• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

This study was trying to focus on achieving high efficiency of multi junction solar cell with thin film silicon solar cells. The proposed thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell concept with a combination of low-cost thin-film silicon solar cell technology and high-efficiency c-Si cells in a monolithically stacked configuration. The tandem junction solar cells using amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) as an absorption layer of upper sub-cell were simulated through ASA (Advanced Semiconductor Analysis) simulator for acquiring the optimum structure. Graded Ge composition - effect of E_g profiling and inserted buffer layer between absorption layer and doped layer showed the improved current density (J_sc) and conversion efficiency (η). 13.11% conversion efficiency of the tandem junction solar cell was observed, which is a result of showing the possibility of thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.75-75
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• 1999

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.113-121
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• 2017

The researches on the silicon-based thin films are being actively carried out. The silicon-based thin films can be made as amorphous, microcrystalline and mixed phase and it is known that the optical bandgap can be controlled accordingly. They are suitable materials for the fabrication of single junction, tandem and triple junction solar cells. It can be used as a doping layer through the bonding of boron and phosphorus. The carbon and oxygen can bond with silicon to form a wide range of optical gap. Also, The optical gap of hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium can be lower than that of silicon. By controlling the optical gaps, it is possible to fabricate multi-junction thin film silicon solar cells with high efficiencies which can be promising photovoltaic devices.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

Extensive investigation on silicon based thin film reveals a wide range of film characteristics, from low optical gap to high optical gap, from amorphous to micro-crystalline silicon etc. Fabrication of single junction, tandem and triple junction solar cell with suitable materials, indicate that fabrication of solar cell of a relatively moderate efficiency is possible with a better light induced stability. Due to these investigations, various competing materials like wide band gap silicon carbide and silicon oxide, low band gap micro-crystalline silicon and silicon germanium etc were also prepared and applied to the solar cells. Such a multi-junction solar cell can be a technologically promising photo-voltaic device, as the external quantum efficiency of such a cell covers a wider spectral range.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.322.1-322.1
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• 2014

Many research groups have studied tandem or multi-junction cells to overcome this low efficiency and degradation. In multi-junction cells, band-gap engineering of each absorb layer is needed to absorb the light at various wavelengths efficiently. Various absorption layers can be formed using multi-junctions, such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H), amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) and microcrystalline silicon (${\mu}c$-Si:H), etc. Among them, ${\mu}c$-Si:H is the bottom absorber material because it has a low band-gap and does not exhibit light-induced degradation like amorphous silicon. Nevertheless, ${\mu}c$-Si:H requires a much thicker material (>2 mm) to absorb sufficient light due to its smaller light absorption coefficient, highlighting the need for a high growth rate for productivity. ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H has a much higher absorption coefficient than ${\mu}c$-Si:H at the low energy wavelength, meaning that the thickness of the absorption layer can be decreased to less than half that of ${\mu}c$-Si:H. ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H films were prepared using 40 MHz very high frequency PECVD method at 1 Torr. SiH4 and GeH4 were used as a reactive gas and H2 was used as a dilution gas. In this study, the ${\mu}c$-SiGe:H layer for triple solar cells applications was performed to optimize the film properties.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.67.1-67.1
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• 2010

Triple junction solar cell을 위한 a-SiGe middle cell의 조건별 광학적 특성에 관한 연구를 실시하였다. a-SiGe I층은 GeH4 유량, 압력, H2 dilution ratio를 변화시켜 제조하였으며 전기적, 광학적 특성을 비교하여 최종적으로 선택된 조건을 triple junction solar cell에 적용하였다. a-SiGe I층은 Ge contents가 증가함에 따라 band gap은 감소하고 45% 이상의 조건에서는 700nm 전후 파장의 투과율이 감소하며, 압력이 감소함에 따라 band gap은 소폭 감소하나 700nm 전후 파장의 투과율은 증가하였다. 그리고 H2 ratio가 증가함에 따라 band gap은 소폭 감소하나 투과율에는 큰 변화가 없었다. 상기 결과를 바탕으로 최종적으로 선택된 조건에서 triple-junction solar cell을 제작하여 평가한 결과 초기 변환효율 9%의 결과를 얻었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1164-1169
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• 2012

This paper presents a study of an integrated infrared (IR) photo sensor for display application. We fabricated hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film transistor (a-Si:H TFT) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium thin film transistor (a-SiGe:H TFT) which were bottom gate structure. We investigated the dependence of a-SiGe:H TFT characteristics on incident wavelengths. We proposed photo sensor which responded to wavelengths of IR region. Proposed pixel circuit of photo sensor was consists of switch TFT and photo TFT, and one capacitor. We developed integrated photo sensor circuit and investigated the performance of the proposed sensor circuit according to the input wavelengths. The developed photo sensor circuit with a-SiGe:H TFT was suitable for IR.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.320-320
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• 2014

