• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.50-53
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• 2019

In this study, polycrystalline silicon thin film useful for the solar cells was fabricated by AIC(Aluminum Induced Crystallization) process. A diffusing barrier for this process is prepared with $Al_2O_3$. For the maximization of the grain size of the polycrystalline silicon, a selective blasting of the $Al_2O_3$ diffusing barrier was conducted before annealing treatment. The heat treatment for the activation of the amorphous-Si (a-Si) layer was carried out with Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) process. Crystallization of the a-Si layer was analyzed with XRD. It was confirmed that a-Si was crystallized at $500^{\circ}C$ and the silicon crystal is observed to be formed and the grain size of the polycrystalline silicon was observed to be $15.9{\mu}m$.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2022

The most prevalent cause of solar cell efficiency loss is reduced recombination at the metal electrode and silicon junction. To boost efficiency, a a SiO_X/poly-Si passivating interface is being developed. Poly-Si for passivating contact is formed by various deposition methods (sputtering, PECVD, LPCVD, HWCVD) where the ploy-Si characterization depends on the deposition method. The sputtering process forms a dense Si film at a low deposition rate of 2.6 nm/min and develops a low passivation characteristic of 690 mV. The PECVD process offers a deposition rate of 28 nm/min with satisfactory passivation characteristics. The LPCVD process is the slowest with a deposition rate of 1.4 nm/min, and can prevent blistering if deposited at high temperatures. The HWCVD process has the fastest deposition rate at 150 nm/min with excellent passivation characteristics. However, the uniformity of the deposited film decreases as the area increases. Also, the best passivation characteristics are obtained at high doping. Thus, it is necessary to optimize the doping process depending on the deposition method.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.280-283
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• 2007

The first grid-connected, building-integrated transparent amorphous silicon photovoltaic installation has been operated since October 2004 in Yongin, Korea. The 2.2kWp transparent PV system was applied to the facade of entrance hall in newly constructed KOLON E&C R&D building. The PV module is a nominal 0.98m ${\times}$ 0.95m, 10% transparent, laminated, amorphous(a-Si) thin-film device rated at 44 Wp per module. To demonstrate the architectural features of thin film PV technologies for daylighting application, transparent PV modules are attached to the building envelope with the form of single glazed window and special point glazing(SPG) frames. Besides power generation, the 10% transmittance of a-Si PV module provides very smooth natural daylight to the entrance hall without any special shading devices for whole year. The installation is fully instrumented and is continuously monitored in order to allow the performance assessment of amorphous silicon PV operating at the prevailing conditions. This paper presents measured power performance data from the first 12 months of operation. For the first year, annual average system specific yield was just 486.4kWh/kWp/year which is almost half of typical amorphous silicon PV output under the best angle and orientation. It should be caused by building orientation and self-shading of adjacent mass. Besides annual power output, various statistical analysis was performed to identify the characteristics of transparent thin film PV system.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.125-129
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• 2019

Recently, carrier-selective contact solar cells have attracted much interests because of its high efficiency with low recombination current density. In this study, we investigated the effect of phosphorus doped amorphous silicon layer's characteristics on the passivation properties of tunnel oxide passivated carrier-selective contact solar cells. We fabricated symmetric structure sample with poly-Si/SiOx/c-Si by deposition of phosphorus doped amorphous silicon layer on the silicon oxide with subsequent annealing and hydrogenation process. We varied deposition temperature, deposition thickness, and annealing conditions, and blistering, lifetime and passivation quality was evaluated. The result showed that blistering can be controlled by deposition temperature, and passivation quality can be improved by controlling annealing conditions. Finally, we achieved blistering-free electron carrier-selective contact with 730mV of i-Voc, and cell-like structure consisted of front boron emitter and rear passivated contact showed 682mV i-Voc.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2014

Highly efficient hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells were prepared on flexible stainless steel substrates using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. To enhance the performance of solar cells, material properties of back reflectors, n-doped seed layers and wide bandgap nc-SiC:H window layers were optimized. The light scattering efficiency of Ag back reflectors was improved by increasing the surface roughness of the films deposited at elevated substrate temperatures. Using the n-doped seed layers with high crystallinity, the initial crystal growth of intrinsic nc-Si:H absorber layers was improved, resulting in the elimination of the defect-dense amorphous regions at the n/i interfaces. The nc-SiC:H window layers with high bandgap over 2.2 eV were deposited under high hydrogen dilution conditions. The vertical current flow of the films was enhanced by the formation of Si nanocrystallites in the amorphous SiC:H matrix. Under optimized conditions, a high conversion efficiency of 9.13% ($V_{oc}=0.52$, $J_{sc}=25.45mA/cm^2$, FF = 0.69) was achieved for the flexible nc-Si:H thin-film solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.72.1-72.1
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• 2010

Thin film a-Si solar cells deposited by PECVD have many advantages compared to the traditional crystalline Si solar cells. They do not require expensive Si wafer, the process temperature is relatively low, possibility of scaling up for mass production, etc. In order to produce thin film solar cells, understanding the relationship between the material characteristics and deposition conditions is important. It has been reported by many groups that the band gap of the a-Si material and the deposition rate has an linear relationship, when RF power is used to control both. However, when the process pressure is changed in order to control the deposition rate and the band gap, a diversion from the well known linear relationship occurs. Here, we explain this diversion by the deposition condition crossing different plasma regions in the Paschen curve with a simple model. This model will become a guide to which condition a-Si thin films must be fabricated in order to get a high quality film.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.65 no.10
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• pp.1694-1696
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• 2016

