• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.76-84
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• 2019

Silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) have dominated the photovoltaic market up till now but their conversion performance is practically limited to around 26% compared with the theoretical efficiency limit of 29.4%. A silicon based multi-junction devices are expected to overcome this limitation. In this report, we briefly review the state-of-art characteristic of wide-gap materials which has played a role as top sub-cells in silicon based multi-junction solar cells. In addition, we indicate significantly practical challenges and key issues of these multi-junction combination. Finally, we focus to some characteristics of III-V/c-Si tandem configuration which are reaching highly record performance in multi-junction silicon solar cells.

• Vacuum Magazine
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.4-9
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• 2014

About 170 years has been passed since the concept of photovoltaic has been suggested by French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. Now the highest efficiency of solar cell has reached up to 44% by III-V multi-junction solar cells with concentrator. Those multi-junction solar cells are suitable as energy source for spaceships. On the other hand, the cell efficiency of solar cell for electric power generation as energy source for Earth has is going to be saturated although commercial solar cell efficiency is around 20%. In the part 1 of this article, the history of III-V multi-junction solar cells which have been adapted for spaceships is explained and in the part 2, new approach for the improvement of cell efficiency is suggested as the energy source for Earth.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.150-155
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• 2013

Textured surface has been fabricated to reduce the light reflectance from the solar cells. The textured surface is very suitable for the multi-junction III-V solar cells because it can decrease the light reflectance over a large wavelength range. In this study, we have generated a textured structure on InAlP which is used for the window layer of the multi-junction III-V solar cells. Ultra-thin Pt layer (0.7 nm) has been used for wet etching mask. An array of nanosized pyramid shape formed on InAlP surface dramatically reduces the light reflectance up to 13.7% over a large wavelength range (i.e., $0.3{\sim}1.5{\mu}m$).