High current, thin silicon-on-ceramic solar cell

Author

Ford, David H. ; Rand, James A. ; Delledonne, Emanuel J. ; Ingram, Alan E. ; Bisaillon, John C. ; Feyock, Bryan W. ; Mauk, Michael G. ; Hall, Robert B. ; Barnett, Allen M.

Author_Institution

AstroPower Inc., Newark, DE, USA

Volume

46

Issue

10

fYear

1999

fDate

10/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2162

Lastpage

2164

Abstract

Thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells offer the potential to achieve 19% efficient photovoltaic power conversion. Well-designed, 20-100 micron thick, thin-film silicon solar cells can achieve high efficiency by employing light trapping and back surface passivation. Low cost is achieved by minimizing the amount of feedstock silicon required per watt of power output. Electrically insulating supporting substrates enable monolithic, series-connected submodules. A solar cell device comprised of a 20 micron thick layer of silicon grown on an insulating ceramic substrate, designed to effect light-trapping and back surface passivation, has resulted in an independently verified short circuit current of 25.8 mA/cm². Analysis of the spectral response of the solar cell indicates the presence of both light-trapping and back surface passivation with an effective diffusion length in excess of twice the device thickness

Keywords

carrier lifetime; ceramics; elemental semiconductors; passivation; semiconductor thin films; short-circuit currents; silicon; solar cells; 19 percent; 20 mum; Si; back surface passivation; effective diffusion length; electrically insulating supporting substrates; high efficiency; insulating ceramic substrate; light trapping; low cost; monolithic series-connected submodules; photovoltaic power conversion; polysilicon-on-ceramic thin film solar cell; short circuit current; spectral response; thin-film polycrystalline Si solar cells; Costs; Dielectrics and electrical insulation; Passivation; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Power conversion; Semiconductor thin films; Silicon; Solar power generation; Substrates;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.792012

Filename

792012