• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.243-247
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• 2012

The paper focuses on an anti-reflection (AR) coating deposited by PECVD in silicon solar cell fabrication. AR coating is effective to reduce the reflection of the light on the silicon wafer surface and then increase substantially the solar cell conversion efficiency. In this work, we carried out experiments to optimize double AR coating layer with silicon nitride and silicon oxide for the silicon solar cells. The p-type mono crystalline silicon wafers with $156{\times}156mm^2$ area, 0.5-3 ${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ resistivity, and $200{\mu}m$ thickness were used. All wafers were textured in KOH solution, doped with $POCl_3$ and removed PSG before ARC process. The optimized thickness of each ARC layer was calculated by theoretical equation. For the double layer of AR coating, silicon nitride layer was deposited first using $SiH_4$ and $NH_3$, and then silicon oxide using $SiH_4$ and $N_2O$. As a result, reflectance of $SiO_2/SiN_x$ layer was lower than single $SiN_x$ and then it resulted in increase of short-circuit current and conversion efficiency. It indicates that the double AR coating layer is necessary to obtain the high efficiency solar cell with PECVD already used in commercial line.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.155-156
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• 2007

본 연구에서는 태양전지 표면에 입사된 빛의 반사율을 최소화하기 위해서 단결정 실리콘 기판 표면에 다공성 실리콘층을 적용하여 반사방지막(Anti-Reflection Coating, ARC)을 형성하는 실험을 하였다. 다공성 실리콘(Porous silicon, PSi)은 실온에서, 기판 성질에 따라 일정 비율로 만든 전해질 용액($HF-C_2H_5OH-H_2O$)을 사용하여 실리콘 표면에 양극산화처리 함으로써 단순 공정만으로 실리콘 기판의 반사율을 낮출 수 있다. 본 연구는 일정한 면저항을 가지는 단결정 실리콘 기판에 다공성 실리콘층을 여러 조건으로 형성하여 반사방지막으로써의 특성을 비교 분석하였다.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.28.1-28.1
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• 2010

다양한 반도체 재료 중 ZnO는 3.2 eV의 넓은 밴드 갭을 통한 고효율의 단파장 전기광학 소자 응용 개발에 대한 연구가 진행중에 있으며, 60 meV의 넓은 엑시톤 결합 에너지로 인해 높은 기계적, 열적 안정성을 가진다. 또한 높은 투과성과 굴절율(n=2)을 가지며 이방성 성장을 통한 텍스처 코팅이 가능함으로 PV(photovoltaics)용 유전체 ARC(anti-reflection coating) 재료로 유망하다. 텍스처된 표면은 빛을 차단시키며, 광대역에서 반사를 억제 시킨다. 또한 나노 구조를 통한 나노 다공성 표면은 광대역에서 빛을 모으는 장점이 있으며 태양전지 효율을 극대화 시킬 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 저온 공정이 가능한 hydrothermal 방법으로 다양한 ZnO 나노 구조를 합성하였다. 사용된 합성 재료로 사용되는 zinc nitrate($Zn(NO_3)_2.6H_2O$), hexamethyltetramine(HMT, $C_6H_{12}N_4$)의 농도 및 합성 온도 변화를 통해 다양한 나노구조(나노선, 나노막대, 나노시트 등)의 형태 및 크기를 제어하였다. 이러한 구조적인 변화를 토대로 텍스처된 다공성 나노구조를 형성시키고, 그 형상과 크기 차이에 따른 AR 특성을 평가하였다. ZnO 나노 구조의 결정학적 특성은 XRD(x-ray diffractometer)를 이용하여 분석하였으며, SEM(scanning electron microscope)을 통해 나노 구조의 모양과 크기를 관찰하였다. 또한 UV-Vis spectrophotometer를 통해 나노 구조의 흡수도와 반사도를 측정하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2013

