• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.310.1-310.1
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• 2013

We show the novel hot electron based-solar energy conversion using tandem structured Schottky diode with double Schottky barriers. In this report, we show the effect of the double Schottky barriers on solar cell performance by enhancing both of internal photoemission and band-to-band excitation. The tandem structured Au/Si diode capped with TiO2 layer as second semiconductor exhibited improved ability for light harvesting. The proposed mechanisms consist of multiple reflections of hot electrons and additional pathway of solar energy conversion due to presence of multiple interfaces between thin gold film and semiconductors. Short-circuit photocurrent measured on the tandem structured Au/Si diodes under illumination of AM1.5 increased by approximately 70% from 3.1% to 5.3% and overall incident photon to electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) was enhanced in visible light, revealing that the concept of the double Schottky barriers have significant potential as novel strategy for light harvesting.

• 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.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2018

Multijunction solar cells present a practical solution towards a better photovoltaic conversion for a wider spectral range. In this review, we compare different types of multi-ijunction solar cell. First, we introduce thin film multijunction solar cell include to the thin film silicon, III-V material and chalcopyrite material. Until now the maximum reported power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of solar cells having different component sub-cells are 14.0% (thin film silicon), 46% (III-V material), 4.4% (chalcopyrite material) respectively. We then discuss the development of multijunction solar cell in which c-Si is used as bottom sub-cell while III-V material, thin film silicon, chalcopyrite material or perovskite material is used as top sub-cells.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.275-279
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• 2016

This is a brief review on light trapping in Si based thin film solar cells with textured surfaces and transparent conducting oxide front electrodes. The light trapping scheme appears to be essential in improving device efficiency over 10%. As light absorption in a thin film solar cells is not sufficient, light trapping becomes necessary to be effectively implemented with a textured surface. Surface texturing helps in the light trapping, and thereby raises short circuit current density and its efficiency. Such a scheme can be adapted to single junction as well as tandem solar cell, amorphous or micro-crystalline devices. A tandem cell is expected to have superior performance in comparison to a single junction cell and random surface textures appears to be preferable to a periodic structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.444-444
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• 2008

For the polymer tandem cell, simple and advantaged solution-based method to electron transport intermediate layer is presented which are composed $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. Device were based on a regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$ butyric acid methyl ester($PC_{60}BM$) blend as a donor and acceptor bulk-heterojunction. For the middle electrode interlayer, the $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were well dispersed in ethanol solution and formed thin layer on the P3HT:PCBM charge separation layer by spin coating. The layer serves as the electron transport layer and divides the polymer tandem solar cell. The open-circuit voltage (Voc) for the polymer tandem solar cells was closed to the sum of those of individual cells.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1993.05a
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• pp.53-59
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• 1993

The interests on GaAs solar cell grown on Ge substrates as an alternative of GaAs substrate arises from its very close lattice parameters, very small difference in thermal expansion coefficients, and much higher fracture toughness between GaAs and Ge. In addition, for many space power application, it would be a most attractive solar cell with high radiation resistance of GaAs and high reliability for the reverse current damage of Ge, and expecting the theoretical efficiency limit of the tandem GaAs/Ge solar cell is 34% under 1 Sun, AM 0, and 28$^{\circ}C$ condition. In this report, we have reviewed the performance and the manufacturing technics of GaAs/Ge solar cell, and current status of research in GaAs/Ge solar cell.

• Ceramist
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.45-50
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• 2015

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2014

Light trapping techniques can change the propagation direction of incident light and keep the light longer in the absorption layers of solar cells to enhance the power conversion efficiency. In thin film silicon (Si) solar cells, the thickness of absorption layer is generally not enough to absorb entire available photons because of short carrier life time, and light induced degradation effect, which can be compensated by the light trapping techniques. These techniques have been adopted as textured transparent conduction oxide (TCO) layers randomly or periodically textured, intermediate reflection layers of tandem and triple junction, and glass substrates etched by various patterning methods. We reviewed the light trapping techniques for thin film Si solar cells and mainly focused on the commercially available techniques applicable to textured TCO on patterned glass substrates. We described the characterization methods representing the light trapping effects, texturing of TCO and showed the results of multi-scale textured TCO on etched glass substrates. These methods can be used tandem and triple thin film Si solar cells to enhance photo-current and power conversion efficiency of long term stability.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2021

The properties of the electron transport layer (ETL) have a great effect on perovskite solar cell performance. Depositing conformal SnO2 ETL on bottom textured silicon cells is essential to increase current density in terms of the silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells. In the recent study, the SnO2 electron transport layer deposited by the sputtering method showed an efficiency of 19.8%. Also, an electron transport layer with a sputtered TiO2 electron transport layer in a 4-terminal tandem solar cell has been reported. In this study, we synthesized SnOx ETL with a various sputtering power range of 30-60W by Radio-frequency (RF)-magnetron sputtering. The properties of SnOx thin film were characterized using ellipsometer, UV-vis spectrometer, and IV measurement. With a sputtering power of 50W, the solar cell showed the highest efficiency of 13.3%, because of the highest fill factor by the conductivity of SnOx film.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.352-357
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• 2009

The InAs multi-quantum dots (MQDs) solar cell and InGaAs multi-quantum wells (MQWs) solar cell to cover 1.1 eV and 1.3 eV were designed by 1D poisson, respectively. The MQDs and MQWs of 5, 10, 15 layers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The photo luminescence results showed that the 5 period stacked MQDs have the highest intensity at around 1.1 eV with 57.6 meV full width at half maximum (FWHM). Also we can observe 10 period stacked MQWs peak position which has highest intensity at 1.31 eV with 12.37 meV FWHM. The density and size of QDs were observed by reflection high energy electron diffraction pattern and atomic force microscope. Futhermore, AlGaAs/GaAs sandwiched tunnel junctions were modified according to the width of GaAs layer on p-type GaAs substrates. The structures with GaAs width of 30 nm and 50 nm have backward diode characteristics. In contrast, tunnel diode characteristics were observed in the 20 nm of that of sample.