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Fabrication and performance of highly textured electrodeposited ZnO back reflector for nc-Si solar cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Dinesh Attygalle
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
Qi Hua Fan
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
Shibin Zhang
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
William B. Ingler
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
Xianbo Liao
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
Xunming Deng
Affiliation:
Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Univ. Toledo, 2801 Bancroft Street, Toledo 43606
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Abstract

To improve the cell efficiency of thin film solar cells textured back reflectors (BR) are widely used. This is particularly important in a-Si:H based solar cells due to low absorption coefficient at longer wavelengths. In this work we present a cost effective way to fabricate uniformly textured ZnO by using electrochemical methods. Further it was observed that Quantum Efficiency (QE) of shorter wavelengths also improved for highly textured ZnO BR. Together this resulted in more than 2mA increment in short circuit current density (Jsc) and 19% relative improvement in solar cell efficiency over sputter deposited BR. A possible mechanism responsible for the improved blue QE is also discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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