• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.228-231
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• 2006

This paper briefly introduces silicon based thin film solar cells: amorphous (a-Si:H), microcrystalline ${\mu}c-Si:H$ single junction and $a-Si:H/{\mu}c-Si:H$ tandem solar cells. The major difference of a-Si:H and ${\mu}c-Si:H$ cells comes from electro-optical properties of intrinsic Si-films (active layer) that absorb incident photon and generate electron-hole pairs. The a-Si:H film has energy band-gap (Eg) of 1.7-1.8eV and solar cells incorporating this wide Eg a-Si:H material as active layer commonly give high voltage and low current, when illuminated, compared to ${\mu}c-Si:H$ solar cells that employ low Eg (1.1eV) material. This Eg difference of two materials make possible tandem configuration in order to effectively use incident photon energy. The $a-Si:H/{\mu}c-Si:H$ tandem solar cells, therefore, have a great potential for low cost photovoltaic device by its various advantages such as low material cost by thin-film structure on low cost substrate instead of expensive c-Si wafer and high conversion efficiency by tandem structure. In this paper, the structure, process and operation properties of Si-based thin-film solar cells are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.35-45
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• 2020

Photovoltaic (PV) power system prices have been steadily dropping in recent years due to their mass production and advances in relevant technology. Crystalline silicon (c-Si wafers) account for the largest share of the price of solar cells; reducing the thickness of these wafers is an essential part of increasing the price competitiveness of PV power systems. However, reducing the thickness of c-Si wafers is challenging; typically, phenomena such as bowing and cracking are encountered. While several approaches to address the bowing phenomenon of the c-Si solar cells exist, the only method to study the crack phenomenon (related to the strength of the c-Si solar cells) is the bending test method. Moreover, studies on determining the strength properties of the solar cells have focused largely on c-Si wafers, while those on the strength properties of front and rear-side electrodes and SiNx, the other components of c-Si solar cells, are scarce. In this study, we analyzed the strength characteristics of each layer of c-Si solar cells. The strength characteristics of the sawing mark direction produced during the production of c-Si wafers were also tested. Experiments were conducted using a 4bending tester for a specially manufactured c-Si solar cell. The results indicate that the back side electrode is the main component that experienced bowing, while the front electrode was the primary component regulating the strength of the c-Si solar cell.

• 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.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.196-200
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• 2005

In this work, we investigated simple Aㅣ/TCO/a-Si:H(n)/c-Si(p)/Al hetero-junction solar cells prepared by low temperature processes, unlike conventional thermal diffused c-Si solar cells. a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells are processed by low temperature deposition of n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on textured and flat p-type silicon substrate. A detailed investigation was carried out to acquire optimization and compatibility of amorphous layer, TCO (ZnO:Al) layer depositions by changing the plasma process parameters. As front TCO and back contact, ZnO:Al and AI were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering and e-beam evaporation, respectively. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency under AMI.5 and the quantum efficiency on $1cm^2$ sample have been reported. An efficiency of $12.5\%$ is achieved on hetero-structure solar cells based on p-type crystalline silicon.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.66-69
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• 2002

This paper presents deposition and characterizations of microcrystalline silicon$({\mu}c-Si:H)$ films prepared by hot wire chemical vapor deposition at substrate temperature below $300^{\circ}C$. The $SiH_{4}$ concentration$[F(SiH_{4})/F(SiH_{4})+F(H_{2})]$ is critical parameter for the formation of Si films with microcrystalline phase. At 6% of silane concentration, deposited intrinsic ${\mu}c-Si:H$ films shows sufficiently low dark conductivity and high photo sensitivity for solar cell applications. P-type ${\mu}c-Si:H$ films deposited by Hot-Wire CVD also shows good electrical properties by varying the rate of $B_{2}H_{6}$ to $SiH_{4}$ gas. The solar cells with structure of Al/nip ${\mu}c-Si:H$/TCO/glass was fabricated with single chamber Hot-Wire CVD. About 3% solar efficiency was obtained and applicability of HWCVD for thin film solar cells was proven in this research.

