Thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells. Final report, September 11, 1978-September 10, 1979
The effect of grain boundaries on the performance of solar cells fabricated on Wacker Silso polycrystalline silicon substrates has been studied. Efficiencies of 8% (no AR coating) were obtained (11.2% with AR coating). This is 20% lower than the efficiency obtained for identically fabricated single-crystal cells. This reduction can be accounted for as follows: 4% reduction in V/sub oc/ due to grain boundaries, 8% reduction in J/sub sc/ due to grain boundaries, and 8% reduction in J/sub sc/ due to a lower minority carrier diffusion length inside the grains. Quantum efficiency measurements were made with a 150-..mu..m-diameter light spot inside grains and across grain boundaries, permitting a determination of L/sub n/ inside a grain (L/sub n/ = 75 ..mu..m for Wacker Silso). Laser scans were obtained at lambda = 0.633 ..mu..m and at lambda = 1.15 ..mu..m. Some grain boundaries are shown to be electrically inactive. Active grain boundaries were also observed by a novel liquid-crystal technique. Deep traps were studied by DLTS. The crystallographic orientation of individual grains was measured by an SEM technique called electron channeling patterns. Two silicon bicrystals were grown with well defined grain boundaries ((111) growth directions, 30/sup 0/ and 5/sup 0/ misorientation between the (110) directions).
- Research Organization:
- RCA Labs., Princeton, NJ (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-78ET20562
- OSTI ID:
- 5654604
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/20562-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CARRIER LIFETIME
CHANNELING
CHARGE CARRIERS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON CHANNELING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
IMPURITIES
LASERS
LIFETIME
MICROSTRUCTURE
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OPTICAL SCANNERS
PASSIVATION
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TRAPS
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CARRIER LIFETIME
CHANNELING
CHARGE CARRIERS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON CHANNELING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
IMPURITIES
LASERS
LIFETIME
MICROSTRUCTURE
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OPTICAL SCANNERS
PASSIVATION
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
QUANTUM EFFICIENCY
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TRAPS