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Effect of Various Wafer Surface Etching Processes on c-Si Solar Cell Characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Jeong Eun Park

    (Department of Electronic Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 27909, Korea)

  • Chang-Soon Han

    (Jeonnam Technopark, #370, Green-ro, Jeollanam-do 58324, Korea)

  • Won Seok Choi

    (Department of IT Energy Convergence, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 27909, Korea)

  • Donggun Lim

    (Department of Electronic Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 27909, Korea
    Department of IT Energy Convergence, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 27909, Korea)

Abstract

In order to analyze the effects of various sizes of pyramid structure on solar cell characteristics, a pyramid structure was formed on the wafer through various etching processes. In this paper, etching was performed using one-step etching processes such as alkaline solution etching, reactive ion etching (RIE), and metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE), and two-step etching processes such as alkaline solution + MACE and alkaline solution + RIE. The micro-sized pyramid-structured wafers formed using the alkali solution showed higher reflectivity than nano-sized pyramid-structured wafers. Accordingly, it was expected that the characteristics of the cells fabricated with a nano-sized pyramid-structured wafer having low reflectivity would be higher than that of a micro-sized pyramid-structured wafer. However, it was confirmed that the quantum efficiency characteristics in the short wavelength region were higher in the micro-sized pyramid-structured wafers than in the nano-sized pyramid-structured wafers. To confirm the reason for this, surface characteristics were analyzed through the deposition of an emitter layer on a wafer formed in a pyramidal structure. As a result, in the case of the nano-sized pyramid-structured wafer, the sheet resistance characteristics were lower due to the increased depth of the emitter layer in comparison to the micro-sized pyramid-structured wafer. Accordingly, it was determined that the quantum efficiency was degraded as a result of the high recombination rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeong Eun Park & Chang-Soon Han & Won Seok Choi & Donggun Lim, 2021. "Effect of Various Wafer Surface Etching Processes on c-Si Solar Cell Characteristics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:14:p:4106-:d:590194
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dewei Zhao & Yue Yu & Changlei Wang & Weiqiang Liao & Niraj Shrestha & Corey R. Grice & Alexander J. Cimaroli & Lei Guan & Randy J. Ellingson & Kai Zhu & Xingzhong Zhao & Ren-Gen Xiong & Yanfa Yan, 2017. "Low-bandgap mixed tin–lead iodide perovskite absorbers with long carrier lifetimes for all-perovskite tandem solar cells," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 2(4), pages 1-7, April.
    2. Abdullah, M.F. & Alghoul, M.A. & Naser, Hameed & Asim, Nilofar & Ahmadi, Shideh & Yatim, B. & Sopian, K., 2016. "Research and development efforts on texturization to reduce the optical losses at front surface of silicon solar cell," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 380-398.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marwa S. Salem & Abdelhalim Zekry & Ahmed Shaker & Mohamed Abouelatta & Tariq S. Almurayziq & Mohammad T. Alshammari & Mohamed M. El-Banna, 2022. "Performance Improvement of npn Solar Cell Microstructure by TCAD Simulation: Role of Emitter Contact and ARC," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-12, September.

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