• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

This study was trying to focus on achieving high efficiency of multi junction solar cell with thin film silicon solar cells. The proposed thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell concept with a combination of low-cost thin-film silicon solar cell technology and high-efficiency c-Si cells in a monolithically stacked configuration. The tandem junction solar cells using amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) as an absorption layer of upper sub-cell were simulated through ASA (Advanced Semiconductor Analysis) simulator for acquiring the optimum structure. Graded Ge composition - effect of E_g profiling and inserted buffer layer between absorption layer and doped layer showed the improved current density (J_sc) and conversion efficiency (η). 13.11% conversion efficiency of the tandem junction solar cell was observed, which is a result of showing the possibility of thin film Si-Ge/c-Si tandem junction solar cell.

• Ceramist
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.146-169
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• 2019

To overcome the theoretical efficiency of single-junction solar cells (> 30 %), tandem solar cells (or multi-junction solar cells) is considered as a strong nominee because of their excellent light utilization. Organic-inorganic halide perovskite has been regarded as a promising candidate material for next-generation tandem solar cell due to not only their excellent optoelectronic properties but also their bandgap-tune-ability and low-temperature process-possibility. As a result, they have been adopted either as a wide-bandgap top cell combined with narrow-bandgap silicon or CuIn_xGa_(1-x)Se₂ bottom cells or for all-perovskite tandem solar cells using narrow- and wide-bandgap perovskites. To successfully transition perovskite materials from for single junction to tandem, substantial efforts need to focus on fabricating the high quality wide- and narrow-bandgap perovskite materials and semi-transparent electrode/recombination layer. In this paper, we present an overview of the current research and our outlook regarding perovskite-based tandem solar technology. Several key challenges discussed are: 1) a wide-bandgap perovskite for top-cell in multi-junction tandem solar cells; 2) a narrow-bandgap perovskite for bottom-cell in all-perovskite tandem solar cells, and 3) suitable semi-transparent conducting layer for efficient electrode or recombination layer in tandem solar cells.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.37-45
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• 1998

In this paper, present status of super high-efficiency tandem solar cells has been reviewed and key issues for realizing super high-efficiency have also been discussed. In addition, the terretrial R&D activities of tandem cells, in the New Sunshine Program of MITI(Ministry of International Trade and Industry) and NEDO(New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) in Japan are reviewed briefly. The mechanical stacked 3-junction cells of monolithically grown InGaP/GaAs 2-junction cells and InGaAs cells have reached the highest efficiency achieved in Japan of 33.3% at 1-sun AM1.5. This paper also reports high-efficiency InGaP/GaAs 2-junction solar cells with a world-record efficiency of 26.9% at AM0, 28$^{\circ}C$ and radiation damage recovery phenomena of the tandem cell performance due to minority-carrier injection under light illumination or forward bias, which causes defect annealing in InGaP top cells. Future prospects for realizing super-high efficiency and low-cost tandem solar cells are also described.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.84-89
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• 2022

c-Si solar cells currently account for more than 90% of the solar energy market. Research on tandem junction solar cells to overcome efficiency limitations is drawing attention at a time when new technologies are being developed to secure the price competitiveness of silicon solar cells. Among several candidate materials for silicon-based tandem solar cells, perovskite has recently been studied as it is suitable for the ease of process as well as for its properties as a tandem solar cell material. In this study, we want to review the research trends and technology limitations of 2-T Perovskite/SHJ tandem junction solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.257.2-257.2
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• 2015

In this paper, we report on the 10.33% efficient thin film/bulk tandem solar cells with the top cell made of amorphous silicon thin film and p-type bulk crystalline silicon bottom cell. The tunneling junction layers were used the doped nanocrystalline Si layers. It has to allow an ohmic and low resistive connection. For player and n-layer, crystalline volume fraction is ~86%, ~88% and dark conductivity is $3.28{\times}10-2S/cm$, $3.03{\times}10-1S/cm$, respectively. Optimization of the tunneling junction results in fill factor of 66.16 % and open circuit voltage of 1.39 V. The open circuit voltage was closed to the sum of those of the sub-cells. This tandem structure could enable the effective development of a new concept of high-efficiency and low cost cells.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.20-24
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• 2007

