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Title: Surface Passivation and Carrier Collection in {110}, {100} and Circular Si Microwire Solar Cells

Abstract

Surface recombination is a major bottleneck for realizing highly efficient micro/nanostructure solar cells. Parametric studies of the influence of Si microwire (SiMW) surface-facet orientation (rectangular with flat-facets, {110}, {100} and circular), with a fixed height of 10 µm, diameter (D = 1.5–9.5 µm), and sidewall spacing (S = 2.5–8.5 µm), and mesh-grid density (1–16 mm-2) on recombination and carrier collection in SiMW solar cells with radial p-n junctions are reported. An effective surface passivation layer composed of thin thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (SiNx) layers is employed. For a fixed D of 1.5 µm, tight SiMW spacing results in improved short-circuit current density (Jsc = 30.1 mA cm-2) and sparse arrays result in open-circuit voltages (Voc = 0.552 V) that are similar to those of control Si planar cells. For a fixed S, smaller D results in better light trapping at shorter wavelengths and higher Jsc while larger D exhibits better light trapping at larger wavelengths and a higher Voc. With a mesh-grid electrode the power conversion efficiency increases to 15.3%. Finally, these results provide insights on the recombination mechanisms in SiMW solar cells and provide general design principles for optimizing their performance.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]
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  1. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Integrated Electronics and Biointerfaces Lab. Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Integrated Electronics and Biointerfaces Lab. Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Materials Science and Engineering Program. Dept. of NanoEngineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1480007
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1479520
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-28250
Journal ID: ISSN 1614-6832
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396; ECCS-1351980
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Advanced Energy Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 33; Journal ID: ISSN 1614-6832
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; Material Science; microwire facet; Si; solar cell; surface passivation; surface recombination

Citation Formats

Ro, Yun Goo, Chen, Renjie, Liu, Ren, Li, Nan, Williamson, Theodore, Yoo, Jinkyoung, Sim, Sangwan, Prasankumar, Rohit P., and Dayeh, Shadi A. Surface Passivation and Carrier Collection in {110}, {100} and Circular Si Microwire Solar Cells. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1002/aenm.201802154.
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Ro, Yun Goo, Chen, Renjie, Liu, Ren, Li, Nan, Williamson, Theodore, Yoo, Jinkyoung, Sim, Sangwan, Prasankumar, Rohit P., & Dayeh, Shadi A. Surface Passivation and Carrier Collection in {110}, {100} and Circular Si Microwire Solar Cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201802154
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Ro, Yun Goo, Chen, Renjie, Liu, Ren, Li, Nan, Williamson, Theodore, Yoo, Jinkyoung, Sim, Sangwan, Prasankumar, Rohit P., and Dayeh, Shadi A. Wed . "Surface Passivation and Carrier Collection in {110}, {100} and Circular Si Microwire Solar Cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201802154. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1480007.
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@article{osti_1480007,
title = {Surface Passivation and Carrier Collection in {110}, {100} and Circular Si Microwire Solar Cells},
author = {Ro, Yun Goo and Chen, Renjie and Liu, Ren and Li, Nan and Williamson, Theodore and Yoo, Jinkyoung and Sim, Sangwan and Prasankumar, Rohit P. and Dayeh, Shadi A.},
abstractNote = {Surface recombination is a major bottleneck for realizing highly efficient micro/nanostructure solar cells. Parametric studies of the influence of Si microwire (SiMW) surface-facet orientation (rectangular with flat-facets, {110}, {100} and circular), with a fixed height of 10 µm, diameter (D = 1.5–9.5 µm), and sidewall spacing (S = 2.5–8.5 µm), and mesh-grid density (1–16 mm-2) on recombination and carrier collection in SiMW solar cells with radial p-n junctions are reported. An effective surface passivation layer composed of thin thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (SiNx) layers is employed. For a fixed D of 1.5 µm, tight SiMW spacing results in improved short-circuit current density (Jsc = 30.1 mA cm-2) and sparse arrays result in open-circuit voltages (Voc = 0.552 V) that are similar to those of control Si planar cells. For a fixed S, smaller D results in better light trapping at shorter wavelengths and higher Jsc while larger D exhibits better light trapping at larger wavelengths and a higher Voc. With a mesh-grid electrode the power conversion efficiency increases to 15.3%. Finally, these results provide insights on the recombination mechanisms in SiMW solar cells and provide general design principles for optimizing their performance.},
doi = {10.1002/aenm.201802154},
journal = {Advanced Energy Materials},
number = 33,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201802154
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Cited by: 4 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: (a)-(e) Schematic illustration of the fabrication process (not to scale). (a) Ni dry-etch mask patterning. (b) ICP-RIE etching of SiMWs. (c) SOD phosphorus doping resulting in radial $p$-$n$ junction. (d) Passivation of SiMW surface with SiO2/SiNx layer. (e) Mesa etching and patterned top metal electrode deposition; blanket bottommore » metal contact electrode deposition. (f) Top view optical microscopic image of a SiMW solar cell. Scale bar is 500 μm. (g)-(i) 45- degree view SEM images of 10 μm-tall SiMWs with different facets, {110} (width=1.5 μm, $S$=1 μm), {100} (width=1.5 μm, $S$=1 μm) and circular ($D$=1.5 μm, $S$=1 μm), respectively. Scale bars are 5 μm. (j) Cross-sectional SEM image of 10 μm-tall SiMWs. Scale bar is 5 μm.« less
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