Texture etched Al-doped ZnO: a new material for enhanced light trapping in thin film solar cells

Author

Kluth, O. ; Löffl, A. ; Wieder, S. ; Benekíng, C. ; Appenzeller, W. ; Houben, L. ; Rech, B. ; Wagner, H. ; Hoffmann, S. ; Waser, R. ; Selvan, J. A Anna ; Keppner, H.

Author_Institution

Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, Germany

fYear

1997

fDate

29 Sep-3 Oct 1997

Firstpage

715

Lastpage

718

Abstract

We found that sputtered ZnO:Al films with an appropriate compact structure develop a surface texture during etching in diluted HCl with excellent optical and light trapping properties. Moreover, these texturable films have a high optical transmission and good electrical properties which are not affected by the etching process. An analysis of the film structure by HRSEM is presented. High short-circuit currents have been achieved for a-Si:H solar cells incorporating these films as TCO substrates

Keywords

aluminium; amorphous semiconductors; hydrogen; light transmission; semiconductor thin films; short-circuit currents; silicon; solar cells; sputtered coatings; surface texture; zinc compounds; Si:H; TCO substrates; ZnO:Al; a-Si:H solar cells; diluted HCl; enhanced light trapping; film structure analysis; good electrical properties; high optical transmission; high short-circuit currents; light trapping properties; optical properties; sputtered ZnO:Al films; surface texture; texture etched ZnO:Al films; thin film solar cells; transparent conducting oxide; Human computer interaction; Optical films; Optical scattering; Photovoltaic cells; Sputter etching; Sputtering; Substrates; Surface morphology; Transistors; Zinc oxide;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1997., Conference Record of the Twenty-Sixth IEEE

Conference_Location

Anaheim, CA

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3767-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1997.654189

Filename

654189