• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.973-978
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• 2014

This study focused on the design of the reflecting layer of a light trapping system fora thin film solar cell using topology optimization based on the phase field method. Therefore, incident light was caused to propagate in the desired direction by reflecting it from this layer, which is the design domain. The same method was applied to the conceptual design of an infrared stealth structure in near infrared range. The results using the phase field method were compared with those using the density method. The design objective was to maximize the Poynting vector value representing the energy flux, which was measured in a measuring domain to control the reflected wave direction. A finite element analysis and optimization process were performed using the commercial package COMSOL combined with the MATLAB programming.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.38.2-38.2
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• 2010

Biomimetc is a new domain of learning that proposes a solution getting clues from nature. There seems to be a sign of this phenomenon in fields of Renewable Energy. Foe example, Wind power was imitate the whale's fin that was improve efficiency of generating energy. This study focused on the photovoltaic generation as the instance of applying biomimetic. Efficiency is the most important factor in field of Photovoltaic generation. When given solar cell taking the sun light, most important fields of the study are absorb more light and increase the quantity of generation. For improving efficiency, the solar cell were builded up textures of taking a pyramid form, such a surface structure taking a role for remaining the light. This effects do the role as increasing absorbing efficiency. Such phenomenon calls Light Trapping, locking up the light on the surface of solar cell for a long time. Light is a vital factor to plants in the nature. Plants grow up through the photosynthesis that absorbing light for growth and propagation. So, plants make a effort how can absorb more the light in poor surroundings. This study set up a goal that imitates the minute surface structure of plants and applies to the existing solar cells's surface structure, so it can improve the efficiency of absorbing light. We used Light Tools software analyzing geometrical optics to analyze efficiency about new designed textures on the computer. We made a comparison between existing textures and new designed textures. Consequently, new designed textures were advanced efficiency, absorbing rates of light increasing about 7 percent. In comparison with existing and new textures, advancing about 20 percent in the efficient aspect.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 2024

This work focuses on improving the light-harvesting efficiency of thin-film silicon solar cells through innovative multi-architecture surface modifications. To create a regular optical structure, a lithographic process was performed to form it on a glass substrate through various etching processes, from Etch-1 to Etch-3. AZO was deposited on top of the structures and re-etched to create a multi-architectural surface. These surface-modified structures improved the light absorption and overall performance of the solar cell through changes in optical and physical properties, which we will analyze. In addition, we investigated the effect of post-cleaning on the etched glass structures through EDX analysis to understand the mechanism of the etching action. The results of this study are expected to provide important guidelines for the design and fabrication of solar cells and other photovoltaic devices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.493-493
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• 2014

The manufacturing cost of thin-film photovoltics can potentially be lowered by minimizing the amount of a semiconductor material used to fabricate devices. Thin-film solar cells are typically only a few micrometers thick, whereas crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer solar cells are $180{\sim}300\mu}m$ thick. As such, thin-film layers do not fully absorb incident light and their energy conversion efficiency is lower compared with that of c-Si wafer solar cells. Therefore, effective light trapping is required to realize commercially viable thin-film cells, particularly for indirect-band-gap semiconductors such as c-Si. An emerging method for light trapping in thin film solar cells is the use of metallic nanostructures that support surface plasmons. Plasmon-enhanced light absorption is shown to increase the cell photocurrent in many types of solar cells, specifically, in c-Si thin-film solar cells and in poly-Si thin film solar cell. By proper engineering of these structures, light can be concentrated and coupled into a thin semiconductor layer to increase light absorption. In many cases, silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NP) are formed either on the front surface or on the rear surface on the cells. In case of poly-Si thin film solar cells, Ag NPs are formed on the rear surface of the cells due to longer wavelengths are not perfectly absorbed in the active layer on the first path. In our cells, shorter wavelengths typically 300~500 nm are also not effectively absorbed. For this reason, a new concept of plasmonic nanostructure which is NPs formed both the front - and the rear - surface is worth testing. In this simulation Al NPs were located onto glass because Al has much lower parasitic absorption than other metal NPs. In case of Ag NP, it features parasitic absorption in the optical frequency range. On the other hand, Al NP, which is non-resonant metal NP, is characterized with a higher density of conduction electrons, resulting in highly negative dielectric permittivity. It makes them more suitable for the forward scattering configuration. In addition to this, Ag NP is located on the rear surface of the cell. Ag NPs showed good performance enhancement when they are located on the rear surface of our cells. In this simulation, Al NPs are located on glass and Ag NP is located on the rear Si surface. The structure for the simulation is shown in figure 1. Figure 2 shows FDTD-simulated absorption graphs of the proposed and reference structures. In the simulation, the front of the cell has Al NPs with 70 nm radius and 12.5% coverage; and the rear of the cell has Ag NPs with 157 nm in radius and 41.5% coverage. Such a structure shows better light absorption in 300~550 nm than that of the reference cell without any NPs and the structure with Ag NP on rear only. Therefore, it can be expected that enhanced light absorption of the structure with Al NP on front at 300~550 nm can contribute to the photocurrent enhancement.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.90.2-90.2
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• 2010

