wafers as seeding or nucleation, in this way a homogeneously distributed texture can be achieved [40,71]. Figure 3.8 shows two photographs of multicrystalline silicon wafers, one textured using an alkaline solution, the other using an acidic solution.…”

Section: Overview Of Etching Technologies (Maskless)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanoimprint lithography for solar cell texturisation

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The highest efficiency silicon solar cells are fabricated using defined texturing schemes by applying etching masks. However, for an industrial production of solar cells the usage of photolithographic processes to pattern these etching masks is too consumptive. Especially for multicrystalline silicon, there is a huge difference in the quality of the texture realized in high efficiency laboratory scale and maskless industrial scale fabrication. In this work we are describing the topography of a desired texture for solar cell front surfaces. We are investigating UV-nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) as a potential technology to substitute photolithography and so to enable the benefits resulting of a defined texture in industrially feasible processes. Besides the reduced process complexity, UV-NIL offers new possibilities in terms of structure shape and resolution of the generated etching mask. As mastering technology for the stamps we need in the UV-NIL, interference lithography is used. The UV-NIL process is conducted using flexible UV-transparent stamps to allow a full wafer process. The following texturisation process is realized via crystal orientation independent plasma etching to tap the full potential of the presented process chain especially for multicrystalline silicon. The textured surfaces are characerised optically using fourier spectroscopy

show abstract

Texturing industrial multicrystalline silicon solar cells

Cited by 252 publications

References 2 publications

Van der Waals Materials for Atomically-Thin Photovoltaics: Promise and Outlook

Van der Waals Materials for Atomically-Thin Photovoltaics: Promise and Outlook

Comparison of periodic light-trapping structures in thin crystalline silicon solar cells

Nanoimprint lithography for solar cell texturisation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About