Nanoimprint texturing of transparent flexible substrates for improved light management in thin‐film solar cells

We present a nanoimprint based approach to achieve efficient light management for solar cells on low temperature transparent polymer films. These films are particularly low‐priced, though sensitive to temperature, and therefore limiting the range of deposition temperatures of subsequent solar cell layers. By using nanoimprint technology, we successfully replicated optimized light trapping textures of etched high temperature ZnO:Al on a low temperature PET film without deterioration of optical properties of the substrate. The imprint‐textured PET substrates show excellent light scattering properties and lead to significantly improved incoupling and trapping of light in the solar cell, resulting in a current density of 12.9 mA/cm², similar to that on a glass substrate. An overall efficiency of 6.9% was achieved for a flexible thin‐film silicon solar cell on low cost PET substrate. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

In_2O_3:Sn中间层改善B掺杂ZnO薄膜的性能及其应用研究

金属有机化学气相沉积(MOCVD)法生长的掺硼氧化锌(BZO)薄膜,具有天然的"类金字塔"绒面结构,作为硅基薄膜太阳电池的前电极具有良好的陷光效果.但直接获得的BZO薄膜表面形貌过于尖锐,影响后续硅基薄膜材料生长质量及太阳电池的光电转换效率.本文设计了以一层超薄In2O3:Sn(ITO)薄膜(～4 nm厚度)作为中间层的多层膜,并通过对顶层BZO薄膜的厚度调制,改善BZO薄膜的表面特性,薄膜结构为:glass/底层BZO/ITO/顶层BZO.合适厚度的顶层BZO薄膜有助于获得类似"菜花状"形貌特征,尖锐的表面趋于"柔和",而较厚的顶层BZO薄膜仍然保持"类金字塔状"结构."柔和"的BZO薄膜表面结构有助于提高后续生长薄膜电池的结晶质量.将获得的新型"三明治"结构多层膜应用于p-i-n型氢化微晶硅(μc-Si:H)薄膜太阳电池,相比传统的BZO薄膜,电池的量子效率QE在500—800 nm波长范围提高了～10%,并且电池的Jsc和Voc均有所提高.     

Solar energy harvesting scheme using syringe-like ZnO nanorod arrays for InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well solar cells

Syringe-like ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) synthesized by a hydrothermal method were applied as the light-harvesting layer on InGaN-based multiple quantum well (MQW) solar cells. Theoretical calculations show that the NRAs with an abrupt shrinkage of tip diameter can further suppress surface reflectance in comparison with the flat NRAs. InGaN-based MQW solar cells with the syringe-like NRAs exhibit greatly improved conversion efficiencies by 36%. These results are attributed to the improved flatness of the refractive index profile at the air/device interface, which results in enhanced light trapping effect on the device surface.     

Preparation of Ga-doped ZnO films by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering with cylindrical rotating target for thin film solar cell applications

Applicability of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films for thin film solar cells (TFSCs) was investigated by preparing GZO films via pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with rotating target. The GZO films showed improved crystallinity and increasing degree of Ga doping with increasing thickness to a limit of 1000 nm. The films also fulfilled requirements for the transparent electrodes of TFSCs in terms of electrical and optical properties. Moreover, the films exhibited good texturing potential based on etching studies with diluted HCl, which yielded an improved light trapping capability without significant degradation in electrical propreties. It is therefore suggested that the surface-textured GZO films prepared via PDMS and etching are promising candidates for indium-free transparent electrodes for TFSCs.     

Plasmon enhanced light trapping in thin film GaAs solar cells by Al nanoparticle array

Light trapping is a crucial factor to enhance the performance of thin film solar cells. For effective light trapping, we introduced Al nanoparticle array on the top and rear surface of thin film GaAs solar cells. The effect of both array on the optical absorption and current density of solar cells is investigated by using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The optimization process of top and rear array in solar cells is done systematically. The results indicate that by plasmonic action of arrays, the optical absorption is significantly enhanced and optimized structure yields a current density of 25.77 mA/cm². These enhancements are mainly attributed to surface plasmon effects induced by Al nanoparticles and the light grating properties of the arrays.     

