New progress in the fabrication of n–i–p micromorph solar cells for opaque substrates

Biron, RémiHänni, SimonBoccard, MathieuPahud, CélineSöderström, KarinDuchamp, MartialDunin-Borkowski, RafalBugnon, GrégoryDing, LauraNicolay, SylvainParascandolo, GaetanoMeillaud, FannyDespeisse, MatthieuHaug, Franz-JosefBallif, Christophe2013-04-102013-04-102013-04-10201310.1016/j.solmat.2013.02.032https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/91413WOS:000319486700019In thispaper,weinvestigatetandemamorphous/microcrystallinesiliconsolarcellswithasymmetric intermediatereflectorsgrowninthen–i–psubstrateconfiguration.Wecomparedifferenttypesof substrateswithrespecttotheirlight-trappingpropertiesaswellastheirinfluenceonthegrowthof single-junctionmicrocrystallinecells.Ourmostpromisingbackreflectorcombinesatexturedzinc oxide filmgrownbylow-pressurechemicalvapordeposition,asilverfilmforreflection,andazinc oxide bufferlayer.Grownonthissubstrate,microcrystallinecellsexhibitexcellentresponseinthe infrared whilekeepinghighopen-circuitvoltageandfillfactor,leadingtoefficienciesofupto10.0%. After optimizingthemorphologyoftheasymmetricintermediatereflector,weachieveann–i–p micromorphsolarcellstabilizedefficiencyof11.6%,using270nmand1.7 mm ofsiliconfortheabsorber layer oftheamorphoustopcellandthemicrocrystallinebottomcell,respectively.Usingthisoriginal devicearchitecture,wereachefficienciesclosetothoseofstate-of-the-artn–i–pandp–i–nmicro- morph devices,demonstratingapromisingroutetodeposithigh-efficiencythin-filmsiliconsolarcells on opaquesubstrates.Thin film silicon solar cellsMicromorphLight trappingBack reflectorIntermediate reflectorNew progress in the fabrication of n–i–p micromorph solar cells for opaque substratestext::journal::journal article::research article