Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes

Trenched electrodes were proposed to enhance the short-circuit current and conversion efficiency of polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) solar cells with nanoporous silicon (NPS) surface layers. NPS films that served as textured surface layers were firstly prepared on heavily doped p+-type (100) poly-S...

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Main Authors: Kuen-Hsien Wu, Chia-Chun Tang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:International Journal of Photoenergy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/307643
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author Kuen-Hsien Wu
Chia-Chun Tang
author_facet Kuen-Hsien Wu
Chia-Chun Tang
author_sort Kuen-Hsien Wu
collection DOAJ
description Trenched electrodes were proposed to enhance the short-circuit current and conversion efficiency of polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) solar cells with nanoporous silicon (NPS) surface layers. NPS films that served as textured surface layers were firstly prepared on heavily doped p+-type (100) poly-Si wafers by anodic etching process. Interdigitated trenches were formed in the NPS layers by a reactive-ion-etch (RIE) process and Cr/Al double-layered metal was then deposited to fill the trenches and construct trenched-electrode-contacts (TEC’s). Cells with TEC structures (called “TEC cells”) obtained 5.5 times higher short-circuit current than that of cells with planar electrode contacts (called “non-TEC cells”). Most significantly, a TEC cell achieved 8 times higher conversion efficiency than that of a non-TEC cell. The enhanced short-circuit current and conversion efficiency in TEC cells were ascribed to the reduced overall series resistance of devices. In a TEC cell, trenched electrodes provided photocurrent flowing routes that directly access the poly-Si substrates without passing through the high resistive NPS layers. Therefore, the application of NPS surface layers with trenched electrodes is a novel approach to development of highly efficient poly-Si solar cells.
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spelling doaj-art-6f50e723fb5a4f519c417bf41de896742025-02-03T01:07:51ZengWileyInternational Journal of Photoenergy1110-662X1687-529X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/307643307643Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched ElectrodesKuen-Hsien Wu0Chia-Chun Tang1Department of Electro-Optical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, TaiwanDepartment of Electro-Optical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, TaiwanTrenched electrodes were proposed to enhance the short-circuit current and conversion efficiency of polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) solar cells with nanoporous silicon (NPS) surface layers. NPS films that served as textured surface layers were firstly prepared on heavily doped p+-type (100) poly-Si wafers by anodic etching process. Interdigitated trenches were formed in the NPS layers by a reactive-ion-etch (RIE) process and Cr/Al double-layered metal was then deposited to fill the trenches and construct trenched-electrode-contacts (TEC’s). Cells with TEC structures (called “TEC cells”) obtained 5.5 times higher short-circuit current than that of cells with planar electrode contacts (called “non-TEC cells”). Most significantly, a TEC cell achieved 8 times higher conversion efficiency than that of a non-TEC cell. The enhanced short-circuit current and conversion efficiency in TEC cells were ascribed to the reduced overall series resistance of devices. In a TEC cell, trenched electrodes provided photocurrent flowing routes that directly access the poly-Si substrates without passing through the high resistive NPS layers. Therefore, the application of NPS surface layers with trenched electrodes is a novel approach to development of highly efficient poly-Si solar cells.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/307643
spellingShingle Kuen-Hsien Wu
Chia-Chun Tang
Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
International Journal of Photoenergy
title Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
title_full Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
title_fullStr Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
title_full_unstemmed Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
title_short Efficiency Enhancement of Nanoporous Silicon/Polycrystalline-Silicon Solar Cells by Application of Trenched Electrodes
title_sort efficiency enhancement of nanoporous silicon polycrystalline silicon solar cells by application of trenched electrodes
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/307643
work_keys_str_mv AT kuenhsienwu efficiencyenhancementofnanoporoussiliconpolycrystallinesiliconsolarcellsbyapplicationoftrenchedelectrodes
AT chiachuntang efficiencyenhancementofnanoporoussiliconpolycrystallinesiliconsolarcellsbyapplicationoftrenchedelectrodes