Transparent conductor-embedding nanocones for selective emitters: optical and electrical improvements of Si solar cells

Abstract

Periodical nanocone-arrays were employed in an emitter region for high efficient Si solar cells. Conventional wet-etching process was performed to form the nanocone-arrays for a large area, which spontaneously provides the graded doping features for a selective emitter. This enables to lower the electrical contact resistance and enhances the carrier collection due to the high electric field distribution through a nanocone. Optically, the convex-shaped nanocones efficiently reduce light-reflection and the incident light is effectively focused into Si via nanocone structure, resulting in an extremely improved the carrier collection performances. This nanocone-arrayed selective emitter simultaneously satisfies optical and electrical improvement. We report the record high efficiency of 16.3% for the periodically nanoscale patterned emitter Si solar cell.

High potential for the optimum designs for a front contact and junction: A route to heterojunction solar cell

“…In general, for a well fabricated heterojunction solar cell the value of m is typically in the range of 1o m o2 and when the diode current is dominated by the carrier diffusion in quasi neutral region the value of m is close to 1. On the other hand, when carrier recombination is dominated by space charge region of a diode, m approaches to a value close to 2 [12,14,15]. A small difference between dark and illuminated value of m in the fabricated solar cell indicates that the cell agrees well with the solar cell diode model.…”

“…The main function of the embedded AgNWs in the solar cell structure is to increase the electrical conductivity of the ITO films and to facilitate better charge transport. The advantage of the buried AgNWs is that it can reduce the contact resistance between ITO and AgNWs, which eventually influences the performance of a solar cell [12,13]. Si based heterojunction solar cell [5,8,9].…”

Si photodetectors imprinted with ITO nanodomes for enhanced photodetection at NIR wavelengths

“…Since the ITO nanodome structures act as an optical lens which competently converge the incident photons into the junction [15,25], improved EQE and IQE values are yielded by the nanodome structured device.…”

Solution-processed transparent conducting Ag nanowires layer for photoelectric device applications

“…In the aspect of light management, transparent conducting oxide (TCO) has a high potential to a route for light path the semiconductor layer. Various TCO materials, such as In 2 O 3 :Sn (ITO), F:SnO 2 , Al:ZnO, have been well studied in photoelectric device applications [2][3][4].…”