The crystalline silicon solar cells have been optical losses. but it can be reduced using light trapping by texture structure and anti-reflection coating. The high reflective index of crystalline silicon at solar wavelengths(400nm~1000nm) creates large reflection losses that must be compensated for by applying anti-reflection coating. In this study, the use of porous silicon(PSi) as an active material in a solar cell to take advantage of light trapping and blue-harvesting photoluminescence effect. Porous silicon is form by anodization and can be obtained in an electrolyte with hydrofluoric. We expect our research can results approaching to lower than 10% of several reflectance by porous silicon solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.250.1-250.1
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• 2015

광학적 특성 중 광 포집 (Light trapping)을 향상시키기 위해 표면의 거칠기 및 형태를 변화시킬 수 있는 방법으로 유리 텍스쳐 방법을 적용시키는 연구가 최근에 많이 진행되고 있다. 본 연구에서 광 포집 및 전류밀도 향상을 위해 페로브스카이트 태양전지의 상부전극에 적용 하였다. 본 연구에서 FTO 기판 후면의 유리 부분을 희석된 HF 용액을 사용하여 습식화학공정을 진행 하였다. 이때 텍스쳐 시간을 조절하여 실험을 진행하였으며, 박막의 광 산란 및 포집 특성을 조절 하였습니다. 텍스쳐된 유리기판을 페로브스카이트 태양전지에 적용 하였을 때, 광 산란 및 포집 효과로 인하여 전류밀도와 효율이 증가됨을 확인하였다. 이러한 유리 텍스처 처리는 다양한 태양전지 구조에 이용될 수 있다.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.378-382
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• 2003

Transparent conductive oxides (TCO) are necessary as front electrode for most thin film solar cell. In our paper, transparent conducting aluminum-doped Zinc oxide films (ZnO:Al) were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on glass (Corning 1737) substrate as a variation of the deposition condition. After deposition, the smooth ZnO:Al films were etched in diluted HCI (0.5%) to examine the electrical and surface morphology properties as a variation of the time. The most important deposition condition of surface-textured ZnO films by chemical etching is the processing pressure md the substrate temperature. In low pressures (0.9mTorr) and high substrate temperatures ($\leq$$300^{\circ}C$), the surface morphology of films exhibits a more dense and compact film structure with effective light-trapping to apply the silicon thin film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.391-394
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• 2002

Transparent conductive oxides (TCO) are necessary as front electrode for most thin film solar cell. In our paper, transparent conducting aluminum-doped Zinc oxide films (ZnO:Al) were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on glass (Corning 1737) substrate as a variation of the deposition condition. After deposition, the smooth ZnO:Al films were etched in diluted HCl (0.5%) to examine the electrical and surface morphology Properties as a variation of the time. The most important deposition condition of surface-textured ZnO films by chemical etching is the processing pressure and the substrate temperature. In low pressures (0.9 mTorr) and high substrate temperatures ($\leq$30$0^{\circ}C$), the surface morphology of films exhibits a more dense and compact film structure with effective light-trapping to apply the silicon thin film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.594-594
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• 2012

Al doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on textured glass substrate by magnetron sputtering method. Also, AZO films on textured glass were etched by hydrochloric acid (HCl). Average thickness of etched AZO films are 90 nm. We observed morphology of AZO film by AFM with various etchant concentration and etching time. Etched AZO films have low resistivity and high haze. The surface RMS roughness of AZO film was increased from 53.8 nm to 84.5 nm. The haze ratio was also enhanced in above 700 nm of wavelength due to light trapping effect was increased by rough AZO surface. The etched AZO films on textured glass are applicable to fabricate solar cell.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.91-96
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• 2005

We report the efficient red light-emitting diodes based on the fluorescent dye 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-i-propyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTI) and 5,6,11,12-tetraphenyl naphthacene (rubrene) codoped in the tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum $(Alq_3)$. Luminance efficiency of 2.2 cd/A with a Commission International De L'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinate of x, y = (0.640, 0:350) are achieved at the driving current density of $20\;mA/cm^2$. Adding the rubrene to the DCJTI in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum $(Alq_3)$, the red color purity and luminance efficiency improved comparing to the DCJTI only doped devices because the rubrene molecules assist the polarization effect of DCJTI by molecular interaction and enhance the energy transfer from $(Alq_3)$ to DCJTI.