(aSiGe/ncSi) Superlattice thin film silicon solar cell

Nanocrystalline silicon solar cell has come up as a potential material in the photovoltaic industry. There are various benefits of nanocrystalline silicon which makes it superior to its counterparts such as amorphous silicon and amorphous silicon germanium. Narrow band gap of 1.12eV helps to generate more current by utilizing the red and infrared region of the solar spectrum. High current producing ability makes it suitable material for the bottom cell of a tandem solar cell. The growth of nanocrystalline silicon is not as simple as the growth of amorphous silicon. The material grows in a conical fashion which results to large grain boundary formation if not controlled properly. The large grain boundaries hamper the electronic properties of the material. To prevent the formation of the large grain boundaries several design of nanocrystalline silicon solar cell has been used. Hydrogen profile, Power profile and Superlattice structures help to control the crystallinity of the material as it grows. There are other deposition parameters such as deposition temperature, pressure and frequency if changed may alter the morphology of the material by changing the grain size of crystals. For high mobility and more absorption of photons we need large grains sizes of \u3c220\u3e which can be achieved by high temperature and high pressure deposition conditions. We are going to discuss about the superlattice structure and ways to improve the quality of the solar cell. Amorphous silicon germanium has superior absorption coefficient as compared to amorphous silicon therefore in this report we would discuss how we can incorporate amorphous silicon germanium with nanocrystalline silicon to enhance the current of the solar cell. The grain structure and superior electronic property of nanocrystalline silicon will be utilized to collect the carriers from the thin amorphous silicon germanium tissue. We will also show the increase in current can be achieved by incorporating a back-reflector in a solar cell

Silicon-Germanium Films Deposited by Low Frequency PE CVD: Effect of H2 and Ar Dilution

We have studied structure and electrical properties of Si{sub 1-Y}Ge{sub Y}:H films deposited by low frequency PE CVD over the entire composition range from Y=0 to Y=1. The deposition rate of the films and their structural and electrical properties were measured for various ratios of the germane/silane feed gases and with and without dilution by Ar and by H{sub 2}. Structure and composition was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Surface morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found: (1) The deposition rate increased with Y maximizing at Y=1 without dilution. (2) The relative rate of Ge and Si incorporation is affected by dilution. (3) Hydrogen preferentially bonds to silicon. (4) Hydrogen content decreases for increasing Y. In addition, optical measurements showed that as Y goes for 0 to 1, the Fermi level moves from mid gap to the conduction band edge, i.e. the films become more n-type. No correlation was found between the pre-exponential and the activation energy of conductivity. The behavior of the conductivity {gamma}-factor suggests a local minimum in the density of states at E {approx} 0.33 eV for the films grown with or without H-dilution and E {approx} 0.25 eV for the films with Ar dilution

Unravelling a simple method for the low temperature synthesis of silicon nanocrystals and monolithic nanocrystalline thin films

In this work, we present new results on the plasma processing and structure of hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H) thin films. pm-Si:H thin films consist of a low volume fraction of silicon nanocrystals embedded in a silicon matrix with medium range order, and they possess this morphology as a significant contribution to their growth comes from the impact on the substrate of silicon clusters and nanocrystals synthesized in the plasma. Quadrupole mass spectrometry, ion flux measurements, and material characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy all provide insight on the contribution to the growth by silicon nanocrystals during PECVD deposition. In particular, cross-section TEM measurements show for the first time that the silicon nanocrystals are uniformly distributed across the thickness of the pm-Si:H film. Moreover, parametric studies indicate that the best pm-Si:H material is obtained at the conditions after the transition between a pristine plasma and one containing nanocrystals, namely a total gas pressure around 2 Torr and a silane to hydrogen ratio between 0.05 to 0.1. From a practical point of view these conditions also correspond to the highest deposition rate achievable for a given RF power and silane flow rate.ope