Efficient white organic light-emitting diodes are fabricated with the blue and red electroluminescent (EL) units electrically connected in a stacked tandem structure by using a transparent doped organic p/n junction. The blue and red EL units consist of the light-emitting layer of 1,4-bis(2,2-diphenyl vinyl)benzene (DPVBi) and 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-[2-(2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H,5H-benzo[i,j] quinolizin-8-yl)vinyl]-4H-pyran) (DCM2) doped tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum $(Alq_3)$, respectively. The organic p-n junction consists of ${\alpha}-NPD$ doped with $FeCl_3$ (15 % by weight ratio) and $Alq_3$ doped with Li (10 %). The EL spectra exhibit two peaks at 448 and 606 nm, resulting in white light-emission with the Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of (0.36, 0.24). The tandem device shows the quantum efficiency of about 2.2 % at a luminance of 100 $cd/m^2$, higher than individual blue and red EL devices.

• Proceedings of the Korea Electromagnetic Engineering Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.299-303
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• 2003

A miniaturized 6-port junction using tandem couplers is presented. The proposed 6-port junction is designed at the center frequency of 5 GHz. The size reduction of the 6-port junction is achieved by replacing the $90^{\circ}$ hybrids with the tandem couplers. The magnitude imbalance and the phase imbalance of the proposed 6-port junction are similar with those of the conventional one.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.80-85
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• 2024

Purpose of higher conversion efficiencies, thin-film silicon solar cells based on amorphous silicon have been developed with a multiple-stack structure to fully utilize the absorption spectrum. Microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) is commonly used in the bottom cell of such tandem junction solar cells, offering improved conversion efficiencies. However, the requirement for a thicker absorption layer to generate sufficient photocurrent presents challenges, primarily due to the lower absorption coefficient of µc-Si, resulting in longer deposition times and greater material thickness. To address these limitations, we propose the development of inorganic-organic hybrid solar cells by integrating a-Si tandem with solution-processed organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), using low-bandgap semiconducting polymers. The OPVs have garnered significant attention as promising candidates for next-generation photovoltaic technology. As part of this effort, we have optimized the a-Si tandem cell by exploring different materials for a tunnel recombination layer and high quality intrinsic layers. The hybrid approach combines the advantages of both inorganic and organic materials, potentially offering a pathway towards more efficient and cost-effective solar cell solutions.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2020

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a two-terminal tandem solar cell depends upon the tunnel-recombination junction (TRJ) between the top and bottom sub-cells. An optimized TRJ in a tandem cell helps improve its open-circuit voltage (V_oc), short-circuit current density (J_sc), fill factor (FF), and efficiency (PCE). One of the parameters that affect the TRJ is the buffer layer thickness. Therefore, we investigated various TRJs by varying the thickness of the buffer or intermediate layer (TRJ-buffer) in between the highly doped p-type and n-type layers of the TRJ. The TRJ-buffer layer was p-type nc-Si:H, with a doping of 0.06%, an activation energy (E_a) of 43 meV, an optical gap (E_g) of 2.04 eV, and its thickness was varied from 0 nm to 125 nm. The tandem solar cells we investigated were a combination of a heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) bottom sub-cell and an a-Si:H (amorphous silicon) top sub-cell. The initial cell efficiency without the TRJ buffer was 7.65% while with an optimized buffer layer, its efficiency improved to 11.74%, i.e., an improvement in efficiency by a factor of 1.53.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2014

Extensive investigation on silicon based thin film reveals a wide range of film characteristics, from low optical gap to high optical gap, from amorphous to micro-crystalline silicon etc. Fabrication of single junction, tandem and triple junction solar cell with suitable materials, indicate that fabrication of solar cell of a relatively moderate efficiency is possible with a better light induced stability. Due to these investigations, various competing materials like wide band gap silicon carbide and silicon oxide, low band gap micro-crystalline silicon and silicon germanium etc were also prepared and applied to the solar cells. Such a multi-junction solar cell can be a technologically promising photo-voltaic device, as the external quantum efficiency of such a cell covers a wider spectral range.