Improvement of Epitaxial Silicon Solar Cells on Upgraded Metallurgical Silicon by Heat Treatment.

Document Type : Research Studies

Author

Electronic Engineering Department., El-Mansoura University., Mansoura., Egypt.

Abstract

 Metallurgical - grade silicon upgraded by aqua - regia extraction was unidirectionally solidified on graphite to yield large - area large - grain substrates. The concentration of impurities in the silicon substrates was measured using the atomic absorption technique. Epitaxial silicon layers were deposited on the metallurgical silicon substrate by the thermal reduction of trichlorosilane. Heat treatment in an inert atmosphere was found to improve the characteristics of the solar cells, presumably due to the diffusion of metallic impurities in the substrate and the epitaxial layers to the grain boundaries. Large - area (more than 30 cm) solar cells, having an air mass one (AM1) photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 9%, were prepared by depositing a p – n epitaxially on to the metallurgical silicon substrate. The solar cells were characterized by darkcurrent – voltage, illuminated current – voltage , spectral response and minority carrier diffusion length measurements, and SEM and EBIC (electron - beam induced current) techniques,
The effect of heat treatment an these parameters was studied. 

Main Subjects

MEJ- Mansoura Engineering Journal
Volume 15, Issue 2
December 1990
Pages 114-129

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