High Performance A–Si Solar Cells and Narrow Bandgap Materials

Abstract

AbstractHigh performance a-Si solar cells were developed. A conversion efficiency of 11.5% was achieved for a textured TCO/p-SiC/in/Ag structure with a size of 1 cm2 using the high quality i-layer fabricated by a new consecutive, separated reaction chamber apparatus. A conversion efficiency of 9.0% was obtained with a size of 10cm × 10cm. A high quality a-SiGe:H:F, which is a new narrow bandgap material for a-Si solar cells, was fabricated by a glow discharge decomposition of SiF4 + GeF4 + H2.A photo-CVD method was investigated in order to improve the interface properties of a–Si solar cells. A conversion efficiency of 11.0% was obtained with a solar cell in which the p-layer is fabricated by the photo-CVD method. a-SiGe:H films were fabricated by the photo-CVD method for the first time as a narrow bandgap material for multi-bandgap a-Si solar cells.