KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Temperature metrology, Silicon, Thin film solar cells, Raman spectroscopy, Amorphous silicon, Crystals, Zinc oxide, Oxides, Glasses
In this work, we investigated the temperature dependence of wide bandgap hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based, hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiO:H)-based single-junction and hydrogenated protocrystalline silicon/hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (pc-Si:H/μc-Si:H) double-junction solar cells in order to develop solar cells which are suitable for use in high temperature region. Photo J-V characteristics were measured under AM 1.5
illumination at ambient temperature in the range of 25-75 oC. We found that, the values of temperature coefficient for conversion efficiency (TC for η) of both single- and double-junction solar cells were inversely proportional to the initial
open-circuit voltage (Voc). In case of p-i-n single-junction solar cells, the typical pc-Si:H and pc-SiO:H solar cells
showed the lowest TC for η of -0.21 and -0.14%/oC, respectively. The smallest TC for η of pc-SiO:H solar cell was
attributed to the positive increase in TC for fill factor (FF). The TC for η of typical pc-Si:H/μc-Si:H double-junction
solar cells was around -0.35%/oC with initial η around 10-12%. Since high Voc pc-Si:H/μc-Si:H double-junction solar cells exhibit low temperature dependence and highly stable η against light soaking, they are promising for use in high
temperature regions. In addition, we conclude that solar cells which are suitable for use in high temperature region must be considered both high η with low temperature dependence.
KEYWORDS: Solar cells, Temperature metrology, Thin film solar cells, Silicon, Raman spectroscopy, Silicon films, Amorphous silicon, Climatology, Crystals, Data modeling
The temperature dependence of silicon (Si)-based thin film single junction solar cells whose intrinsic absorbers were
fabricated near the phase boundary of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) to hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon
(μc-Si:H) was investigated. By varying the hydrogen dilution ratio, wide bandgap protocrytalline silicon (pc-Si:H) and
the mixed-phase of a-Si:H and μc-Si:H absorber layers were obtained. Photo J-V characteristics were measured under
AM1.5 illumination at ambient temperature in the range of 25-75 °C. We found that the pc-Si:H solar cells which exist
below the a-Si:H and µc-Si:H transition boundary exhibited the lowest temperature coefficient (TC) for conversion
efficiency (η) and open-circuit voltage (Voc), while the solar cells fabricated at the mixed-phase of a-Si:H and μc-Si:H
revealed a relatively high TC for η and Voc. Experimental results indicated that pc-Si:H which fabricated at the silane
concentration (SC), SC = [SiH4]/([SiH4]+[H2]), of 5.75% showed the highest initial η, low TC for η and degradation
ratio. This material at this condition is a promising for using as an absorber layer of single junction or top cell for tandem
solar cells which operating in high temperature regions.
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