• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.91.2-91.2
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• 2010

The use of plated front contact for metallization of silicon solar cell may alternative technologies as a screen printed and silver paste contact. This technologies should allow the formation of contact with low contact resistivity a high line conductivity and also reduction of shading losses. The better performance of Ni/Cu contacts is attributed to the reduced series resistance due to better contact conductivity of Ni with Si and subsequent electroplating of Cu on Ni. The ability to pattern narrower grid lines for reduced light shading combined with the lower resistance of a metal silicide contact and improved conductivity of plated deposit. This improves the FF as the series resistance is deduced. This is very much required 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 dopes regions underneath the metal contacts, is widely known to be one of the most promising high-efficiency solution in solar cell processing. This paper using selective emitter structure technique, fabricated Ni/Cu plating metallization cell with a cell efficiency of 17.19%.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.44-48
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• 2023

In heterojunction technology (HJT) solar cells, low-temperature curing paste is used because the passivation layer deteriorates at high temperatures of 200℃ or higher. However, manufacturing HJT photovoltaic (PV) modules is challenging due to the weak peel strength between busbar electrodes and cells after soldering process. For this issue, the electrode thicknesses of the busbars of the HJT solar cell were analyzed, and the peel strengths between electrodes and wires were measured after soldering using an infrared (IR) lamp. As a result, the electrodes printed by the screen printing method had a difference in thickness due to screen mask. Also, as the thickness of the electrode increased, the peel strength of the wire increased.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.61.2-61.2
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• 2010

Ag thick-film has usually been used for the front electrode of Si solar cells with the outstanding electrical properties. Ag paste consists of Ag powers, vehicles, frits and additives. Ag paste has broadly been screen-printed on the front side of Si wafer with the merits of low cost and simplicity. The optimal contact formation between Ag electrodes and Si wafer in the front electrode during a fast firing has been considered as the key factor for high efficiency. Although the content of frit in Ag pastes is less than 5wt%, it can profoundly influence the contact formation between Ag and Si under the fast firing. In this study, the effects of lead-free frits on the contacts between Ag and Si were studied with the thermal properties and compositions of various frits. Our experimental results showed that the electrical properties of cells were related to the interface structures between Ag and Si. It was found that current path of electrons from Si to Ag would be possible through the tunneling mechanism assisted by tens of nano-Ag recrystals on $n^+$ emitter as well as Ag recrystals penetrated into $n^+$ emitter layers. These preliminary studies will be helpful for designing the proper frits for the Ag pastes with considering the properties of various Si wafers.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.662-666
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• 2005

Silicon nitride $(SiN_x)$ film is a promising material for anti-reflection coating and passivation of multicrystalline silicon (me-Si) solar cells. In this work, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system with batch-type reactor tube was used to prepare highly robust $SiN_x$ films for screen-printed mc-Si solar cells. The Gas flow ratio, $R=[SiH_4]/[NH_3]$, in a mixture of silane and ammonia was varied in the range of 0.0910.235 while maintaining the total flow rate of the process gases to 4,200 sccm. The refractive index of the $SiN_x$ film deposited with a gas flow ratio of 0.091 was measured to be 2.03 and increased to 2.37 as the gas flow ratio increased to 0.235. The highest efficiency of the cell was $14.99\%$ when the flow rate of $SiH_4$ was 350 sccm (R=0.091). Generally, we observed that the efficiency of the mc-Si solar cell decreased with increasing R. From the analysis of the reflectance and the quantum efficiency of the cell, the decrease in the efficiency was shown to originate mainly from an increase in the surface reflectance for a high flow rate of $SiH_4$ during the deposition of $SiN_x$ films.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2017

In this work, two different platinum (Pt) counter electrodes have been prepared by spin coating a Pt solution and screen printing a Pt paste on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate followed by sintering at $380^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses of the Pt electrodes showed that the spin coated electrode was catalytically more active than the screen printed electrode. The above result agrees well with the surface morphology of the electrodes studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the Pt electrodes. Moreover, calculation of current density-voltage (j-V) curves according to diode model with the parameters obtained from the experimental j-V curves and the EIS data of the DSSCs provided a quantitative insight about how the catalytic activity of the counter electrodes affected the photovoltaic performance of the cells. Even though the experimental situations involved in this work are trivial, the method of analyses outlined here gives a strong insight about how the catalytic activity of a counter electrode affects the photovoltaic performance of a DSSC. This work, also, demonstrates how the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs can be improved by tuning the performance of counter electrode materials.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.422-426
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• 2016