Present thin film solar cells with hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiO:H) as an absorber suffer from low fill factor(FF) of 61~64 [%] in spite of its benefits related to high open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$). Since degraded quality of a-SiO:H absorber by alloying with oxygen can affect the FF, we aimed to achieve high photosensitivity by minimizing $CO_2$ gas addition. Improving optical gap($E_{opt}$) has been attained by strong hydrogen dilution combined with lowering substrate temperature down to 100 [$^{\circ}C$]. Small amount of the $CO_2$ was added in order to disturb microcrystalline formation by high hydrogen dilution. The developed a-SiO:H has high photosensitivity (${\sim}2{\times}10^5$) and high $E_{opt}$ of 1.85 [eV], which contributed to attain remarkable FF of 74 [%] and high $V_{oc}$ (>1 [V]). As a result, high power conversion efficiency of 7.18 [%] was demonstrated by using very thin absorber layer of only 100 [nm], even though we processed all experiment at extremely low temperature of 100 [$^{\circ}C$].

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.491-496
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• 2011

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) used in the antireflection layer and current spreading layer of heterojunction solar cells should have excellent optical and electrical properties. Furthermore, TCOs need a high work function over 5.2 eV to prevent the effect of emitter band-bending caused by the difference in work function between emitter and TCOs. Sn-doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) film is a highly promising material as a TCO due to its excellent optical and electrical properties. However, ITO films have a low work function of about 4.8 eV. This low work function of ITO films leads to deterioration of the conversion efficiency of solar cells. In this work, ITO films with various Zn contents of 0, 6.9, 12.7, 28.8, and 36.6 at.% were fabricated by a co-sputtering method using ITO and AZO targets at room temperature. The optical and electrical properties of Zn-doped ITO thin films were analyzed. Then, silicon heterojunction solar cells with these films were fabricated. The 12.7 at% Zn-doped ITO films show the highest hall mobility of 35.71 $cm^2$/Vsec. With increasing Zn content over 12.7, the hall mobility decreases. Although a small addition of Zn content increased the work function, further addition of Zn content over 12.7 at.% led to decreasing electrical properties because of the decrease in the carrier concentration and hall mobility. Silicon heterojunction solar cells with 12.7 at% Zn-doped ITO thin films showed the highest conversion efficiency of 15.8%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.245-252
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• 2009

Changes in the surface morphology and light scattering of textured Al doped ZnO thin films on glass substrates prepared by rf magnetron sputtering were investigated. As-deposited ZnO:Al films show a high transmittance of above 80% in the visible range and a low electrical resistivity of $4.5{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$. The surface morphology of textured ZnO:Al films are closely dependent on the deposition parameters of heater temperature, working pressure, and etching time in the etching process. The optimized surface morphology with a crater shape is obtained at a heater temperature of $350^{\circ}C$, working pressure of 0.5 mtorr, and etching time of 45 seconds. The optical properties of light transmittance, haze, and angular distribution function (ADF) are significantly affected by the resulting surface morphologies of textured films. The film surfaces, having uniformly size-distributed craters, represent good light scattering properties of high haze and ADF values. Compared with commercial Asahi U ($SnO_2$:F) substrates, the suitability of textured ZnO:Al films as front electrode material for amorphous silicon thin film solar cells is also estimated with respect to electrical and optical properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.186-186
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• 2012

최근 Flexible organic electronics 분야에 대한 관심과 더불어 소자의 산소 및 수분의 침투를 방지하기 위한 투습방지막 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 Closed Drift Linear Source(CDLPS) 플라즈마 공정을 이용하여 저온 고속의 $SiO_xC_yH_z$ barrier flims 형성 연구를 진행하였다. HMDSO(hexamethyldisiloxane), TMS(trimethylsilane)와 산소를 기반으로 HMDSO/HMDSO+산소의 비율에 따라 $Si(-O_x)$ 변화에 따른 특성 평가를 진행하였다. X-ray photoelectrom spectroscopy(XPS) 및 Ft-IR spectrometer 측정 시 3.7% 비율에서 실리콘 원소가 산소 라디칼과 효율적인 반응을 함으로써 단일한 $SiO_2$ 박막이 형성됨을 확인 하였다. 그와 반면에 비율의 증가로 인해 다량의 HMDSO 물질이 주입 되었을 시 산소 라디칼과 충분히 반응 되지 못하여 $SiO_2$에 비해 $Si(CH)_x$ 가 많이 함량 된 Polymer like한 $SiO_x$가 많이 형성되었다. 박막의 증착율의 경우에는 3.7%에서 18%로 증가함에 따라 35 nm/min에서 180 nm/min의 증착율을 가지는 것을 확인 하였다. 3.7% 비율의 단일 $SiO_2$ 공정 조건으로 유기태양전지에 형성 하였을 시 소자의 에너지 변환 효율(PCE)이 변화 없는 것을 확인하였다. 이는 기존 공정에 비해 CDLPS 플라즈마 공정의 경우 유기소자에 플라즈마로 인한 열에너지나 이온 충격 에너지로 인한 영향 없는 것을 확인 할 수 있다. 이런 장점을 통해 CDSPS를 이용한 공정 기술은 다양한 유기 소자의 barrier 형성 연구에 큰 도움이 될 것이다.