Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-hfldf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-23T14:29:43.748Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Efficiency Limitations of Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Due to Defect Clusters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Bhushan Sopori ,
Chuan Li ,
S. Narayanan  and
D. Carlson
Bhushan Sopori
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
Chuan Li
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
S. Narayanan
Affiliation:
BP Solar, Solarex Court, Fredrick, MD
D. Carlson
Affiliation:
BP Solar, Solarex Court, Fredrick, MD
Get access

Abstract

Multicrystalline Si wafers used in commercial solar cell fabrication exhibit a tendency to form large “clusters” of defects, which remain laterally separated from each other. Defect clusters are also sites of impurity precipitation. Because precipitated impurities cannot be gettered by the conventional processes used in Si solar cell fabrication, defect clusters constitute low-performing regions in the cell. They shunt the device and constitute the primary efficiency limiting mechanism in current solar cells. We show that the efficiency loss caused by defect clusters can exceed 3–4 absolute points.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 864: Symposium E – Semiconductor Defect Engineering-Materials, Synthesis Structures and Devices , 2005 , E6.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Sopori, B. L., Proc. ICDS-19, Trans Tech Pub., Edited by Davies, G. and Nazare, M.H., 527 (1997).Google Scholar
2PVSCAN uses optical scattering from a defect-etched wafer to statistically count defects. It is also fitted with capabilities to make LBIC and reflectance measurements at 0.63 μm and 0.98 μm. It is available from GT Solar Technologies, Nashua, NH 03054. Also, see Sopori, B.L., US Patent 5,581,346.Google Scholar
3 Sopori, B. L., J. Electrochem. Soc., 131, 667 (1984).Google Scholar
4 Buonassisi, T., Vyvenko, O. F., Istratov, A. A., Weber, E. R., Hahn, G., Sontag, D., Rakotoniaina, J. P., Breitenstein, O., Isenberg, J., and Schindler, R., J. Appl. Phys. 95, 1556 (2004).Google Scholar
5 Sopori, B.L. and Murphy, R. A., The Proceedings of 12th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 1797, April 1994, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Google Scholar
6 Fossum, J. G. and Lindholm., F. A., IEEE Trans. ED-27, 692(1980).Google Scholar
7 Sopori, B. L., Murphy, R. A., and Marshall, C., Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Louisville, Kentucky May 10-14, 190 (1993).Google Scholar
8 Sopori, B. L., Appl. Phys. Lett, 52, 1718 (1988).Google Scholar