• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2000

The recycled single crystal silicon wafers have been fabricated into solar cells. It can be a solution for the high cost in materials for solar cells and recycling of materials. So, p-type (100) single crystal silicon wafers with high resistivity of $10-14\;{\Omega}cm$ and the thickness of $650\;{\mu}m$ were used for the fabrication of solar cells. Optimistic conditions of formation of back surface field, surface texturing and anti-reflection coating were studied for getting high efficiency. In addition, thickness variation of solar cell was also studied for increase of efficiency. As a result, the solar cell with efficiency of 10% with a curve fill factor of 0.53 was fabricated with the wafers which have the area of $4\;cm^2$ and thickness of $300\;{\mu}m$. According to above results, recycling possibility of wasted wafers to single crystal silicon solar cells was confirmed.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.11-15
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• 2000

This paper presents a process optimization of antireflection (AR) coating on crystalline Si solar cells. Theoretical and experimental investigations were performed on a double-layer AR(DLAR) coating of MgFe$_2$/GeO$_2$. We investigated GeO$_2$ films as an AR layer because they have a proper refractive index of 2.46 and demonstrate the same lattice constant as Si substrate. RF sputter grown GeO$_2$ film showed deposition temperature strong dependence. The GeO$_2$ at 400$\^{C}$ exhibited a strong (111) preferred orientation and the lowest surface roughness of 6.87 $\AA$. Refractive index of MgFe$_2$film was measured as 1.386 for the most of growth temperature. An optimized DLAR coating showed a reflectance as low as 2.04% in the wavelengths ranged from 0.4 ㎛ to 1.1 ㎛. Solar cells with a structure of MgFe$_2$/GeO$_2$/Ag/N$\^$+//p-type Si/P$\^$+//Al were investigated with the without DLAR coatings. We achieved the efficiency of solar cells greater than 15% with 3.12% improvement with DLAR coatings. Further details about MgFe$_2$,GeO$_2$ films, and cell fabrication parameters are presented in this paper.

• 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.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.73.1-73.1
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• 2010

태양광 시장은 세계적인 금융 위기 속에서도 점점 그 규모가 확대되고 있다. 시장의 규모가 확대되고 있음에도 불구하고 금융 위기를 겪으면서 생산자 중심의 시장에서 수요자 중심의 시장으로 바뀌게 되었다. 이에 따라 더 적은 비용으로 높은 출력의 제품만이 경쟁력을 가지게 됨으로써 효율이 더욱 이슈화되었다. 여러 태양전지 중 가장 점유율이 높은 결정질 태양전지는 일반적인 양산 공정만으로 효율을 높이는데 한계가 있으므로 selective emitter, back contact, light induced plating 등의 새로운 공정을 도입하여 효율을 높이려는 경향이 나타나고 있다. 본 연구에서는, ALD 장치를 사용하여 결정질 태양전지의 후면을 passivation 함으로써 효율을 높이는 방법을 모색하였다. 부동화 층으로는 $Al_2O_3$를 사용하였으며 셀을 제조하여 평가하였다. 실험방법은 p-type의 웨이퍼를 이용하여 습식으로 texturing 후 $POCl_3$ 용액으로 p-n junction을 형성하였고 anti-reflection 막인 SiNx는 PECVD를 사용하여 R.I 2.05, 80nm 두께로 증착하였다. 그런 다음 후면의 n+ layer를 제거하기 위하여 SiNx에 영향을 미치지 않는 용액을 사용하여 후면을 식각하였다. BSF 층은 screen printer로 Al paste를 printing하여 형성하였고 Al etching용액으로 여분의 Al제거한 후 ALD 장치를 이용하여 $Al_2O_3$를 증착하였다. 마지막으로 전극을 형성한 후 laser로 isolation하여 효율을 평가하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2013