Amorphous silicon alloy (a-Si) solar cells and modules have been receiving a great deal of attention as a low-cost alternate energy source for large-scale terrestrial applications. Key to the achievement of high-efficiency solar cells using the multi-junction approach is the development of high quality, low band-gap materials which can capture the low-energy photons of the solar spectrum. Several cell designs have been reported in the past where grading or buffer layers have been incorporated at the junction interface to reduce carrier recombination near the junction. We have investigated profiling the composition of the a-SiGe alloy throughout the bulk of the intrinsic material so as to have a built-in electrical field in a substantial portion of the intrinsic material. As a result, the band gap mismatch between a-Si:H and $a-Si_{1-x}Ge_x:H$ creates a barrier for carrier transport. Previous reports have proposed a graded band gap structure in the absorber layer not only effectively increases the short wavelength absorption near the p/i interface, but also enhances the hole transport near the i-n interface. Here, we modulated the GeH4 flow rate to control the band gap to be graded from 1.75 eV (a-Si:H) to 1.55 eV ($a-Si_{1-x}Ge_x:H$). The band structure in the absorber layer thus became like a U-shape in which the lowest band gap was located in the middle of the i-layer. Incorporation of this structure in the middle and top cell of the triple-cell configuration is expected to increase the conversion efficiency further.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.399-399
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• 2013

Metal silicides는 Si 기반의microelectronic devices의 interconnect와 contact 물질 등에 사용하기 위하여 그 형성 mechanism과 전기적 특성에 대한 연구가 많이 이루어지고 있다. 이 중 Rare-earth(RE) silicides는 저온에서 silicides를 형성하고, n-type Si과 낮은 Schottky Barrier contact (~0.3 eV)을 이룬다. 또한 낮은 resistivity와 Si과의 작은 lattice mismatch, 그리고 epitaxial growth의 가능성, 높은 thermal stability 등의 장점을 갖고 있다. RE silicides 중 ytterbium silicide는 가장 낮은 electric work function을 갖고 있어 n-channel schottky barrier MOSFETs의 source/drain으로 주목받고 있다. 또한 Silicon 기반의 CMOSFETs의 성능 향상 한계로 인하여 germanium 기반의 소자에 대한 연구가 이루어져 왔다. Ge 기반 FETs 제작을 위해서는 낮은 source/drain series/contact resistances의 contact을 형성해야 한다. 본 연구에서는 저접촉 저항 contact material로서 ytterbium germanide의 가능성에 대해 고찰하고자 하였다. HRTEM과 EDS를 이용하여 ytterbium germanide의 미세구조 분석과 면저항 및 Schottky Barrier Heights 등의 전기적 특성 분석을 진행하였다. Low doped n-type Ge (100) wafer를 1%의 hydrofluoric (HF) acid solution에 세정하여 native oxide layer를 제거하고, 고진공에서 RF sputtering 법을 이용하여 ytterbium 30 nm를 먼저 증착하고, 그 위에 ytterbium의 oxidation을 방지하기 위한 capping layer로 100 nm 두께의 TiN을 증착하였다. 증착 후, rapid thermal anneal (RTA)을 이용하여 N2 분위기에서 $300{\sim}700^{\circ}C$에서 각각 1분간 열처리하여 ytterbium germanides를 형성하였다. Ytterbium germanide의 미세구조 분석은 transmission electron microscopy (JEM-2100F)을 이용하였다. 면 저항 측정을 위해 sulfuric acid와 hydrogen peroxide solution (H2SO4:H2O2=6:1)에서 strip을 진행하여 TiN과 unreacted Yb을 제거하였고, 4-point probe를 통하여 측정하였다. Yb germanides의 면저항은 열처리 온도 증가에 따라 감소하다 증가하는 경향을 보이고, $400{\sim}500^{\circ}C$에서 가장 작은 면저항을 나타내었다. HRTEM 분석 결과, deposition 과정에서 Yb과 Si의 intermixing이 일어나 amorphous layer가 존재하였고, 열처리 온도가 증가하면서 diffusion이 더 활발히 일어나 amorphous layer의 두께가 증가하였다. $350^{\circ}C$ 열처리 샘플에서 germanide/Ge interface에서 epitaxial 구조의 crystalline Yb germanide가 형성되었고, EDS 측정 및 diffraction pattern을 통하여 안정상인 YbGe2-X phase임을 확인하였다. 이러한 epitaxial growth는 면저항의 감소를 가져왔으며, 열처리 온도가 증가하면서 epitaxial layer가 증가하다가 고온에서 polycrystalline 구조의 Yb germanide가 형성되어 면저항의 증가를 가져왔다. Schottky Barrier Heights 측정 결과 또한 면저항 경향과 동일하게 열처리 증가에 따라 감소하다가 고온에서 다시 증가하였다.