Improvement of the efficiency of triple junction n–i–p solar cells with hot-wire CVD proto- and microcrystalline silicon absorber layers

• Published in: Thin solid films 2008-01, Vol.516 (5), p.736-739
• Main Authors: Stolk, R.L., Li, H., Franken, R.H., Schüttauf, J.W.A., van der Werf, C.H.M., Rath, J.K., Schropp, R.E.I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; CVD; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Hot-wire; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Microcrystalline silicon; Multijunction; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Profiling; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Textured back reflector
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.110

Hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD) was applied for the deposition of intrinsic protocrystalline (proto-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) absorber layers in thin film solar cells. For a single junction μc-Si:H n–i–p cell on a Ag/ZnO textured back reflector (TBR) with a 2.0 μm i-layer, an 8.5% efficiency was obtained, which showed to be stable after 750 h of light-soaking. The short-circuit current density ( J sc) of this cell was 23.4 mA/cm 2, with a high open-circuit voltage ( V oc) and fill factor (FF) of 0.545 V and 0.67. Triple junction n–i–p cells were deposited using proto-Si:H, plasma-deposited proto-SiGe:H and μc-Si:H as top, middle and bottom cell absorber layers. With Ag/ZnO TBR's from our lab and United Solar Ovonic LLC, respective initial efficiencies of 10.45% (2.030 V, 7.8 mA/cm 2, 0.66) and 10.50% (2.113 V, 7.4 mA/cm 2, 0.67) were achieved.