Thin film solar cells using impure polycrystalline silicon

M. Rodot , M. Barbe , J.E. Bouree , V. Perraki , G. Revel , R. Kishore , J.L. Pastol , R. Mertens , M. Caymax , M. Eyckmans

Epitaxial solar cells have been studied with the view of using rather impure upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG)-Si as a substrate material. It is confirmed that transition elements have segregated during ingot growth and that impurities such as B, P, Al do not diffuse from substrate to epilayers, so that the latter have resistivity and electron diffusion length adequate to produce good solar cells. 10.3 % efficiency cells have been obtained. By spectral response measurements, interpreted through a simple model, it is shown that this efficiency is limited by both absorption and collection losses in the thin active epilayer. With the help of a brief economic analysis, this technique is compared to the other ones able to make use of cheap UMG-Si.

Mots clés: carrier lifetime; electrical conductivity of crystalline semiconductors and insulators; elemental semiconductors; segregation; semiconductor epitaxial layers; silicon; solar cells; semiconductor; thin film solar cells; impure polycrystalline material; epitaxial cells; absorption losses; metallurgical grade; substrate material; transition elements; impurities; resistivity; electron diffusion length; spectral response measurements; collection losses; thin active epilayer; economic analysis; 10.3 percent; Si:P; Si:B; Si:Al

Domaines: Articles anciens

M. Rodot, M. Barbe, J.E. Bouree, V. Perraki, G. Revel, et al.. Thin film solar cells using impure polycrystalline silicon. Revue de Physique Appliquée, 1987, 22 (7), pp.687-694. ⟨10.1051/rphysap:01987002207068700⟩. ⟨jpa-00245597⟩