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Optical management in high‐efficiency thin‐film silicon micromorph solar cells with a silicon oxide based intermediate reflector
Author(s) -
Dominé Didier,
Buehlmann Peter,
Bailat Julien,
Billet Adrian,
Feltrin Andrea,
Ballif Christophe
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
physica status solidi (rrl) – rapid research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.786
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1862-6270
pISSN - 1862-6254
DOI - 10.1002/pssr.200802118
Subject(s) - materials science , silicon , optoelectronics , thin film , layer (electronics) , surface roughness , doping , solar cell , optics , reflector (photography) , silicon oxide , oxide , nanotechnology , composite material , metallurgy , light source , silicon nitride , physics
In the effort to increase the stable efficiency of thin film silicon micromorph solar cells, a silicon oxide based intermediate reflector (SOIR) layer is deposited in situ between the component cells of the tandem device. The effectiveness of the SOIR layer in increasing the photo‐carrier generation in the a‐Si:H top absorber is compared for p–i–n devices deposited on different rough, highly transparent, front ZnO layers. High haze and low doping level for the front ZnO strongly enhance the current density ( J sc ) in the μc‐Si:H bottom cell whereas J sc in the top cell is influenced by the angular distribution of the transmitted light and by the reflectivity of the SOIR related to different surface roughness. A total J sc of 26.8 mA/cm 2 and an initial conversion efficiency of 12.6% are achieved for 1.2 cm 2 cells with top and bottom cell thicknesses of 300 nm and 3 μm, and without any anti‐reflective coating on the glass. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)