A Study on Characteristics of ZnO/n-Si Low Cost Solar Cells

ZnO/n-Si 저가 박막태양전지의 특성연구

ZnO/n-Si junctions were fabricated by spin coating with ZnO precursor produced by the sol-gel process. In order to increase the electrical conductivity of ZnO films, the films were n-doped with Al impurity and subsequently annealed at about $450^{\circ}C$ under reducing environments. The ohmic contacts between n-Si and AI for a bottom electrode were successfully fabricated by doping the rear surface of Si substrate with phosphorous atoms. The front surface of the substrate was also doped with phosphorous atoms for improving the efficiency of the solar cells. Consequently, conversion efficiencies ranging up to about 5.3% were obtained. These efficiencies were found to decrease slowly with time because of the oxide films formed at the ZnO/Si interface upon oxygen penetration through the porous ZnO. Oxygen barrier layers could be necessary in order to prevent the reduction of conversion efficiencies.