• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2011

In this study, pyramid structured black silicon process was developed in order to overcome disadvantages of using wet etching to texture the surface of single crystalline silicon and using grass/needle-like black silicon structure. In order to form the pyramidal black silicon structure on the silicon surface, the RIE system was modified to equip with metal-mesh on the top of head shower. The process conditions were : $SF_6/O_2$ gas flow 15/15 sccm, RF power of 200 W, pressure at 50 mTorr ~ 200 mTorr, and temperature at $5^{\circ}C$. The pressure did not affect the pyramid structure significantly. Increasing processing time increased the size of the pyramid, however, the size remained constant at 1 ${\mu}M$ ~ 2 ${\mu}M$ between 15 minutes ~ 20 minutes of processing. Pyramid structure of 1 ${\mu}M$ in size showed to have the lowest reflectivity of 7 % ~ 10 %. Also, the pyramid structure black silicon is more appropriate than the grass/needle-like black silicon when creating solar cells.

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

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.31-35
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• 2011

For high efficiency of Si-cells, Si wafers were textured by the KOH and NaOH etching solution to decreas the reflectance at surfaces of the cells. The textured surfaces were shown various types such as isotropic and anisotropic depending on the etching solution. The reflectance at sample of an anisotropic form with pyramid type was lower than that of isotropic form. The surface with isotropic form of general tiny circles on the surface increased the efficiency, however, the reflectance of it was increased. The efficiency was increased on surface with low roughness.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2010

The reduction of optical losses in mono-crystalline silicon solar cell by surface texturing is a critical step to improve the overall cell efficiency. In this study, we have changed the sub-micrometer structure on the micrometer pyramidal structure by 2-step texturing. The Ag particles were coated on the micrometer pyramid surface in $AgNO_3$ solution, and then the etching with hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen peroxide created even smaller nano-pyramids in these pyramids. As a result, we observed that the changes of size and thickness of nano structure on pyramidal surface were determined by $AgNO_3$ concentration and etching time. Using 2-step texturing, the surface of wafers is etched to resemble the rough surface of a lotus leaf. Lotus surface can reduce average reflectance from 10% to below 3%. This reflectance is less than conventional textured wafer including anti-reflection coating.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2018

The dependency of the electrical characteristics of silicon solar-cells on the depth of damaged layer induced by wire-sawing process was investigated. To compare cell efficiency with residual sawing damage, silicon solar-cells were fabricated by using as-sawn wafers having different depth of saw damage without any damaged etching process. The damaged layer induced by wire-sawing process in silicon bulk intensely influenced the value of fill factor on solar cells, degrading fill factor to 57.20%. In addition, the photovoltaic characteristics of solar cells applying texturing process shows that although the initial depth of saw-damage induced by wire-sawing process was different, the value of short-circuit current, fill-factor, and power-conversion-efficiency have an almost same, showing ~17.4% of cell efficiency. It indicated that the degradation of solar-cell efficiency induced by wire-sawing process could be prevented by eliminating all damaged layer through sufficient pyramid-surface texturing process.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1268-1274
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• 2018

We have investigated the effects of chemical rounding (CR) on the surface passivation and/or antireflection performance of $AlO_{x^-}$ and $AlO_x/SiN_x:H$ stack-passivated pyramid textured $p^+$-emitters with two different boron doping concentrations, and on the performance of bifacial n-PERT Si solar cells with a front pyramid textured $p^+$-emitter. From experimental results, we found that chemical rounding markedly enhances the passivation performance of $AlO_x$ layers on pyramid textured $p^+$-emitters, and the level of performance enhancement strongly depends on boron doping concentration. Meanwhile, chemical rounding increases solar-weighted reflectance ($R_{SW}$) from ~2.5 to ~3.7% for the $AlO_x/SiN_x:H$ stack-passivated pyramid textured $p^+$-emitters after 200-sec chemical rounding. Consequently, compared to non-rounded bifacial n-PERT Si cells, the short circuit current density Jsc of 200-sec-rounded bifacial n-PERT Si cells with ~60 and ${\sim}100{\Omega}/sq$ $p^+$-emitters is reduced by 0.8 and $0.6mA/cm^2$, respectively under front $p^+$-emitter side illumination. However, the loss in the short circuit current density Jsc is fully offset by the increased fill factor FF by 0.8 and 1.5% for the 200-sec-rounded cells with ~60 and ${\im}100{\Omega}/sq$ $p^+$-emitters, respectively. In particular, the cell efficiency of the 200-sec-rounded cells with a ${\sim}100{\Omega}/sq$ $p^+$-emitter is enhanced as a result, compared to that of the non-rounded cells. Based on our results, it could be expected that the cell efficiency of bifacial n-PERT Si cells would be improved without additional complicated and costly processes if chemical rounding and boron doping processes can be properly optimized.