PIN型和NIP型硅薄膜太阳电池中绒面陷光结构和陷光性能研究

对于硅薄膜太阳电池来说, 无论是PIN型还是NIP型太阳电池, 采用绒面陷光结构来提高入射光的有效利用率是提高太阳电池效率的重要方法之一.本文采用标度相干理论对PIN和NIP型电池的绒面结构的陷光性能进行了数值模拟. 结果表明: PIN电池中前电极和NIP电池中背电极衬底粗糙度分别为160和40 nm时可获得理想的陷光效果; 在不同粗糙度背电极衬底上制备a-SiGe:H电池发现, 使用40和61.5 nm 背电极可获得相当的短路电流密度, 理论分析和实验得到了一致的结果. 关键词： 陷光结构 光散射能力 标量相干理论 硅基薄膜太阳电池     

Improving light trapping and conversion efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cell by modified and randomly distributed ZnO nanorods

Three-dimensional （3D） nanostructures in thin film solar cells have attracted significant attention due to their appli- cations in enhancing light trapping. Enhanced light trapping can result in more effective absorption in solar cells, thus leading to higher short-circuit current density and conversion efficiency. We develop randomly distributed and modified ZnO nanorods, which are designed and fabricated by the following processes： the deposition of a ZnO seed layer on sub- strate with sputtering, the wet chemical etching of the seed layer to form isolated islands for nanorod growth, the chemical bath deposition of the ZnO nanorods, and the sputtering deposition of a thin Al-doped ZnO （ZnO：Al） layer to improve the ZnO/Si interface. Solar cells employing the modified ZnO nanorod substrate show a considerable increase in solar energy conversion efficiency.     

Light trapping for a‐Si:H/µc‐Si:H tandem solar cells using direct pulsed laser interference texturing

We present a‐Si:H/µc‐Si:H tandem solar cells on laser textured ZnO:Al front contact layers. Direct pulsed laser interference patterning (DLIP) was used for writing arrays of one‐dimensional micro gratings of submicron period into ZnO:Al films. The laser texture provides good light trapping which is indicated by an increase in short‐circuit current density of 20% of the bottom cell limited device compared to cells on planar ZnO:Al. The open‐circuit voltage of the cells on laser textured ZnO:Al is almost the same as for cells on planar substrates, indicating excellent growth conditions for amorphous and microcrystalline silicon on the U‐shaped grating grooves. DLIP is a simple, single step and industrially applicable method for large area periodic texturing of ZnO:Al thin films. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

太阳能电池陷光结构辐射特性研究

本文分析了不同微结构、电池厚度对太阳能电池光损失的影响,提出了一种新的电池陷光结构。运用时域有限差分法(FDTD)仿真了该类太阳能电池陷光结构中光传输过程,获得了不同波源入射下陷光结构电池的储能特性和光捕获特性,优化设计了最佳陷光结构并分析了其光捕获性能。     

氢退火的BZO前电极对非晶硅薄膜太阳能电池性能的影响

采用低压化学气相沉积方法在玻璃衬底上制备了B掺杂的ZnO（BZO）薄膜,通过氢退火对BZO进行处理,然后作为前电极进行了非晶硅薄膜太阳能电池的制备及性能研究。结果表明：在氢气气氛下退火后,BZO薄膜的载流子浓度基本无变化,但Hall迁移率显著提高,这使得BZO薄膜的导电能力提高;当采用厚度较小、透光率较高的BZO薄膜进行氢退火后作为前电极结构时,非晶硅薄膜太阳能电池的短路电流密度提高0.3~0.4 mA/cm²,电池的转化效率提高0.2%。实验结果可为通过优化前电极结构来提高非晶硅薄膜太阳能电池转化效率提供一种简易的方法。     

Characteraction of Ag-doped ZnO thin film synthesized by sol–gel method and its using in thin film solar cells

