Improved efficiency of multicrystalline silicon solar cells by TiO2 antireflection coatings derived by APCVD process

• Published in: Materials science in semiconductor processing 2013-02, Vol.16 (1), p.113-117
• Main Authors: Hocine, D., Belkaid, M.S., Pasquinelli, M., Escoubas, L., Simon, J.J., Rivière, G.A., Moussi, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antireflection coating; Antireflection coatings; APCVD; Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Devices; Efficiency; Electronics; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Natural energy; Optoelectronic devices; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Semiconductors; Silicon; Solar cell; Solar cells; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface structure and topography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 1369-8001; 1873-4081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mssp.2012.06.004

This paper reports about the adaptation of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) thin films technology to the fabrication process of multicrystalline silicon solar cells as a simple, low cost and very effective technology for efficiency device improvement by reducing reflection and improving the light-generated current. In this contribution, the higher reflection of a mc-Si solar cell surface is strongly reduced by the deposition of TiO2 antireflection coating (ARC) on the front using the atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method (APCVD). The surface morphology and elemental composition of the TiO2 antireflective layers were revealed using scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy . The reflectivity was then reduced from 35% to 8.6% leading to the increase of the short circuit current Jsc which was 33.86mA/cm² with a benefit of 5.23mA/cm² (surface area=25cm²) compared to the reference cell (without ARC). This simple and low cost technology induces a 14.26% conversion efficiency which is a gain of +3% absolute in comparison to the reference cell. The LBIC measurements of a typical multicrystalline cell confirmed the uniformity of the photocurrent distribution throughout the device. These results are encouraging and prove the effectiveness of the APCVD method for efficiency enhancement in silicon solar cells.