• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.80-84
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• 2015

We suggest new emitter formation method using solid-phase epitaxy (SPE); solid-phase epitaxy emitter (SEE). This method expect simplification and cost reduction of process compared with furnace process (POCl3 or BBr3). The solid-phase epitaxy emitter (SEE) deposited a-Si:H layer by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) on substrate (c-Si), then thin layer growth solid-phase epitaxy (SPE) using rapid thermal process (RTP). This is possible in various emitter profile formation through dopant gas ($PH_3$) control at deposited a-Si:H layer. We fabricated solar cell to apply solid-phase epitaxy emitter (SEE). Its performance have an effect on crystallinity of phase transition layer (a-Si to c-Si). We confirmed crystallinity of this with a-Si:H layer thickness and annealing temperature by using raman spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscope. The crystallinity is excellent as the thickness of a-Si layer is thin (~50 nm) and annealing temperature is high (<$900^{\circ}C$). We fabricated a 16.7% solid-phase epitaxy emitter (SEE) cell. We anticipate its performance improvement applying thin tunnel oxide (<2nm).

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2012.03a
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• pp.243-247
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• 2012

The paper focuses on an anti-reflection (AR) coating deposited by PECVD in silicon solar cell fabrication. AR coating is effective to reduce the reflection of the light on the silicon wafer surface and then increase substantially the solar cell conversion efficiency. In this work, we carried out experiments to optimize double AR coating layer with silicon nitride and silicon oxide for the silicon solar cells. The p-type mono crystalline silicon wafers with $156{\times}156mm^2$ area, 0.5-3 ${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ resistivity, and $200{\mu}m$ thickness were used. All wafers were textured in KOH solution, doped with $POCl_3$ and removed PSG before ARC process. The optimized thickness of each ARC layer was calculated by theoretical equation. For the double layer of AR coating, silicon nitride layer was deposited first using $SiH_4$ and $NH_3$, and then silicon oxide using $SiH_4$ and $N_2O$. As a result, reflectance of $SiO_2/SiN_x$ layer was lower than single $SiN_x$ and then it resulted in increase of short-circuit current and conversion efficiency. It indicates that the double AR coating layer is necessary to obtain the high efficiency solar cell with PECVD already used in commercial line.

• Solar Energy
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 1986

The PECVD $SiN_x:H$ films were made from the $SiH_4-N_2$ gas mixtures under such deposition conditions as 0.01 to 1.0 of $SiH_4/N_2$ volume ratio, 0.1 to $0.8W/cm^2$ of RF power, and 100 to $400^{\circ}C$ of substrate temperature. The deposition rate, refractive index, hydrogen concentration, N/Si composition, optical gap and electric conductivity were measured, and the thermal stability and the optimum deposition conditions were investigated for the application of these films to the solar cell materials.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.99.2-99.2
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• 2010

This paper investigates the dependence of a-Si:H/c-Si passivation and heterojunction solar cell performances on various cleaning processes of silicon wafer and surface morphology. It is observed that passivation quality of a-Si:H thin-films on c-Si wafer highly depends on wafer surface conditions. The MCLT(Minority carrier life time) of wafer incorporating intrinsic (i) a-Si:H as a passivation layer shows sensitive variation with cleaning process and surface morpholgy. By applying improved cleaning processes and surface morphology we can obtain the MCLT of $200{\mu}sec$ after H-termination and above 1.5msec after i a-Si:H thin film deposition, which has implied open circuit voltage of 0.720V.

• Solar Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.125-131
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• 1999

This paper deals with a novel structure of poly-Si solar cell. A grain boundary(GB) of poly-Si acts as potential barrier and recombination center for photo-generated carriers. To reduce unwanted side effects at the GB of poly-Si, we employed physical GB removal of poly-Si using chemical solutions. Various chemical etchants such as Sirtl, Yang, Secco, and Schimmel were investigated for the preferential GB etching. Etch depth about 10 ${\mu}m$ was achieved by a Schimmel etchant. After a chemical etching of poly-Si, we used $POCl_3$ for emitter junction formation. This paper used an easy method of top electrode formation using a RF sputter grown ITO film. ITO films with thickness of 300 nm showed resistivity of $1.26{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}-cm$ and overall transmittance above 80%. Using a preferential GB etching and ITO top electrode, we developed a new fabrication procedure of poly-Si solar cells. Employing optimized process conditions, we were able to achieve conversion efficiency as high as 16.6% at an input power of 20 $mW/cm^2$. This paper investigates the effects of process parameters: etching conditions, ITO deposition factors, and emitter doping densities in a poly-Si cell fabrication procedure.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07b
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• pp.995-998
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• 2003