For fabricating silicon solar cells with high conversion efficiency, texturing is one of the most effective techniques to increase short circuit current by enhancing light trapping. In this study, four different types of textures, large V-groove, large U-groove, small V-groove, and small U-groove, were prepared by a wet etching process. Silicon substrates with V-grooves were fabricated by an anisotropic etching process using a KOH solution mixed with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and the size of the V-grooves was controlled by varying the concentration of IPA. The isotropic etching process following anisotropic etching resulted in U-grooves and the isotropic etching time was determined to obtain U-grooves with an opening angle of approximately $60^{\circ}$. The results indicated that U-grooves had a larger diffuse reflectance than V-grooves and the reflectances of small grooves was slightly higher than those of large grooves depending on the size of the grooves. Then amorphous Si:H thin film solar cells were fabricated on textured substrates to investigate the light trapping effect of textures with different shapes and sizes. Among the textures fabricated in this work, the solar cells on the substrate with small U-grooves had the largest short circuit current, 19.20 mA/$cm^2$. External quantum efficiency data also demonstrated that the small, U-shape textures are more effective for light trapping than large, V-shape textures.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.19-24
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• 2019

In this study, the Ag nano-dots structure was applied to the textured wafer surface to improve the light trapping effect of crystalline silicon solar cell. The Ag nano-dots structure was formed by the annealing of Ag thin film. Ag thin film deposition was performed using a thermal evaporator. The effect of light trapping was compared and analyzed through light reflectance measurements. The optimization process of the Ag nano-dots structure was made by varying the thickness of Ag thin film, the annealing temperature and time. The thickness of Ag thin films was in the range of 5 ~ 20 nm. The annealing temperature was in the range of 450~650℃ and the annealing time was in the range of 30 ~ 60 minutes. As a result, the light reflectance of 10 nm Ag thin film annealed at 650℃ for 30 minutes showed the lowest value of about 9.67%. This is a value that is about 3.37% lower than the light reflectance of the sample that has undergone only the texturing process. Finally, the change of the light reflectance by the HF treatment of the sample on which the Ag nano-dots structure was formed was investigated. The HF treatment time was in the range of 0 ~ 120 seconds. As a result, the light reflectance decreased by about 0.41% due to the HF treatment for 75 seconds.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.225-229
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• 2011

Most of the silicon cutting methods using the multi-wire with the slurry injection have been used for wafers of the crystalline solar cell. But the productivity of slurry injection cutting type falls due to low cutting speeds. Also, the direct contact with the metal wire and silicon block increases the concentration of metallic impurities in the wafer's surface. In addition, the abrasive silicon carbide (SiC) generates pollutants. And production costs are rising because it does not re-use the worn wire. On the other hand, the productivity of the cutting method using the diamond coated wire is about 2 times faster than the slurry injection cutting type. Also, the continuous cutting using the used wire of low wear is possible. And this is a big advantage for reduced production costs. Therefore, the cutting method of the diamond coated wire is more efficient than the slurry injection cutting technique. In this study, each cutting type is analyzed using the surface characteristics of the solar wafer and will describe the effects of the manufacturing process of the solar cell. Finally, we will suggest improvement methods of the solar cell process for using the diamond cutting type wafer.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2010

ZnO:Al films were deposited by DC-pulsed magnetron sputtering using a two-step process involving the control of the oxygen pressure. The seed layers were prepared with various Ar to oxygen flow ratios and the bulk layers were deposited under pure Ar. As the oxygen pressure during the deposition of the seed layer increased, the crystallinity and degree of (002) texturing increased. The resistivity gradually decreased with increasing crystallinity from $4.7\times10^4\Omega{\cdot}cm$ (no seed) to $3.7\times10^4\Omega{\cdot}cm$ (Ar/$O_2$ = 9/1). The etched surface showed a crater-like structure and an abrupt morphology change appeared as the crystallinity was increased. The sample deposited at an Ar/$O_2$ flow ratio of 9/1 showed a very high haze value of 88% at 500 nm, which was explained by the large feature size of the craters, as shown in the AFM image.