Pure 2% and 4% Ag-doped ZnO thin films have been synthesized on glass substrates by sol–gel method. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the samples have been studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning probe microscope, UV–vis spectrophotometer, respectively. The XRD result shows that the pure ZnO has a wurtzite hexagonal structure, no phase segregation is observed. The surface morphology of pure ZnO thin film shows that the grains are growing preferentially along the c-axis orientation perpendicular to the substrates. The transmittance spectra reveal that all samples have high transmittance above 90% in visible region. With Ag doping content increase, a red shift is observed. The performance of Ag-doped ZnO films using in thin film solar cells are simulated. The results show that 4% Ag-doped ZnO thin film can greatly improve the absorption of the cells. Compare to pure ZnO, solar cell's energy conversion efficiency improvement of 2.47% is obtained with 4% Ag doped ZnO thin film.     

Zinc oxide films prepared by sol–gel spin coating technique

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films and micro- and nanostructures are very promising candidates for novel applications in emerging thin-film transistors, solar cells, sensors and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, a low-cost sol–gel spin coating technique was used to fabricate ZnO films on glass substrates. The sol–gel fabrication process of the ZnO films is described. The influence of precursor concentration on the material properties of the ZnO films was investigated. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffractometry were employed to examine the structural properties of the ZnO films. The optical properties of the ZnO films were characterized with ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal that the precursor concentration in the sol–gel spin coating process exerts a strong influence on the properties of the ZnO films. The effects of the precursor concentration are discussed.     

Zinc oxide films and nanomaterials for photovoltaic applications

We provide an overview of ZnO applications in solar cells. ZnO (and ZnO‐based materials) can be used as electrodes and/or scattering/light trapping layers, as well as electron transport layers in solar cells based on nanoparticles and organic materials (polymer solar cells, dye‐sensitized solar cells). For each of these applications, we will briefly summarize common research directions, as well as existing problems and unresolved questions. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Potential of amorphous silicon for solar cells

This paper reviews recent developments in the field of amorphous-silicon-based thin-film solar cells and discusses potentials for further improvements. Creative efforts in materials research, device physics, and process engineering have led to highly efficient solar cells based on amorphous hydrogenated silicon. Sophisticated multijunction solar cell designs make use of its unique material properties and strongly suppress light induced degradation. Texture-etching of sputtered ZnO:Al films is presented as a novel technique to design optimized light trapping schemes for silicon thin-film solar cells in both p-i-n and n-i-p device structure. Necessary efforts will be discussed to close the efficiency gap between the highest stabilized efficiencies demonstrated on lab scale and efficiencies achieved in production. In case of a-Si:H/a-Si:H stacked cells prepared on glass substrates, significant reduction of process-related losses and the development of superior TCO substrates on large areas promise distinctly higher module efficiencies. A discussion of future perspectives comprises the potential of new deposition techniques and concepts combining the advantages of amorphous and crystalline silicon thin-film solar cells. Received: 1 March 1999 / Accepted: 28 March 1999 / Published online: 14 June 1999     

Solid-state reaction synthesis of boron carbonitride nanotubes

ZnO films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at the substrate temperature of 120∼420°C. XRD measurements revealed the improvement of crystalline quality and grain size of the films with substrate temperature. The dielectric function of the films was determined by fitting the experimental transmission spectra with Tauc–Lorentz (TL) model and a single Lorentzian oscillator (SLO) dispersion function in the energy range of 1∼5 eV. The optical properties of the ZnO films strongly depended on the substrate temperature. The optical band gap and the Penn gap of the ZnO films increased with the substrate temperature. The band gap of the ZnO films indicated a direct interband transition between the valence and conduction band, and the change of the in-plane film stress promoted the enhancement of the band gap. These results of the optical properties of the ZnO films might be very meaningful to the application in the window design in solar cells.     

Deposition and characterization of transparent and conductive sprayed ZnO:B thin films

Highly transparent and conductive Boron doped zinc oxide (ZnO:B) thin films were deposited using chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) technique on glass substrate. The effect of variation of boron doping concentration in reducing solution on film properties was investigated. Low angle X-ray analysis showed that the films were polycrystalline fitting well with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and have preferred orientation in [002] direction. The films with resistivity 2.54×10⁻³ Ω-cm and optical transmittance >90% were obtained at optimized boron doping concentration. The optical band gap of ZnO:B films was found ∼3.27 eV from the optical transmittance spectra for the as-deposited films. Due to their excellent optical and electrical properties, ZnO:B films are promising contender for their potential use as transparent window layer and electrodes in solar cells.     

