Optimization of P/sup +/ seeding layer for thin film silicon solar cell by liquid phase epitaxy

Thickness optimization of heavily doped p-type seeding layer was studied to improve performance of thin film silicon solar cell. We used liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) to grow active layer of 25 /spl mu/m thickness on p+ seeding layer. The cells with p+ seeding layer of 10 /spl mu/m to 50 /spl mu/m thickness were fabricated. The highest efficiency of a cell is 12.95%, with Voc=633 mV, Jsc=26.5 mA/cm/sup 2/, FF=77.15%. The p+ seeding layer of the cell is 20 /spl mu/m thick. As thicker seeding layer than 20 /spl mu/m, the performance of the cell was degraded. The results demonstrate that the part of the recombination current is due to the heavily doped seeding layer. Thickness of heavily doped p-type seeding layer was optimized to 20 /spl mu/m. The performance of solar cell is expected to improve with the incorporation of light trapping as texturing and AR coating.