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© 2016, National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Emerging classes ofconcentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules reach efficiencies that are far greater than those of even the highest performance flat-plate PV technologies, with architectures that have the potential to provide the lowest cost of energy in locations with high direct normal irradiance (DNI). A disadvantage is their inability to effectively use diffuse sunlight, thereby constraining widespread geographic deployment and limiting performance even under the most favorable DNI conditions. This study introduces a module design that integrates capabilities in flat-plate PV directly with the most sophisticated CPV technologies, for capture of both direct and diffuse sunlight, thereby achieving efficiency in PV conversion of the global solar radiation. Specific examples of this scheme exploit commodity silicon (Si) cells integrated with two different CPV module designs, where they capture light that is not efficiently directed by the concentrator optics onto large-scale arrays of miniature multijunction (MJ) solar cells that use advanced III-V semiconductor technologies. In this CPV+scheme ("+" denotes the addition of diffuse collector), the Si and MJ cells operate independently on indirect and direct solar radiation, respectively. On-sun experimental studies of CPV+modules at latitudes of 35.9886° N (Durham, NC), 40.1125° N (Bondville, IL), and 38.9072° N (Washington, DC) show improvements in absolute module efficiencies of between 1.02% and 8.45% over values obtained using otherwise similar CPV modules, depending on weather conditions. These concepts have the potential to expand the geographic reach and improve the cost-effectiveness of the highest efficiency forms of PV power generation.

Hydrogenated amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells have advantages of relatively simple technology, less material consumption, higher absorption ratio compared to crystalline silicon, and low cost due to the use of cheaper substrates rather than silicon wafers. However, together with those advantages, amorphous-silicon thin-film solar cells face several issues such as a relatively lower efficiency, a relatively wider bandgap, and the Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE) compared to other competing materials (i.e., crystalline silicon, CdTe, Cu(InxGa(1−x))Se2 (CIGS), etc.). As a remedy for those drawbacks and a way to enhance the cell conversion efficiency at the same time, the employment of crystalline silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) in the a-Si matrix is proposed to organize the quantum-dot (QD) structure as the light-absorbing layer. This structure of the light absorbing layer consists of single-crystal Si-NPs in an a-Si:H thin-film matrix. The single-crystal Si-NPs are synthesized by using SiH4 gas decomposition with CO2 laser pyrolysis, and the sizes of Si-NPs are calibrated to control their bandgaps. The synthesized size-controlled Si-NPs are directly transferred to another chamber to form a QD structure by using co-deposition of the Si-NPs and the a-Si:H matrix. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses are employed to verify the sizes and the crystalline properties of the Si-NPs alone and of the Si-NPs in the a-Si:H matrix. The TEM results show successful co-deposition of size-controlled Si-NPs in the a-Si:H matrix, which is meaningful because it suggests the possibility of further enhancement of the a-Si:H solar-cell structure and of tandem structure applications by using a single element.

Silicon nanoparticles were synthesized using inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and their microstructures were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Applying ICP in a tube reactor, the shape of the plasma region was very sensitive to the process conditions and reactor geometry. For the control of the plasma shapes, an additional inner tube was inserted into the quartz tube reactor. To evaluate the advantages of this double tube reactor, we investigated the microstructures of the silicon nanoparticles synthesized in this manner under various process conditions. This additional tube reduced the length of the plasma zone and formed highly-dense plasma only near the ICP coil. Injection of the reactive gas through the inner tube resulted in the formation of single-crystalline nannoparticles with 13.47 nm diameters.

Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) with an average diameter of 17.7 nm were synthesized using a flow-through, inductively-coupled nonthermal plasma. The crystalline Si nanoparticles (NPs) were confirmed by using transmission electron microscope (TEM) images, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements showed that the use of a nonthermal plasma prevented the agglomeration of the Si NPs. These Si NCs synthesized by using a nonthermal plasma can be applied to various interesting fields such as photovoltaic cells, labels for biosensors, light-emitting diodes, and so forth.

The p-a-Si1-xCx:H alloy is popularly knows as a wide band gap semiconducting alloy. It was demonstrated in the 1980s that application of the p-a-Si1-xCx:H alloy leads to improved per‐ formance of a solar cell with better blue response of its quantum efficiency (QE) [1]. There are few other well known wide band gap alloy materials available, however one interesting advantage of the p-a-Si1-xCx:H is that both the C and Si are four fold coordinated atoms, and hence a suitably prepared material may attain wider optical gap with good stability.

Studies of the interaction between hydrogen and graphene have been increasingly required due to the indispensable modulation of the electronic structure of graphene for device applications and the possibility of using graphene as a hydrogen storage material. Here, we report on the behaviour of molecular hydrogen on graphene using the gate voltage-dependent resistance of single-, bi-, and multi-layer graphene sheets as a function of H-2 gas pressure up to 24 bar from 300 K to 345 K. Upon H-2 exposure, the charge neutrality point shifts toward the negative gate voltage region, indicating n-type doping, and distinct Raman signature changes, increases in the interlayer distance of multi-layer graphene, and a decrease in the d-spacing occur, as determined by TEM. These results demonstrate the occurrence of dissociative H-2 adsorption due to the existence of vacancy defects on graphene.

We fabricate silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on the rear surface of thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si: H) solar cells to enhance the light absorption using spin-coating Ag ink, which can produce Ag NPs by a simple, fast, and inexpensive method. Ink concentration and sintering temperature of the spin-coating Ag ink are optimized to maximize the light absorption in the solar cell by tuning the size and distribution as well as the surface coverage of the Ag NPs. The thickness of a SiNx spacer layer, which was embedded between the solar cell and the Ag NPs for electrical isolation, dependent optical properties of the solar cell is also systematically investigated. The thin film a-Si: H solar cell with a thin SiNx spacer layer and the Ag NPs showed great potential for realizing cost-effective high-efficiency solar cells. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America

이종접합태양전지는 단결정 실리콘 기판 표면에 고품질 비정질 실리콘층을 적층함으로써 전기의 근원인 전하의 재결합 손실을 줄여 높은 개방전압을 얻을 수 있다는 특징이 있다. 초박형 태양전지는 기존 태양전지보다 뛰어난 광전변환 특성(Photovoltaic characteristic)을 가지고 두께가 얇아 제품 형상 시 자유도가 높아진다. 본 논문에서는 n-type Bare wafer(160{sim}180{mu}m)를 이용하여 50{mu}m의 웨이퍼를 제작하였다. a-Si:H(p)_a-Si:H(i)_c-Si(n)의 광흡수층 구조를 성막하여 cell을 제작하였다. 그 결과 Voc(Open Circuit Voltage)가 0.666, Jsc(Short-Circuit Current)가 34.77, FF(Fill Factor) 69.413, Efficency 16.07%를 달성했다.

The emergence of third-generation photovoltaics based on Si relies on tunable bandgap materials with embedded nanocrystalline Si. One of the most promising approaches is based on the mixed-phase Si1 − x C x . We have investigated the light absorption controllability of nanocrystalline Si-embedded Si1 − x C x produced by thermal annealing of the Si-rich Si1 − x C x and composition-modulated superlattice structure. In addition, stoichiometric SiC was also investigated to comparatively analyze the characteristic differences. As a result, it was found that stoichiometric changes of the matrix material and incorporation of oxygen play key roles in light absorption controllability. Based on the results of this work and literature, a design strategy of nanocrystalline Si-embedded absorber materials for third-generation photovoltaics is discussed.

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) [AZO] is a good candidate to be used as a transparent conducting oxide [TCO]. For solar cells having a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide [a-SiC:H] or hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a-Si:H] window layer, the use of the AZO as TCO results in a deterioration of fill factor [FF], so fluorine-doped tin oxide (Sn02:F) [FTO] is usually preferred as a TCO. In this study, interface engineering is carried out at the AZO and p-type a-SiC:H interface to obtain a better solar cell performance without loss in the FF. The abrupt potential barrier at the interface of AZO and p-type a-SiC:H is made gradual by inserting a buffer layer. A few-nanometer-thick nanocrystalline silicon buffer layer between the AZO and a-SiC:H enhances the FF from 67% to 73% and the efficiency from 7.30% to 8.18%. Further improvements in the solar cell performance are expected through optimization of cell structures and doping levels.

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.

Changes in surface morphology and roughness of dc sputtered ZnO:Al/Ag back reflectors by varying the deposition temperature and their influence on the performance of flexible silicon thin film solar cells were systematically investigated. By increasing the deposition temperature from to , the grain size of Ag thin films increased from 100 nm to 1000 nm and the grain size distribution became irregular, which resulted in an increment of surface roughness from 6.6 nm to 46.6 nm. Even after the 100 nm thick ZnO:Al film deposition, the surface morphology and roughness of the ZnO:Al/Ag double structured back reflectors were the same as those of the Ag layers, meaning that the ZnO:Al films were deposited conformally on the Ag films without unnecessary changes in the surfacefeatures. The diffused reflectance of the back reflectors improved significantly with the increasing grain size and surface roughness of the Ag films, and in particular, an enhanced diffused reflectance in the long wavelength over 800 nm was observed in the Ag back reflectors deposited at , which had an irregular grain size distribution of 200-1000 nm and large surface roughness. The improved light scattering properties on the rough ZnO:Al/Ag back reflector surfaces led to an increase of light trapping in the solar cells, and this resulted in a noticeable improvement in the values from 9.94 mA/ for the flat Ag back reflector at to 13.36 mA/ for the rough one at . A conversion efficiency of 7.60% (

This paper investigates the dependence of a-Si:H/c-Si passivation and heterojunction solar cell performances on various cleaning processes of silicon wafers. It is observed that the passivation quality of a-Si:H thin-films on c-Si wafers depends highly on the initial H-termination properties of the wafer surface. The effective minority carrier lifetime (MCLT) of highly H-terminated wafer is beneficial for obtaining high quality passivation of a-Si:H/c-Si. The wafers passivated by p(n)-doped a-Si:H layers have low MCLT regardless of the initial H-termination quality. On the other hand, the MCLT of wafers incorporating intrinsic (i) a-Si:H as a passivation layer shows sensitive variation with initial cleaning and H-termination schemes. By applying the improved cleaning processes, we can obtain an MCLT of after H-termination and above after i a-Si:H thin film deposition. By adapting improved cleaning processes and by improving passivation and doped layers, we can fabricate a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells with an active area conversion efficiency of 18.42%, which cells have an open circuit voltage of 0.670V, short circuit current of and fill factor of 0.7374. These cells show more than 20% pseudo efficiency measured by Suns- with an elimination of series resistance.

Changes in the surface morphology and light scattering of textured Al doped ZnO thin films on glasssubstrates prepared by rf magnetron sputtering were investigated. As-deposited ZnO:Al films show a hightransmittance of above 80% in the visible range and a low electrical resistivity of 4.5×10-4Ω·cm. The surfacemorphology of textured ZnO:Al films are closely dependent on the deposition parameters of heater temperature,working pressure, and etching time in the etching process. The optimized surface morphology with a cratershape is obtained at a heater temperature of 350oC, working pressure of 0.5 mtorr, and etching time of 45seconds. The optical properties of light transmittance, haze, and angular distribution function (ADF) aresignificantly affected by the resulting surface morphologies of textured films. The film surfaces, havinguniformly size-distributed craters, represent good light scattering properties of high haze and ADF values.Compared with commercial Asahi U (SnO2:F) substrates, the suitability of textured ZnO:Al films as frontelectrode material for amorphous silicon thin film solar cells is also estimated with respect to electrical andoptical properties.

In this paper, a novel non-vacuum technique is described for the fabrication of a CuInSe (CIS) absorber layer for thin film solar cells using a low-cost precursor solution. A solution containing Cu- and In- related chemicals was coated onto a Mo/glass substrate using the Doctor blade method and the precursor layer was then selenized in an evaporation chamber. The precursor layer was found to be composed of CuCl crystals and amorphous In compound, which were completely converted to chalcopyrite CIS phase by the selenization process. Morphological, crystallographic and compositional analyses were performed at each step of the fabrication process by SEM, XRD and EDS, respectively.

Empirical equations are presented for the self- and mutual capacitances and inductances of coupled microstrip lines with one side exposed to air. The derived equations have been applied to estimate crosstalk and to establish design guidelines for the spacing between coupled microstrip lines. The validity of this work was verified by comparison with measurements of electrical parameters and crosstalk.