Remote plasma chemical vapor deposition for high efficiency heterojunction solar cells on low cost, ultra-thin, semiconductor-on-metal substrates

textIn the crystalline Si solar cell industry, there is a push to reduce module cost through a combination of thinner substrates and increased cell efficiency. Achieving solar cells with sub-100 µm substrates cost-effectively is a formidable task because such thin substrates impose stringent handling requirements and thermal budget due to their flexibility, ease of breakage, and low yield. Moreover, as the substrate thickness decreases the surface passivation quality dictates the performance of the cells. Crystalline Si heterojunction (HJ) solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) have attracted significant interest in recent years due to their excellent surface passivation properties, potential for high efficiency, low thermal budget and low cost. HJ cells with ultra-passivated surfaces showing > 700 mV open-circuit voltages (Voc) and > 20% conversion efficiency have been demonstrated. In these cells, it has been identified that high-quality a-Si:H films deposited by a low-damage plasma process is key to achieving such high cell performance. However, the options for low-damage plasma deposition process are limited. The main objectives of this work are to develop a low-plasma damage a-Si:H thin film deposition process based on remote plasma chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) and to demonstrate high efficiency HJ solar cells on bulk substrates as well as on ultra-thin silicon and germanium substrates obtained by a novel, low-cost semiconductor-on-metal (SOM) technology. This manuscript presents a detailed description of the RPCVD system and the process leading to the realization of high quality a-Si:H thin films and high efficiency HJ solar cells. First, p-type a-Si:H thin films are developed and optimized, then HJ solar cells are subsequently fabricated on bulk and ultra-thin Si and Ge SOM substrates without intrinsic a-Si:H passivation. Single HJ cells on ~ 500 µm bulk Si and ~25 µm ultra-thin substrates exhibited conversion efficiencies of η = 16% (Voc = 615 mV, Jsc = 34 mA/cm2, and FF = 77%) and η = 11.2% (Voc = 605 mV, Jsc = 29.6 mA/cm2, and FF = 62.8%), respectively. The performance of the ~25 µm cell was further improved to η = 13.4% (Voc = 645 mV, Jsc = 31.4 mA/cm2, and FF = 66.2%) by implementing the dual HJ architecture without front side i-layer passivation. For single HJ cells based on Ge substrates, the results were η = 1.78 % (Voc = 148 mV, Jsc = 35.1 mA/cm2, and FF = 1.78%) on ~500 µm bulk Ge, compared to η =5.3% (Voc = 203 mV, Jsc = 44.7 mA/cm2, and FF = 5.28%) on ~ 50 µm Ge SOM substrates. Respectively, the results obtained on ultra-thin SOM substrates are among the highest reported in literature for based on comparable architecture and substrate thickness. In order to achieve improved cell performance, dual HJ cells with i-layer passivation of both surfaces were fabricated. First, optimized RPCVD-based i-layer films were developed by varying the deposition temperature and H2 dilution ratio (R). It was found that excellent surface passivation on planar substrates with as-deposited minority carrier lifetimes > 1 ms is achievable by using deposition temperature of 200 ºC and moderate dilution ratio 0.5 ≤ R ≤ 1, even without the more rigorous RCA pre-cleaning process typically used in literature for achieving comparable results. Subsequently, dual HJ solar cells with i-layer films were demonstrated on planar and textured bulk Si substrates showing improved conversion efficiencies of η = 17.3% (Voc = 664 mV, Jsc = 34.34 mA/cm2 and FF = 76%) and η = 19.4% (Voc = 643 mV, Jsc = 38.99 mA/cm2, and FF = 77.5%), respectively.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Photonic and plasmonic structures for enhancing efficiency of thin film silicon solar cells