Crystalline silicon solar cells with $SiN_x/SiN_x$ and $SiN_x/SiO_x$ double layer anti-reflection coatings(ARC) were studied in this paper. Optimizing passivation effect and optical properties of $SiN_x$ and $SiO_x$ layer deposited by PECVD was performed prior to double layer application. When the refractive index (n) of silicon nitride was varied in range of 1.9~2.3, silicon wafer deposited with silicon nitride layer of 80 nm thickness and n= 2.2 showed the effective lifetime of $1,370{\mu}m$. Silicon nitride with n= 1.9 had the smallest extinction coefficient among these conditions. Silicon oxide layer with 110 nm thickness and n= 1.46 showed the extinction coefficient spectrum near to zero in the 300~1,100 nm region, similar to silicon nitride with n= 1.9. Thus silicon nitride with n= 1.9 and silicon oxide with n= 1.46 would be proper as the upper ARC layer with low extinction coefficient, and silicon nitride with n=2.2 as the lower layer with good passivation effect. As a result, the double layer AR coated silicon wafer showed lower surface reflection and so more light absorption, compared with $SiN_x$ single layer. With the completed solar cell with $SiN_x/SiN_x$ of n= 2.2/1.9 and $SiN_x/SiO_x$ of n= 2.2/1.46, the electrical characteristics was improved as ${\Delta}V_{oc}$= 3.7 mV, ${\Delta}_{sc}=0.11mA/cm^2$ and ${\Delta}V_{oc}$=5.2 mV, ${\Delta}J_{sc}=0.23mA/cm^2$, respectively. It led to the efficiency improvement as 0.1% and 0.23%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.116-117
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• 2006

We investigated selective emitter effect of Porous Silicon (PSI) as antireflection coatings (ARC). The thin PSi layer, less than 100nm, was electrochemically formed by electrochemical method in about $3{\mu}m$ thick $n^+$ emitter on single crystalline silicon wafer (sc-Si). The appropriate PSi formations for selective emitter effect were carried out a two steps. A first set of samples allowed to be etched after metal-contact processing and a second one to evaporate Ag front-side metallization on PSi layer, by evaluating the I-V features The PSi has reflectance less than 20% in wavelength for 450-1000nm and porosity is about 60%. The cell made after front-contact has improved cell efficiency of about in comparison with the one made after PSi. The observed increase of efficiency for samples with PSi coating could be explained not only by the reduction of the reflection loss and surface recombination but also by the increased short-circuit current (Isc) within selective emitter. The assumption was confirmed by numerical modeling. The obtained results point out that it would be possible to prepare a solar cell over 15% efficiency by the proposed simple technology.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.114-119
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• 2020

In this study, Mitigation of Potential-induced degradation (PID) for PERC solar cells using SiO2 Structure of ARC layer. The conventional PID test was conducted with a cell-level test based on the IEC-62804 test standard, but a copper PID test device was manufactured to increase the PID detection rate. The accelerated aging test was conducted by maintaining 96 hours with a potential difference of 1000 V at a temperature of 60℃. As a result, the PERC solar cell of SiO2-Free ARC structure decreased 22.11% compared to the initial efficiency, and the PERC solar cell of the Upper-SiO2 ARC structure decreased 30.78% of the initial efficiency and the PID reliability was not good. However, the PERC solar cell with the lower-SiO2 ARC structure reduced only 2.44%, effectively mitigating the degradation of PID. Na+ ions in the cover glass generate PID on the surface of the PERC solar cell. In order to prevent PID, the structure of SiNx and SiO2 thin films of the ARC layer is important. SiO2 thin film must be deposited on bottom of ARC layer and the surface of the PERC solar cell N-type emitter to prevent surface recombination and stacking fault defects of the PERC solar cell and mitigated PID degradation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.405-405
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• 2011

실리콘 질화막(SiNx : H)는 결정질 실리콘 태양전지 제작 공정에서 ARC (Anti Reflection Coating)과 표면 패시베이션의 역할로써 많이 사용되었지만, layer 자체의 quality가 좋지 않기 때문에 최근에는 SiNx/SiO2 이중 layer로 passivation layer를 형성하고 있다. SiO2 layer는 Si substrate를 소스로 하여 성장시키기 때문에 막의 질이 우수하기는 하지만, 막 성장을 위해서 Furnace를 이용해야 하기 때문에, 공정 시간과 공정 비용을 증가시키는 단점이 있다. 본 연구에서는 SiO2 layer를 Furnace가 아닌, 질산(HNO3)을 이용하여SiNx/Thin SiO2 passivation layer 제작하였다. 실험에서는 SiO2 성장을 위해서 질산 용액에 p-type wafer를 dipping하여 시간대 별, SiO2 막의 두께를 관찰하였고, passivation의 효과를 확인하기 위해 lifetime을 측정하였다. 그 결과 SiNx/SiO2 이중 passivation layer는 SiNx 단일 막으로 passivation을 하였을 때보다, lifetime이 10 us 상승했고, 셀 제작시 효율은 약 1.1%, Fill Factor는 약 4% 정도 증가한 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.616-621
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• 2009

