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Highly and Rapidly Stabilized Protocrystalline Silicon Multilayer Solar Cells

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Abstract

We have developed highly stabilized (p-i-n)-type protocrystalline silicon (pc-Si:H) multilayer solar cells. However, the source of the superior light-induced stability of the pc-Si:H multilayer absorbers compared to conventional amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) absorbers remains unclear. Photoluminescence (PL) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measured at room temperature produce strong evidence that nano-sized silicon grains embedded in regularly arranged highly H2-diluted sublayers suppress the photocreation of dangling bonds. To achieve a high conversion efficiency, we applied a double-layer p-type amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (p-a-Si1-xCx:H) structure to the pc-Si:H multilayer solar cells. The less pronounced initial short wavelength quantum efficiency variation as a function of bias voltage, and the wide overlap of dark current - voltage (JD-V) and short-circuit current - open-circuit voltage (Jsc-Voc) characteristics prove that the double p-a-Si1-xCx:H layer structure successfully reduces recombination at the p/i interface. Thus, we achieved a highly stabilized efficiency of 9.0 % without any back reflector.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Asahi Glass Company for providing us with Asahi U-type glass substrates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Korea

    Koeng Su Lim, Joong Hwan Kwak, Seong Won Kwon & Seung Yeop Myong

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  1. Koeng Su Lim
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  2. Joong Hwan Kwak
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  3. Seong Won Kwon
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Lim, K.S., Kwak, J.H., Kwon, S.W. et al. Highly and Rapidly Stabilized Protocrystalline Silicon Multilayer Solar Cells. MRS Online Proceedings Library 862, 112 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-862-A11.2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-862-A11.2

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