• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.111-122
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• 2021

Silicon heterojunction technology (HJT) solar cells have received considerable attention due to advantages that include high efficiency over 26%, good performance in the real world environment, and easy application to bifacial power generation using symmetric device structure. Furthermore, ultra-highly efficient perovskite/c-Si tandem devices using the HJT bottom cells have been reported. In this paper, we discuss the unique feature of the HJT solar cells, the fabrication processes and the current status of technology development. We also investigate practical challenges and key technologies of the HJT solar cell manufacturers for reducing fabrication cost and increasing productivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.6_1
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• pp.967-976
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• 2023

Currently, with the thriving development in the field of solar energy, the widespread adoption of solar grid-connected power conversion systems is rapidly expanding. As the market continues to grow, the efficiency of solar power conversion systems is steadily increasing, while prices are rapidly decreasing. Photovoltaic panels often produce low output voltages, and Boost converters are commonly employed to elevate and stabilize these voltages. They are also utilized for implementing Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), ensuring the full utilization of solar power generation. Recently, synchronous control techniques have been introduced, using controllable switching devices like Si IGBT or SiC MOSFET to replace the diodes in the original circuits. However, this has raised concerns related to costs. This paper offers a compromise solution, considering both the performance and economic factors of the converter. It proposes a hybrid high-efficiency synchronous converter structure that combines Si IGBT and SiC MOSFET. Additionally, the proposed topology has been practically implemented and tested, with results confirming its feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2014

In this study, three kinds of polymers based on phenothiazine-benzothiadiazole were synthesized by a Suzuki coupling reaction, and the various side-chains were substituted at the nitrogen of phenothiazine. The optical and electrochemical properties of synthesized polymers were analyzed. The results indicate that their absorption ranged from 300 to 700 nm, and also confirmed the ideal highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level was about -5.4 eV with low band-gap energy. Photovoltaic devices were fabricated using a photoactive layer composed of a blended solution of the polymer and $PC_{71}BM$ in ortho-dichlorobenzene The device with P2HDPZ-bTP-OBT containing the branched side-chain and long chain showed the best performance; the maximum power conversion efficiency of this device was 2.4% (with $V_{OC}$ : 0.74 V, $J_{SC}$ : $6.9mA/cm^2$, FF : 48.0%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.440-440
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• 2009

Semiconductor nanowires offer exciting possibilities as components of solar cells and have already found applications as active elements in organic, dye-sensitized, quantum-dot sensitized, liquid-junction, and inorganic solid-state devices. Among many semiconductors, silicon is by far the dominant material used for worldwide photovoltaic energy conversion and solar cell manufacture. For silicon wire to be used for solar device, well aligned wire arrays need to be fabricated vertically or horizontally. Macroscopic silicon wire arrays suitable for photovoltaic applications have been commonly grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process using metal catalysts such as Au, Ni, Pt, Cu. In the case, the impurity issues inside wire originated from metal catalyst are inevitable, leading to lowering the efficiency of solar cell. To escape from the problem, the wires of purity of wafer are the best for high efficiency of photovoltaic device. The fabrication of wire arrays by the electrochemical etching of silicon wafer with photolithography can solve the contamination of metal catalyst. In this presentation, we introduce silicon wire arrays by electrochemical etching method and then fabrication methods of radial p-n junction wire array solar cell and the various merits compared with conventional silicon solar cells.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.160-163
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• 2013

We investigated the effect of light intensity and wavelength of a solar cell device by using photoconductive atomic force microscopy (PC-AFM). The $POCl_3$ diffusion doping process was used to produce a p-n junction solar cell device based on a Poly-Si wafer and the electrical properties of prepared solar cells were measured using a solar cell simulator system. The measured open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) is 0.59 V and the short circuit current ($I_{sc}$) is 48.5 mA. Also, the values of the fill factors and efficiencies of the devices are 0.7% and approximately 13.6%, respectively. In addition, PC-AFM, a recent notable method for nano-scale characterization of photovoltaic elements, was used for direct measurements of photoelectric characteristics in local instead of large areas. The effects of changes in the intensity and wavelength of light shining on the element on the photoelectric characteristics were observed. Results obtained through PC-AFM were compared with the electric/optical characteristics data obtained through a solar simulator. The voltage ($V_{PC-AFM}$) at which the current was 0 A in the I-V characteristic curves increased sharply up to 1.8 $mW/cm^2$, peaking and slowly falling as light intensity increased. Here, $V_{PC-AFM}$ at 1.8 $mW/cm^2$ was 0.29 V, which corresponds to 59% of the average $V_{oc}$ value, as measured with the solar simulator. Also, while light wavelength was increased from 300 nm to 1,100 nm, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and results from PC-AFM showed similar trends at the macro scale, but returned different results in several sections, indicating the need for detailed analysis and improvement in the future.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.116.1-116.1
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• 2011