Growth, properties and dye-sensitized solar cells–applications of ZnO nanorods grown by low-temperature solution process

Hexagonal-shaped small ZnO nanorods were grown in a large-quantity via simple aqueous solution process by using zinc nitrate as a source of zinc ions at low temperature under stirring. The as-grown hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanorods were characterized in detail in terms of their structural, optical and photovoltaic properties. The detailed structural investigations by HRTEM, SAED and FFT revealed that the as-synthesized ZnO nanorods are well-crystalline, possessing a perfect hexagonal ideal growth habits of wurtzite zinc oxide and grown along the [0001] direction in preference. The optical properties, composition and quality of the as-synthesized nanorods were examined by using UV-visible and FTIR spectroscopy. Moreover, films of as-grown nanorods were used as photoanode materials to fabricate the dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). An overall light to electricity conversion efficiency of 0.70% with a fill factor of 47.2%, short-circuit current of 1.8 mA/cm² and open-circuit voltage of 0.76 V were achieved for the solar cell based on hexagonal-shaped small ZnO nanorods.     

Property enhancement of transparent conducting zinc oxide thin films—Effect of simultaneous (Sn+F) doping

Undoped and simultaneously (Sn+F) doped ZnO thin films were fabricated using a simplified spray pyrolysis technique and the effects of Sn doping level on their electrical, structural, optical and surface morphological properties were studied. The XRD patterns confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. The minimum electrical resistivity of 0.45×10⁻² Ω cm was obtained for ZnO films having Sn+F doping levels of 8+20 at%. All the films exhibited average optical transmittance of 85% in the visible region, suitable for transparent electrode applications. The overall quality of the fabricated films was confirmed from photoluminescence (PL) studies. The PL and surface morphological studies along with the elemental analysis showed the increase of Sn diffusion into the ZnO lattice which was consistent with the concentration of Sn in the starting solution. The results of the analysis of physical properties of simultaneously doped ZnO films proved that these films might be considered as promising candidates for solar cells and other opto-electronic applications.     

Cu-Co共掺杂ZnO光电性质的第一性原理计算

采用密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法,计算了本征ZnO,Cu 1021cm-3单掺杂ZnO,Co单掺杂ZnO,Cu-Co共掺杂ZnO的电子结构和光学性质.结果表明,在本文掺杂浓度数量级下,Cu,Co单掺杂可以提高ZnO的载流子浓度,从而改善ZnO的导电性,Cu-Co共掺杂时ZnO半导体进入简并状态,呈现金属性.这三种掺杂ZnO均会在可见光和近紫外区域出现光吸收增强现象,其中由于Cu离子与Co离子之间的协同效应,Cu-Co共掺杂ZnO对太阳光的吸收大幅增加,因此Cu-Co共掺杂ZnO可以用于制备高效率的太阳电池.     

Micromorph tandem solar cells: optimization of the microcrystalline silicon bottom cell in a single chamber system

We report on the development of single chamber deposition of microcrystalline and micromorph tandem solar cells directly onto low-cost glass substrates. The cells have pin single-junction or pin/pin double-junction structures on glass substrates coated with a transparent conductive oxide layer such as SnO₂ or ZnO. By controlling boron and phosphorus contaminations, a single-junction microcrystalline silicon cell with a conversion efficiency of 7.47% is achieved with an i-layer thickness of 1.2 μm. In tandem devices, by thickness optimization of the microcrystalline silicon bottom solar cell, we obtained an initial conversion efficiency of 9.91% with an aluminum (Al) back reflector without a dielectric layer. In order to enhance the performance of the tandem solar cells, an improved light trapping structure with a ZnO/Al back reflector is used. As a result, a tandem solar cell with 11.04% of initial conversion efficiency has been obtained.