Crystalline silicon solar cells use high cost processing techniques as well as thick materials that are ~ 200µm thick to convert solar energy into electricity. From a cost viewpoint, it is highly advantageous to use thin film solar cells which are generally made in the range of 0.1-3µm in thickness. Due to this low thickness, the quantity of material is greatly reduced and so is the number and complexity of steps involved to complete a device, thereby allowing a continuous processing capability improving the throughput and hence greatly decreasing the cost. This also leads to faster payback time for the end user of the photovoltaic panel. In addition, due to the low thickness and the possibility of deposition on flexible foils, the photovoltaic (PV) modules can be flexible. Such flexible PV modules are well suited for building-integrated applications and for portable, foldable, PV power products. For economical applications of solar cells, high efficiency is an important consideration. Since Si is an indirect bandgap material, a thin film of Si needs efficient light trapping to achieve high optical absorption. The previous work in this field has been mostly based on randomly textured back reflectors. In this work, we have used a novel approach, a periodic photonic and plasmonic structure, to optimize current density of the devices by absorbing longer wavelengths without hampering other properties. The two dimensional diffraction effect generated by a periodic structure with the plasmonic light concentration achieved by silver cones to efficiently propagate light in the plane at the back surface of a solar cell, achieves a significant increase in optical absorption. Using such structures, we achieved a 50%+ increase in short circuit current in a nano-crystalline (nc-Si) solar cell relative to stainless steel. In addition to nc-Si solar cells on stainless steel, we have also used the periodic photonic structure to enhance optical absorption in amorphous cells and tandem junction amorphous/nano-crystalline cells. These structures have been fabricated on flexible plastic substrates. We will describe the use of periodic structures to achieve increased light absorption and enhanced photocurrents in thin film solar cells, and also compare them systematically with other textured substrates. We discuss the various technological aspects and obstacles faced before successful fabrication of such structure, and during the fabrication of solar cells on these structures. The ideas of periodic texturing and random texturing will be compared and an implementation of them together will be discussed

Status and applications of diamond and diamond-like materials: An emerging technology

Recent discoveries that make possible the growth of crystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition offer the potential for a wide variety of new applications. This report takes a broad look at the state of the technology following from these discoveries in relation to other allied materials, such as high-pressure diamond and cubic boron nitride. Most of the potential defense, space, and commercial applications are related to diamond's hardness, but some utilize other aspects such as optical or electronic properties. The growth processes are reviewed, and techniques for characterizing the resulting materials' properties are discussed. Crystalline diamond is emphasized, but other diamond-like materials (silicon carbide, amorphous carbon containing hydrogen) are also examined. Scientific, technical, and economic problem areas that could impede the rapid exploitation of these materials are identified. Recommendations are presented covering broad areas of research and development

Synthesis, structure and properties of nanolayered DLC/DLC films

Diamondlike carbon (DLC) films have been explored extensively in the past due to their highly attractive properties. However, the high level of internal stress developed during growth prevents deposition of thick films. Synthesis of DLC/DLC multilayers (DDM) presents a venue to overcome this drawback. In the present study, DLC films and DDM were deposited on Si substrate using dc plasma of CH4 and Ar gas mixture. FTIR was used to analyze the structure of the DLC films. Mechanical properties of the films were characterized by microhardness testing and nanoindentation. The tribological properties were studied by conducting pin-on-disc experiments in the laboratory environment (relative humidity 40-60%). Optical profilometry was used to analyze Intrinsic stress in the films and the wear profiles. A preliminary study was conducted utilizing different processing parameter (bias voltage, chamber pressure and ratio of Ar to CH4) to select the constituents of the DDM. Subsequently, DDM were synthesized consisting of alternating nanolayers of “soft” (high sp2content) and “hard” (low sp2 content) DLC by varying: (i) individual layer thickness while keeping the thickness ratio of soft/ hard DLC film, λ = 1 and; (ii) λ. The multilayered films found to exhibit low intrinsic stress ranging mostly below the average values of the two individual components. Nanoindentation behavior of DDM was comparable to the parent films and no significant variation was observed in different DDM films. DDM films with λ=1 exhibited better tribological properties compared to the films with λ other than unity. The 50 nm/50 nm DDM film exhibited the best tribological properties. It combined the low friction coefficient of the soft DLC component and low wear rate of the harder DLC component. The stress was found to be the average of the parent DLC films; hence it possesses the promise to be deposited as a thick coating, while maintaining desirable mechanical and tribological properties