Materials with a combination of high electrical conductivity and optical transparency are important components of many electronic and optoelectronic devices such as liquid crystal displays, solar cells, and light emitting diodes. In this study, to fabricate a low-resistance and high optical transparent electrode film for organic photovoltaic, the following steps were performed: the design and manufacture of an electroforming stamp mold, the fabrication of thermal roll imprinted (TRI) poly-carbonate (PC) patterned films, the manufacture of high-conductivity and low-resistance Ag paste which was filled into patterned PC film using a doctor blade process and then coated with a thin film layer of conductive polymer by a spin coating process. As a result of these imprinting processes the PC films obtained a line width of $10{\pm}0.5{\mu}m$, a channel length of $500{\pm}2{\mu}m$, and a pattern depth of $7.34{\pm}0.5{\mu}m$. After the Ag paste was used to fill part of the patterned film with conductive polymer coating, the following parameters were obtained: a sheet resistance of $9.65{\Omega}$/sq, optical transparency values were 83.69 % at a wavelength of 550 nm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.299-299
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• 2013

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) has widely been used as a transparent conductive oxide (TCE) for photovoltaic devices. Lately, flexibility of ITO becomes an issue as demand of flexible device increases. Several scientists have tried to substitute ITO to different materials such as conductive polymer, graphene, CNT, and metal nanowire because of ITO brittleness. Among the substitute materials, PEDOT:PSS has mostly paid attention because PEDOT:PSS has excellent flexibility and good conductivity. The conductivity of PEDOT:PSS increases up to 1000 S/cm with additives such as DMSO, EG, sorbitol, and so on. In our research group, we introduce a conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS as a buffer layer to improve not only flexibility but also conductivity. As PEDOT:PSS layer forms beneath ITO thin film (20 nm), sheet resistance decreases from $230{\Omega}$/${\Box}$ to $85{\Omega}$/${\Box}$ and crack initiation decreases from 4.5 mm to 3.5 mm as well. We have fabricated organic photovoltaic device and power conversion efficiencies using conventional ITO electrode and ITO/PEDOT:PSS hybrid electrode. The photovoltaic property such as power conversion efficiency for ITO/PEDOT:PSS hybrid electrode is comparable to the value obtained using conventional ITO electrode on glass substrate.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.587-593
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• 2011

A new high power density and low cost Photovoltaic Power Conditioning System (PV PCS) with energy storage system is proposed. Its high power density and cost effectiveness can be achieved through the unification of the maximum power point tracker and battery charger/discharger. Despite of the reduced power stage, the proposed system can achieve the same performances of maximum power point tracking and battery charging/discharging as the conventional system. Moreover, the high voltage stress across the link-capacitor can be relieved through the series-connected link-capacitor with the battery. Therefore, a large number of series/parallel-connected link-capacitors can be reduced by 4-times. Especially, when the utility power failure happens, both photovoltaic and battery energies can be supplied to the load with only one power stage. Therefore, it features a simpler structure, less mass, lower cost, and fewer devices. Finally, to confirm the operation, validity, and features of the proposed system, theoretical analysis and experimental results from a single phase AC 220Vrms/1.5kW prototype are presented.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.680-684
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• 2018

We investigate the effect of light intensity and wavelength of a solar cell device using photoconductive atomic force microscopy(PC-AFM). A $POCl_3$ diffusion doping process is used to produce a p-n junction solar cell device based on a polySi wafer, and the electrical properties of prepared solar cells are measured using a solar cell simulator system. The measured open circuit voltage($V_{oc}$) is 0.59 V and the short circuit current($I_{sc}$) is 48.5 mA. Moreover, the values of the fill factors and efficiencies of the devices are 0.7 and approximately 13.6 %, respectively. In addition, PC-AFM, a recent notable method for nano-scale characterization of photovoltaic elements, is used for direct measurements of photoelectric characteristics in limited areas instead of large areas. The effects of changes in the intensity and wavelength of light shining on the element on the photoelectric characteristics are observed. Results obtained through PC-AFM are compared with the electric/optical characteristics data obtained through a solar simulator. The voltage($V_{PC-AFM}$) at which the current is 0 A in the I-V characteristic curves increases sharply up to $18W/m^2$, peaking and slowly falling as light intensity increases. Here, $V_{PC-AFM}$ at $18W/m^2$ is 0.29 V, which corresponds to 59 % of the average $V_{oc}$ value, as measured with the solar simulator. Furthermore, while the light wavelength increases from 300 nm to 1,100 nm, the external quantum efficiency(EQE) and results from PC-AFM show similar trends at the macro scale but reveal different results in several sections, indicating the need for detailed analysis and improvement in the future.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.716-720
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• 2021

In this study, we examine the availability of a cooling patch to enhance the output power of a hybrid energy device (HED) comprising a photovoltaic cell (PVC) and a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The cooling patch attached on the back of the TEG drops the temperature of the PVC via the TEG and makes a large thermal gradient across the TEG under irradiances in a range of 200 to 1000 W/m². The cooling patch is more effective for the output power of the HED as the irradiance increases, and it enhances the maximum output power of the HED to 42.1 mW at an irradiance of 1000 W/m². The increment in the maximum output power reaches 27% owing to the attachment of the cooling patch that does not consume any power.