• Solar Energy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.46-53
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• 1985

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells which are fabricated by photo-chemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD) system has been investigated. In the photo-CVD system which consists of three separate reaction chambers, low-pressure mercury lamp has been used as a light source. The main reactant ($Si_2H_6/He$) gases which are premixed with a small amount of mercury vapor in a mercury-vaporizer kept at $50^{\circ}C$ have been used. Using $C_2H_2$ and $SiH_2(CH_3)_2$ as the carbon source, p-type wide band gap a-SiC:H films have been obtained. The result has been found that the undoped layers of the pin/substrate solar cells are influenced by the residual impurities, such as phosphorus and boron during the deposition process. By minimizing the effect of the impurities in the i-layer and optimizing conditions at the p-layer and p/i interface, the energy conversion efficiency of 9.61 % under AM-1 ($100mW/Cm^2$) has been achieved for pin/substrate solar cells illuminated through their p-layers, using the three separate reaction chamber apparatus. It is expected that a-SiC:H solar cells with the energy conversion efficiency over 10% have been fabricated by Photo-CVD method.

• Solar Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 1998

In this paper, the current status of manufacturing technologies for GaAs/Si solar cell were revived and provied new MOCVD. In the manufacturing process of GaAs/Si solar cells and an experiment to get the high efficiency GaAs solar cells, we must investigate the optimum growth conditions to get high quality GaAs films on Si substrates by MOCVD. The GaAs on Si substrates has been recognized as a lightweight alternative to pure substrate for space applicaton. Because its density is less the half of GaAs or Ge.So GaAs/Si has twofold weight advantage to GaAs monolithic cell. The theoretical conversion efficiecy limit of tandem GaAs/Si solar cell is 32% under AM 0 and $25^{\circ}C$ condition. It was concluded that the development of cost effective MOCVD technologies shoud be ahead GaAs solar cells for achived move high efficiency III-V solar cells involving tandem structure.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.113-116
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• 2005

In this paper, silicon thin-film solar cells(Si- TFSC) and a-Si/c-Si heterojunction solar cells(HJ-cell) are investigated. The Si-TFSC was prepared on glass substrate by depositing $1-3{\mu}m$ thin-film silicons by glow discharge method. The $a-Si:H/{\mu}c-Si:H$ tandem solar cells on textured ZnO:A1 TCO (transparent conducting oxide) showed improved Jsc in top and bottom cells than that on $SnO_2:F$ TCO. This enhancement of jsc resulted from improved light trapping effect by front textured ZnO:A1. The a-Si/c-Si HJ-cells with simple structure without high efficiency features are suffering from low Voc and Jsc. The improvement of front nip and back interface properties by adopting high quality silicon-films at low temperature should be done both for increasing device performances and production cost.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.387-390
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• 2002

This paper presents deposition and characterizations of microcrystalline silicon(${\mu}$c-Si:H) films prepared by hot wire chemical vapor deposition at substrate temperature below 300$^{\circ}C$. The SiH$_4$ concentration[F(SiH$_4$)/F(SiH$_4$).+(H$_2$)] is critical parameter for the formation of Si films with microcrystalline phase. At 6% of silane concentration, deposited intrinsic ${\mu}$c-Si:H films shows sufficiently low dark conductivity and high photo sensitivity for solar cell applications. P-type ${\mu}$c-S:H films deposited by Hot-Wire CVD also shows good electrical properties by varying the rate of B$_2$H$\_$6/ to SiH$_4$ gas. The solar cells with structure of Al/nip ${\mu}$c-Si:H/TCO/g1ass was fabricated with single chamber Hot-Wire CVD. About 3% solar efficiency was obtained and applicability of HWCVD for thin film solar cells was proven in this research.