• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.581-588
• /
• 2013

This paper presents a study of the process temperature dependence of $Al_2O_3$ film grown by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a passivation layer in the crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells. The deposition rate of $Al_2O_3$ film maintained almost the same until $250^{\circ}C$, but decreased from $300^{\circ}C$. $Al_2O_3$ film deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ was found to have the highest negative fixed oxide charge density ($Q_f$) due to its O-rich condition and low hydroxyl group (-OH) density. After post-metallization annealing (PMA), $Al_2O_3$ film deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ had the lowest slow and fast interface trap density. Actually, $Al_2O_3$ film deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ showed the best passivation effects, that is, the highest excess carrier lifetime (${\tau}_{PCD}$) and lowest surface recombination velocity ($S_{eff}$) than other conditions. Therefore, $Al_2O_3$ film deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ exhibited excellent chemical and field-effect passivation properties for p-type c-Si solar cells.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.51-55
• /
• 2011

The surface passivation is one of the important methods that can improve the efficiency of solar cells and can be classified into two methods: wet-chemical passivation and film passivation. In this paper, chemical HF treatment were employed for the passivation of n-type silicon wafers and their effects were studied. To investigate film passivation effects, the silicon nitride films were also deposited by PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) on n-type silicon wafers treated with chemical HF. The minority carrier lifetime measurements were used for evaluation of the passivation characteristics in the all experiments steps. We confirmed that the minority carrier lifetime was improved with chemical HF treatment due to passivation effects by H-termination.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.575-579
• /
• 2010

The technologies of Ni/Cu plating contact is attributed to the reduced series resistance caused by a better contact conductivity of Ni with Si and the subsequent electroplating of Cu on Ni. The ability to pattern narrower grid lines for reduced light shading was combined with the lower resistance of a metal silicide contact and an improved conductivity of the plated deposit. This improves the FF (fill factor) as the series resistance is reduced. This is very much requried in the case of low concentrator solar cells in which the series resistance is one of the important and dominant parameter that affect the cell performance. A Selective emitter structure with highly dopeds regions underneath the metal contacts, is widely known to be one of the most promising high-efficiency solution in solar cell processing In this paper the formation of a selective emitter, and the nickel silicide seed layer at the front side metallization of silicon cells is considered. After generating the nickel seed layer the contacts were thickened by Cu LIP (light induced plating) and by the formation of a plated Ni/Cu two step metallization on front contacts. In fabricating a Ni/Cu plating metallization cell with a selective emitter structure it has been shown that the cell efficiency can be increased by at least 0.2%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.617-622
• /
• 2010

We have studied methods to save Si source during the fabrication process of crystalline Si solar cells. One way is to use a thin silicon wafer substrate. As the thickness of the wafers is reduced, mechanical fractures of the substrate increase with the mechanical handling of the thin wafers. It is expected that the mechanical fractures lead to a dropping of yield in the solar cell process. In this study, the mechanical properties of 220-micrometer-solar grade Cz p-type monocrystalline Si wafers were investigated by varying saw-damage etching conditions in order to improve the flexural strength of ultra-thin monocrystalline Si solar cells. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution were used as etching solutions. Etching processes were operated with a varying of the ratio of KOH and TMAH solutions in different temperature conditions. After saw-damage etching, wafers were cleaned with a modified RCA cleaning method for ten minutes. Each sample was divided into 42 pieces using an automatic dicing saw machine. The surface morphologies were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and 3D optical microscopy. The thickness distribution was measured by micrometer. The strength distribution was measured with a 4-point-bending tester. As a result, TMAH solution at $90^{\circ}C$ showed the best performance for flexural strength.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.08a
• /
• pp.312.2-312.2
• /
• 2013

태양전지에서 SiNX층은 반사방지막 역할과 표면 페시베이션의 역할을 동시에 하고 있다. SiNx에서 굴절율과 두께는 반사율과 밀접한 관계가 있으며 동시에 표면 소수캐리어 수명에도 큰 영향을 미친다. 따라서 굴절율과 두께를 조절하여 낮은 반사도와 긴 소수캐리어 수명을 가지는 SiNx 박막을 제조하여야 우수한 효율의 태양전지를 제조할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 굴절율과 두께의 SiNx 박막을 결정질 실리콘 태양전지에 적용하여 효율과의 상관관계를 해석하였다. SiNx 박막은 PECVD장비를 이용하여 RF파워, 가스혼합량, 증착시간 등을 각각 변화시키며 형성하였다. RF 파워는 100~500 W로 변화 시켰고 혼합가스 변화는 SiH4가스와 NH3가스, Ar가스를 각각 주입하며 증착하였다. RF 파워 300W, 가스혼합량 SiH4 90sccm, NH3 26sccm, Ar 99sccm과 기판 온도 $300^{\circ}C$, 공정시간 58초에서 포면 반사율 1.09%와 굴절률 1.965, 두께 76nm를 갖는 SiNx층을 형성 할 수 있었다. SiNx층을 증착하여 셀을 제작한 결과, 개방전압: 0.612V, 전류밀도: 38.49 mA/cm2, 충실도: 75.62%, 효율: 17.82%를 얻을 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2010.06a
• /
• pp.249-249
• /
• 2010

We investigated novel surface treatment and its impact on silicon photovoltaic cells. Using 2-step etching methods, we have changed the nanostructure on pyramid surface so that less light is reflected. This work proposes an improved texturing technique of mono crystalline silicon surface for solar cells with sub-nanotexturing process. The nanotextured silicon surface exhibits a lower average reflectivity (~4%) in the wavelength range of 300-1100nm without antireflection coating layer. It is worth mentioning that the surface of pyramids may also affect the surface reflectance and carrier lifetime. In one word, we believe nanotextruing is a promising guide for texturization of monocrystalline silicon surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2016.02a
• /
• pp.406-406
• /
• 2016

