Optimization of Al-Doped ZnO Transparent Conducting Oxide and Emitter Layers for Enhanced Performance of Si Heterojunction Solar Cells

Heterojunction silicon solar cells, also known as heterojunctions with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) of the type TCO/n-a-Si:H/i-a-Si:H/p–c-Si/p + -a-Si:H/BSF solar cells (where TCO is transparent conducting oxide involving Al-doped ZnO; a-Si:H is hydrogenated amorphous silicon; c-Si:H is hydrogenated c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of electronic materials 2020-03, Vol.49 (3), p.2179-2190
Main Authors: Selmane, Naceur, Cheknane, Ali, Hilal, Hikmat S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
Amorphous silicon
Carrier recombination
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Charge efficiency
Chemistry and Materials Science
Circuits
Current carriers
Current density
Efficiency
Electronics and Microelectronics
Emitters
Energy conversion efficiency
Heterojunctions
Heterostructures
Hydrogenation
Instrumentation
Materials Science
Open circuit voltage
Optical and Electronic Materials
Optimization
Performance enhancement
Photovoltaic cells
Quantum efficiency
Short circuit currents
Solar cells
Solid State Physics
Thickness
Work functions
Zinc oxide
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Summary:Heterojunction silicon solar cells, also known as heterojunctions with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) of the type TCO/n-a-Si:H/i-a-Si:H/p–c-Si/p + -a-Si:H/BSF solar cells (where TCO is transparent conducting oxide involving Al-doped ZnO; a-Si:H is hydrogenated amorphous silicon; c-Si:H is hydrogenated crystalline silicon; BSF is back surface field, n- and p- refer to n -type and p -type, respectively; n-a-Si is the emitter layer; i-a-Si is the passivation layer of intrinsic type semiconductor) have attracted special interest due to their suitability and high efficiency. Thickness and work function for the TCO layer, together with thickness and doping density of the emitter layer, are all optimized here. With optimal parameters, TCO/n-a-Si:H/i-a-Si:H/p-c-Si/p + -a-Si:H/BSF solar cells exhibit high simulation characteristics in terms of conversion efficiency (25.62%), open circuit potential ( V OC , 744 mV), short circuit current density ( J SC , 42.43 mA/cm 2 ) and fill factor (FF, 83.7%). The Automat for Simulation of Heterostructures ( AFORS - HET ) program is used. The energy band diagram, current density, quantum efficiency, and charge-carrier generation/recombination behaviours are investigated to find out how hetero-junction cell performance enhancement occurs.
ISSN:0361-5235
1543-186X
DOI:10.1007/s11664-019-07917-w