Title: A new silicon nanowire arrays solar cell based on gradient optical gaps nanometre thin film

Authors: Jun Zhu; Jian-Ning Ding; Li-Qiang Guo

Addresses: School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

Abstract: This paper presents a new type of solar cell based on silicon nano-film with a structure of gradient band-gaps by the PECVD deposition technology on the N-type c-Si substrate, which contains three layers of different optical gaps, using the appropriate process. The three layers are deposited from small optical gaps to large ones. Each layer of the films has the thickness of about 250 nm. The polycrystalline silicon layer with the thickness of 300 nm is deposited at the top floor. A chemical method is used to implement corrosion on most top storey polycrystalline silicon films and polycrystalline silicon nanometre line array is made with about 250 nm. Using AMPS software, the simulation results have a high efficiency of 11.18%, with a high open circuit voltage of 1.04 V, a large short-circuit current of 28.328 mA/c² and a high fill factor of 0.88 features.

Keywords: silicon nanowire arrays; nc-Si:H film; gradient bandgap; solar cells; solar energy; solar power; gradient optical gaps; nanometre thin films; nanotechnology; nanowires.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2012.049962

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2012 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.297 - 308

Published online: 18 Sep 2014 *

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