TY - GEN
T1 - Nanotextured solar cells using aluminum as a catalyst and dopant
AU - Hainey, Mel
AU - Chen, Chen
AU - Brigeman, Alyssa
AU - Geibink, Noel
AU - Black, Marcie R.
AU - Redwing, Joan M.
N1 - Funding Information:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant PFI:AIR-TT 1414236. The device fabrication was performed in the Nanofabrication Facility which is part of The Pennsylvania State University Materials Research Institute Nanofabrication Network supported by the National Science Foundation Cooperative Agreement No. 0335765, National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, with Cornell University.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - A black silicon solar cell fabricated using aluminum as both a catalyst and dopant is demonstrated. A nanowire/nanopyramid black silicon surface texture is grown via aluminum (Al)-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth, and post-growth annealing diffuses the aluminum into the n-type substrate, forming a p-n junction. Devices with nanopyramid surface textures are found to have higher short-circuit currents and open-circuit voltages than nanowire surface textures grown at lower temperatures, and post-growth annealing times of 15-30 minutes are found to promote higher short-circuit current densities. External quantum efficiency measurements show that the highest photoconversion occurs in the red and IR regions for all devices, with low quantum efficiencies at shorter wavelengths even when the p-type silicon surface is passivated with alumina. The quantum efficiency spectra imply that the devices are limited by recombination on the illuminated side of the device. Based on these results and previous data on Al-catalyzed wires and pyramids, excess Al incorporation and Al cluster formation in the emitter are suggested as the primary factors currently limiting device performance.
AB - A black silicon solar cell fabricated using aluminum as both a catalyst and dopant is demonstrated. A nanowire/nanopyramid black silicon surface texture is grown via aluminum (Al)-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth, and post-growth annealing diffuses the aluminum into the n-type substrate, forming a p-n junction. Devices with nanopyramid surface textures are found to have higher short-circuit currents and open-circuit voltages than nanowire surface textures grown at lower temperatures, and post-growth annealing times of 15-30 minutes are found to promote higher short-circuit current densities. External quantum efficiency measurements show that the highest photoconversion occurs in the red and IR regions for all devices, with low quantum efficiencies at shorter wavelengths even when the p-type silicon surface is passivated with alumina. The quantum efficiency spectra imply that the devices are limited by recombination on the illuminated side of the device. Based on these results and previous data on Al-catalyzed wires and pyramids, excess Al incorporation and Al cluster formation in the emitter are suggested as the primary factors currently limiting device performance.
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U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.2017.8366681
DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2017.8366681
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85048485932
T3 - 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017
SP - 1
EP - 4
BT - 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 44th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2017
Y2 - 25 June 2017 through 30 June 2017
ER -