This paper presents the deposition of poly-Si thin-film and fabrication of a solar cell by VHF-PECVD method. The poly-Si thin films. and pin-type solar cells are fabricated using multi-chamber cluster tool system. A 7.4% conversion efficiency was achieved from poly-Si thin film solar cells with total thickness less than $5{\mu}m$. The physical characteristic was measured by Raman spectroscopy, solar cell characteristic was measured under AM1.5 illumination.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.666-672
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• 2011

The a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction (HJ) solar cells have a variety of advantages in efficiency and fabrication processes. It has already demonstrated about 23% in R&D scale and more than 20% in commercial production. In order to further reduce the fabrication cost of HJ solar cells, fabrication processes should be simplified more than conventional methods which accompany separate processes of front and rear sides of the cells. In this study, we propose a simultaneous deposition of intrinsic thin a-Si:H layers on both sides of a wafer by dual hot wire CVD (HWVCD). In this system, wafers are located between tantalum wires, and a-Si:H layers are simultaneously deposited on both sides of the wafer. By using this scheme, we can reduce the process steps and time and improve the efficiency of HJ solar cells by removing surface contamination of the wafers. We achieved about 16% efficiency in HJ solar cells incorporating intrinsic a-Si:H buffers by dual HWCVD and p/n layers by PECVD.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.128.2-128.2
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• 2011

스테인레스 스틸 유연기판 위에 플라즈마 화학기상 증착법 (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition)을 이용하여 nip 구조의 미세결정질 실리콘 박막 태양전지 (microcrystalline silicon thin film solar cell)를 제조하고 i ${\mu}c$-Si:H광 흡수층과 p ${\mu}c$-Si:H 사이에 i a-Si:H 버퍼 층을 삽입하여 i/p 계면특성을 개선하고 이에 따른 태양전지 성능특성 변화를 조사하였다. ${\mu}c$-Si:H 박막으로 이루어진 i/p 계면에서의 구조적, 전기적 결함은 태양전지 내에서 생성된 캐리어의 재결합과 shunt resistance 감소를 초래하여 개방전압 (open circuit voltage) 및 곡선 인자 (fill factor)를 감소시키는 것으로 알려졌다. 제조된 미세결정질 실리콘 박막 태양전지는 SUS/Ag/ZnO:Al/n ${\mu}c$-Si:H/i ${\mu}c$-Si:H/p ${\mu}c$-Si:H 구조로 제작되었으며 i/p 계면 사이의 i a-Si;H 버퍼층 두께를 변화시키고 이에 따른 태양전지의 특성을 조사하였다. 태양전지의 구조적, 전기적 특성 변화는 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), UV-visible-nIR spectrometry, Photo IV와 Dark IV를 통하여 조사하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.64.2-64.2
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• 2011

a-Si 박막 태양전지는 a-Si:H을 유리 기판 사이에 주입해 만드는 태양전지로, 뛰어난 적용성과 경제성을 지녔으나 c-Si 태양전지에 비해 낮은 변환 효율을 보이는 단점이 있다. 변환 효율을 높이기 위한 연구 방법으로는 a-Si 박막 태양전지 단일cell 제작 시 high Bandgap을 가지는 p-layer를 사용함으로 높은 Voc와 Jsc의 향상에 기여할 수 있는데, 이 때 p-layer의 defect 증가와 activation energy 증가도 동시에 일어나 변환 효율의 증가폭을 감소시킨다. 이를 보완하기 위해 본 실험에서는 p-layer에 기존의 p-a-Si:H를 사용함과 동시에 high Bandgap의 buffer layer를 p-layer와 i-layer 사이에 삽입함으로써 그 장점을 유지하고 높은 defect과 낮은 activation energy의 영향을 최소화하였다. ASA 시뮬레이션을 통해 a-Si:H보다 high Bandgap을 가지는 a-SiOx 박막을 사용하여 p-type buffer layer의 두께를 2nm, Bandgap 2.0eV, activation energy를 0.55eV로 설정하고, i-type buffer layer의 두께를 2nm, Bandgap 1.8eV로 설정하여 삽입하였을 때 박막 태양전지의 변환 효율 10.74%를 달성할 수 있었다. (Voc=904mV, Jsc=$17.48mA/cm^2$, FF=67.97).