With the increase in installed solar energy capacity, comparison and analysis of the physical property values of solar cells are becoming increasingly important for production. Therefore, research on determining the physical characteristic values of solar cells is being actively pursued. In this study, a diode equation, which is commonly used to describe the I-V behavior and determine the electrical characteristic values of solar cells, was applied. Using this method, it is possible to determine the diode ideality factor (n) and series resistance ($R_s$) based on light I-V measurements. Thus, using a commercial screen-printed solar cell and an interdigitated back-contact solar cell, we determined the ideality factor (n) and series resistance ($R_s$) with a modified diode equation method for the light I-V curves. We also used the sun-shade method to determine the ideality factor (n) and series resistance ($R_s$) of the samples. The values determined using the two methods were similar. However, given the error in the sun-shade method, the diode equation is considered more useful than the sun-shade method for analyzing the electrical characteristics because it determines the ideality factor (n) and series resistance ($R_s$) based on the light I-V curves.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.41-46
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• 2013

Efficient and inexpensive solar cells are necessary for photo-voltaic to be widely adopted for mainstream electricity generation. For this to occur, the recombination losses of charge carriers (i.e. electrons or holes) must be minimized using a surface passivation technique suitable for manufacturing. Recently it has been shown that aluminum oxide thin films are negatively charged dielectrics that provide excellent surface passivation of silicon solar cells to attract positive-charged holes. Especially aluminum oxide thin film is a quite suitable passivation on the rear side of p-type silicon solar cells. This paper, it demonstrate the interfacial microstructure and electrical properties of mono-crystalline silicon surface passivated by $Al_2O_3$ films during firing process as applied for screen-printed solar cells. The first task is a comparison of the interfacial microstructure and chemical bonds of PECVD $Al_2O_3$ and of PEALD $Al_2O_3$ films for the surface passivation of silicon. The second is to study electrical properties of double-stacked layers of PEALD $Al_2O_3$/PECVD SiN films after firing process in the temperature range of $650{\sim}950^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.407-408
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• 2013

Thin transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) having a thickness lower than 30 nm have been widely usedin touch screen panels. However the resistivity of the TCO films significantly increases as the thickness decreases, due to the poor crystallinity at very thin thickness of TCO films. In this study, we have investigated the effect of electron beam irradiation during the sputtering on the electrical properties and transmittance of 30 nm-thick ITO films, which have a different SnO2 atomic percent, prepared by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Fig. 1 shows the variation of resistivity of ITO films with a different SnO2 atomic percent for both the normal ITO films and electron beam irradiated ITO films. As shows in Fig. 1, the electron beam irradiation to the ITO (SnO2 weight percent 10%) films during the sputtering resulted in a significantly decreased in resistivity from $7.4{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}-cm$ to $1.5{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}-cm$ and it also increased in transmittance from 84% to 88% at a wavelength of 550 nm. These results can be attributed to energy transfer from electron to ad-atoms of ITO films during the electron beam irradiated sputtering, which can enhance the crystallinity of 30 nm-thick ITO films. It is strongly indicate that electron beam irradiation can greatly improve the electrical properties and transmittance of very thin ITO films for touch screen panels, flexible displays and solar cells.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.375-380
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• 2014

Solar cells exhibit different power outputs in different climates. In this study, the temperature dependence of open-circuit voltage(V-oc), short-circuit current(I-sc), fill factor(FF) and the efficiency of screen-printed single-crystal silicon solar cells were studied. One group was fabricated with homogeneously-doped emitters and another group was fabricated with selectively-doped emitters. While varying the temperature (25, 40, 60 and $80^{\circ}C$), the current-voltage characteristics of the cells were measured and the leakage currents extracted from the current-voltage curve. As the temperature increased, both the homogeneously-doped and selectively-doped emitters showed a slight increase in I-sc and a rapid degradation of V-oc. The FF and efficiency also decreased as temperature increased in both groups. The temperature coefficient for each factor was calculated. From the current-voltage curve, we found that the main cause of V-oc degradation was an increase in the intrinsic carrier concentration. The temperature coefficients of the two groups were compared, leading to the idea that structural effects could also affect the temperature dependence of current-voltage characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.362-366
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• 2014

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were synthesized using a $0.25cm^2$ area of a $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer as the electrode and platinum (Pt) as the counter electrode. The $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layers (12 to 22 ${\mu}m$) were screen-printed on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass. Glancing angle X-ray diffraction results indicated that the $TiO_2$ layer is composed of pure anatase with no traces of rutile $TiO_2$. The Pt counter electrode and the ruthenium dye anchored $TiO_2$ electrode were then assembled. The best photovoltaic performance of DSSC, which consists of a $18{\mu}m$ thick $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer, was observed at a short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) of $14.68mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, an open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) of 0.72V, a fill factor (FF) of 63.0%, and an energy conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of 6.65%. It can be concluded that the electrode thickness is attributed to the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs.