TY - JOUR
T1 - n+-Microcrystalline-Silicon Tunnel Layer in Tandem Si-Based Thin Film Solar Cells
AU - Lee, Ching Ting
AU - Lee, Hsin Ying
AU - Chen, Kuan Hao
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - In this study, the p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si cell and the p-SiC/i-SiGe/n-Si cell deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were cascaded for forming the tandem Si-based thin film solar cells to absorb the wide solar spectrum. To further improve the performances of the tandem Si-based thin film solar cells, a 5-nm-thick n+-microcrystalline-Si (n+-μc-Si) tunnel layer deposited using the laser-assisted plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was inserted between the p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si cell and the p-SiC/i-SiGe/n-Si cell. Since both the plasma and the CO2 laser were simultaneously utilized to efficiently decompose the reactant and doping gases, the carrier concentration and the carrier mobility of the n+-μc-Si tunnel layer were significantly improved. The ohmic contact formed between the p-SiC layer and the n+-μc-Si tunnel layer with low resistance was beneficial to the generated current transportation and the carrier recombination rate. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of the tandem solar cells was promoted from 8.57% and 8.82% to 9.91% compared to that without tunnel layer and with 5-nm-thick n+-amorphous-Si tunnel layer.
AB - In this study, the p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si cell and the p-SiC/i-SiGe/n-Si cell deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were cascaded for forming the tandem Si-based thin film solar cells to absorb the wide solar spectrum. To further improve the performances of the tandem Si-based thin film solar cells, a 5-nm-thick n+-microcrystalline-Si (n+-μc-Si) tunnel layer deposited using the laser-assisted plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was inserted between the p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si cell and the p-SiC/i-SiGe/n-Si cell. Since both the plasma and the CO2 laser were simultaneously utilized to efficiently decompose the reactant and doping gases, the carrier concentration and the carrier mobility of the n+-μc-Si tunnel layer were significantly improved. The ohmic contact formed between the p-SiC layer and the n+-μc-Si tunnel layer with low resistance was beneficial to the generated current transportation and the carrier recombination rate. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of the tandem solar cells was promoted from 8.57% and 8.82% to 9.91% compared to that without tunnel layer and with 5-nm-thick n+-amorphous-Si tunnel layer.
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U2 - 10.1007/s11664-016-4691-2
DO - 10.1007/s11664-016-4691-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84976273862
VL - 45
SP - 4838
EP - 4842
JO - Journal of Electronic Materials
JF - Journal of Electronic Materials
SN - 0361-5235
IS - 10
ER -