Reduction of optical losses in crystalline silicon solar cells by surface modification is one of the most important issues of silicon photovoltaics. Porous Si layers on the front surface of textured Si substrates have been investigated with the aim of improving the optical losses of the solar cells, because an anti-reflection coating(ARC) and a surface passivation can be obtained simultaneously in one process. We have demonstrated the feasibility of a very efficient porous Si ARC layer, prepared by a simple, cost effective, electrochemical etching method. Silicon p-type CZ (100) oriented wafers were textured by anisotropic etching in sodium carbonate solution. Then, the porous Si layers were formed by electrochemical etching in HF solutions. After that, the properties of porous Si in terms of morphology, structure and reflectance are summarized. The structure of porous Si layers was investigated with SEM. The formation of a nanoporous Si layer about 100nm thick on the textured silicon wafer result in a reflectance lower than 5% in the wavelength region from 500 to 900nm. Such a surface modification allows improving the Si solar cell characteristics. An efficiency of 13.4% is achieved on a monocrystalline silicon solar cell using the electrochemical technique.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.305-305
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• 2010

태양전지의 개발이 본격화 되면서 태양전지 웨이퍼 표면에서의 재결합에 의한 손실을 줄이고 전면에서의 반사도를 감소시키기 위한 ARC (Anti-reflection Coating) layer에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이 중 대표적인 물질이 실리콘 질화막이 있다. 실리콘 질화막은 PECVD(plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition)법으로 저온에서 실리콘 기판 위에 증착 가능한 장점이 있다. 또한 실리콘 질화막의 광학적, 전기적인 특성은 $SiH_4:NH_3$의 화학적 조성비에 의해 결정되며 가스비 가변에 따라 균일도 및 굴절률 조절을 가능케 하여 태양전지의 효율을 향상시킬 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 태양전지의 표면 반사도 저감 및 효율 향상에 최적화된 실리콘 질화막을 형성하기 위해 PECVD를 이용하였고, 가스비 가변을 통해 굴절률을 조절하여 실리콘 질화막을 증착하고 이를 이용한 태양전지를 제작한 후 특성을 비교, 분석하였다. 실리콘 질화막 증착을 위해 압력, 온도, 파워를 1Torr, $450^{\circ}C$, 300W로 고정하고 가스비는 $SiH_4$를 45 sccm으로 고정한 후 $NH_3$의 양을 각각 30, 60, 90, 120 sccm으로 가변하였다. $SiH_4:NH_3$ 비율이 45:90일 때 박막의 passivation효과가 최대였으며 이 조건로 ARC를 형성한 태양전지는 77% 후반의 높은 FF(Fill Factor)와 17%의 광 변환 효율을 나타냈다.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.29-35
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• 2014

In this study general solar cell production process was complemented, with research on improvement of solar cell efficiency through surface structure and thermal annealing process. Firstly, to form the pyramid structure, the saw damage removal (SDR) processed surface was undergone texturing process with reactive ion etching (RIE). Then, for the formation of smooth pyramid structure to facilitate uniform doping and electrode formation, the surface was etched with HND(HF : HNO3 : D.I. water=5 : 100 : 100) solution. Notably, due to uniform doping the leakage current decreased greatly. Also, for the enhancement and maintenance of minority carrier lifetime, antireflection coating thermal annealing was done. To maintain this increased lifetime, front electrode was formed through Au plating process without high temperature firing process. Through these changes in two processes, the leakage current effect could be decreased and furthermore, the conversion efficiency could be increased. Therefore, compared to the general solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 15.89%, production of high efficiency solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 17.24% was made possible.