Novel Indium-Tin-Oxide nano-whiskers for enhanced transmission of surface-textured silicon photovoltaic cells

Author

Chang, C.H. ; Hsu, Min-Hsiang ; Yu, Peichen ; Kuo, H.C. ; Chang, W.L. ; Sun, W.C.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Photonics, Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

fYear

2009

fDate

7-12 June 2009

Abstract

Conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nano-whiskers were deposited on surface-textured Si solar cells using glancing-angle electron-beam deposition. With different deposited time, the ITO nano-structured layer exhibit tunable thickness, which can be related to the surface reflectance. The optimized nano-whisker surface demonstrates a broadband anti-reflective properties (R<5%), better than the traditional Si₃N₄ antireflection coating. Current-voltage and quantum efficiency analyses with the measured reflectivity data show enhanced optical transmission in the long wavelength range from 700nm to 1000nm, corresponding to a conversion efficiency improvement from 13.93% to 14.37%.

Keywords

electron beam deposition; indium compounds; light transmission; silicon compounds; solar cells; surface texture; tin compounds; whiskers (crystal); ITO; Si₃N₄; broadband anti-reflective properties; conductive indium tin oxide; current-voltage analysis; enhanced optical transmission; glancing angle electron beam deposition; nanowhiskers; quantum efficiency analysis; surface textured silicon photovoltaic cells; wavelength 700 nm to 1000 nm; Coatings; Fabrication; Indium tin oxide; Nanostructured materials; Optical surface waves; Photovoltaic cells; Reflectivity; Silicon; Surface texture; Wavelength measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2009 34th IEEE

Conference_Location

Philadelphia, PA

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-2949-3

Electronic_ISBN

0160-8371

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2009.5411626

Filename

5411626