To get high efficiency n-type crystalline silicon solar cells, passivation is one of the key factor. Tunnel oxide (SiO2) reduce surface recombination as a passivation layer and it does not constrict the majority carrier flow. In this work, the passivation quality enhanced by different chemical solution such as HNO3, H2SO4:H2O2 and DI-water to make thin tunnel oxide layer on n-type crystalline silicon wafer and changes of characteristics by subsequent annealing process and firing process after phosphorus doped amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposition. The tunneling of carrier through oxide layer is checked through I-V measurement when the voltage is from -1 V to 1 V and interface state density also be calculated about $1{\times}1012cm-2eV-1$ using MIS (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor) structure . Tunnel oxide produced by 68 wt% HNO3 for 5 min on $100^{\circ}C$, H2SO4:H2O2 for 5 min on $100^{\circ}C$ and DI-water for 60 min on $95^{\circ}C$. The oxide layer is measured thickness about 1.4~2.2 nm by spectral ellipsometry (SE) and properties as passivation layer by QSSPC (Quasi-Steady-state Photo Conductance). Tunnel oxide layer is capped with phosphorus doped amorphous silicon on both sides and additional annealing process improve lifetime from $3.25{\mu}s$ to $397{\mu}s$ and implied Voc from 544 mV to 690 mV after P-doped a-Si deposition, respectively. It will be expected that amorphous silicon is changed to poly silicon phase. Furthermore, lifetime and implied Voc were recovered by forming gas annealing (FGA) after firing process from $192{\mu}s$ to $786{\mu}s$. It is shown that the tunnel oxide layer is thermally stable.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.1 no.4
• /
• pp.11-15
• /
• 2000

This paper presents a process optimization of antireflection (AR) coating on crystalline Si solar cells. Theoretical and experimental investigations were performed on a double-layer AR(DLAR) coating of MgFe$_2$/GeO$_2$. We investigated GeO$_2$ films as an AR layer because they have a proper refractive index of 2.46 and demonstrate the same lattice constant as Si substrate. RF sputter grown GeO$_2$ film showed deposition temperature strong dependence. The GeO$_2$ at 400$\^{C}$ exhibited a strong (111) preferred orientation and the lowest surface roughness of 6.87 $\AA$. Refractive index of MgFe$_2$film was measured as 1.386 for the most of growth temperature. An optimized DLAR coating showed a reflectance as low as 2.04% in the wavelengths ranged from 0.4 ㎛ to 1.1 ㎛. Solar cells with a structure of MgFe$_2$/GeO$_2$/Ag/N$\^$+//p-type Si/P$\^$+//Al were investigated with the without DLAR coatings. We achieved the efficiency of solar cells greater than 15% with 3.12% improvement with DLAR coatings. Further details about MgFe$_2$,GeO$_2$ films, and cell fabrication parameters are presented in this paper.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.600-600
• /
• 2012

실리콘 이종접합 태양전지는 diffused dopant를 이용하여 high conductivity의 emitter를 가지는 기존의 crystalline silicon 태양전지와는 다르게 a-Si:H를 이용한 low conductivity emitter 때문에 TCO를 front electrode 및 anti-reflection layer로 사용한다. 하지만 TCO와 emitter사이의 work function mismatch에 의한 band-offset이 발생하고 photo-generation된 carrier의 injection을 막아 효율 상승을 제한하게 된다. 본 연구는 산소 반응성 스퍼터링을 통한 front TCO의 일함수 변경과 이에 따른 TCO와 emitter 계면에 존재하는 band-offset 변화에 대하여 분석하였다. 특히 산소 분압에 따른 front TCO의 일함수 변화에 따라 개방전압 및 단락전류 변화가 두드러지게 나타났으며, 직렬저항 성분 변화에 따른 충진률 변화에 따른 효율상승을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.08a
• /
• pp.200.1-200.1
• /
• 2013

실리콘 태양전지 표면에는 구조적인 결함에 의해 소수 캐리어의 재결합이 일어난다. 재결합에 의해 캐리어의 반송자 수명은 줄어들게 되고, 태양전지의 효율은 감소하게 된다. 이를 줄이기 위해 태양전지 전 후면에 패시베이션을 하게 되는데, 이번 연구는 단결정 실리콘 태양전지 전면에 SiNx막을 증착함으로 수소 패시베이션이 반송자 수명에 미치는 영향에 대하여 연구하였다. 공정을 위해 $156{\times}156mm^2$, 200 ${\mu}m$, 0.5-3.0 ${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ and p-type 단결정 실리콘 웨이퍼를 사용하였고, SiNx막을 올리기 전에 KOH 8.5% 용액으로 SDR을 실행하였다. RF-PECVD 장비로 SiNx 막을 증착하였고 증착 온도는 $200{\sim}400^{\circ}C$, 반응기 내부의 압력을 200~1,000 mtorr, SiH4/NH3/N2 각각의 가스 비율 조절, 그리고 플라즈마 RF power 변화시킴에 따라 증착된 SiNx막의 균일도 및 특성을 분석하였다. 반사광 측정 장비인 Reflectometer장비로 막의 두께와 굴절률, 반사율을 측정하였고, 반송자 수명을 측정하여 태양전지의 표면결함을 최대한 패시베이션 시켜주는 조건에 대한 연구를 수행하였다.