17% efficient thin film silicon solar cell by liquid phase epitaxy

Author

Weber, K.J. ; Blakers, A.W. ; Stocks, M.J. ; Stuckings, M.J. ; Cuevas, A. ; Carr, A.J. ; Brammer, T. ; Matlakowski, G.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Eng., Australian Nat. Univ., Canberra, ACT, Australia

Volume

2

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

1391

Abstract

Thin film silicon solar cells are attracting considerable interest as a possible means of achieving low cost while maintaining moderate to high cell efficiencies. In this paper we report on the results of our work to fabricate high efficiency cells on single crystal epitaxial layers. We use liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) to grow epitaxial layers of 30-50 μm thickness on heavily doped CZ substrates. Solar cells fabricated on these layers have displayed efficiencies up to 17.0%. A key factor in obtaining these high efficiencies is the incorporation of effective light trapping into the cell structure. This is achieved by removing most of the substrate after cell processing

Keywords

elemental semiconductors; liquid phase epitaxial growth; semiconductor epitaxial layers; semiconductor growth; semiconductor materials; semiconductor thin films; silicon; solar cells; substrates; 17 percent; 30 to 50 mum; LPE; Si; cell structure; epitaxial layers growth; heavily doped CZ substrates; high efficiency; light trapping; liquid phase epitaxy; single crystal epitaxial layers; thin film Si solar cells; Charge carrier lifetime; Costs; Crystallization; Epitaxial growth; Epitaxial layers; Photovoltaic cells; Semiconductor thin films; Silicon; Substrates; Transistors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520207

Filename

520207