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Crystalline silicon

About: Crystalline silicon is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 15199 publications have been published within this topic receiving 248410 citations.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
08 Mar 2012
TL;DR: Silicon heterojunction solar cells as mentioned in this paper consist of thin amorphous silicon layers deposited on crystalline silicon wafers, which enables energy conversion efficiencies above 20% at the industrial production level.
Abstract: Silicon heterojunction solar cells consist of thin amorphous silicon layers deposited on crystalline silicon wafers. This design enables energy conversion efficiencies above 20% at the industrial production level. The key feature of this technology is that the metal contacts, which are highly recombination active in traditional, diffused-junction cells, are electronically separated from the absorber by insertion of a wider bandgap layer. This enables the record open-circuit voltages typically associated with heterojunction devices without the need for expensive patterning techniques. This article reviews the salient points of this technology. First, we briefly elucidate device characteristics. This is followed by a discussion of each processing step, device operation, and device stability and industrial upscaling, including the fabrication of solar cells with energy-conversion efficiencies over 21%. Finally, future trends are pointed out. (orig.)

765 citations

Book
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: In this paper, a reference work aimed at academics, process developers and device simulation engineers working in silicon microelectronics, Professor Hull has brought together 100 authors from the USA, Japan and Europe to review its properties.
Abstract: Silicon, as used in silicon chips, is the material on which the information society depends for its computer power. In this reference work aimed at academics, process developers and device simulation engineers working in silicon microelectronics, Professor Hull has brought together 100 authors from the USA, Japan and Europe to review its properties. The text is divided into over 124 indexed modules ("Datareviews") and also offers guidance on over 3000 key references.

755 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of the improved state-of-the-art parameters on the limiting efficiency for crystalline silicon solar cells under 1-sun illumination at 25°C, by following the narrow-base approximation to model ideal solar cells was analyzed.
Abstract: Recently, several parameters relevant for modeling crystalline silicon solar cells were improved or revised, e.g., the international standard solar spectrum or properties of silicon such as the intrinsic recombination rate and the intrinsic carrier concentration. In this study, we analyzed the influence of these improved state-of-the-art parameters on the limiting efficiency for crystalline silicon solar cells under 1-sun illumination at 25°C, by following the narrow-base approximation to model ideal solar cells. We also considered bandgap narrowing, which was not addressed so far with respect to efficiency limitation. The new calculations that are presented in this study result in a maximum theoretical efficiency of 29.43% for a 110-μm-thick solar cell made of undoped silicon. A systematic calculation of the I-V parameters as a function of the doping concentration and the cell thickness together with an analysis of the loss current at maximum power point provides further insight into the intrinsic limitations of silicon solar cells.

755 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review the dynamic field of crystalline silicon photovoltaics from a device-engineering perspective and give an up-to-date summary of promising recent pathways for further efficiency improvements and cost reduction employing novel carrierselective passivating contact schemes, as well as tandem multi-junction architectures, in particular those that combine silicon absorbers with organic-inorganic perovskite materials.
Abstract: With a global market share of about 90%, crystalline silicon is by far the most important photovoltaic technology today. This article reviews the dynamic field of crystalline silicon photovoltaics from a device-engineering perspective. First, it discusses key factors responsible for the success of the classic dopant-diffused silicon homojunction solar cell. Next it analyzes two archetypal high-efficiency device architectures – the interdigitated back-contact silicon cell and the silicon heterojunction cell – both of which have demonstrated power conversion efficiencies greater than 25%. Last, it gives an up-to-date summary of promising recent pathways for further efficiency improvements and cost reduction employing novel carrier-selective passivating contact schemes, as well as tandem multi-junction architectures, in particular those that combine silicon absorbers with organic–inorganic perovskite materials.

751 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Here, a photonic crystal-based light-trapping approach is analyzed and compared to previous approaches for c-Si thin film solar cells, which gives rise to weak absorption of one-third of usable solar photons.
Abstract: Most photovoltaic (solar) cells are made from crystalline silicon (c-Si), which has an indirect band gap. This gives rise to weak absorption of one-third of usable solar photons. Therefore, improved light trapping schemes are needed, particularly for c-Si thin film solar cells. Here, a photonic crystal-based light-trapping approach is analyzed and compared to previous approaches. For a solar cell made of a 2 µm thin film of c-Si and a 6 bilayer distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) in the back, power generation can be enhanced by a relative amount of 24.0% by adding a 1D grating, 26.3% by replacing the DBR with a six-period triangular photonic crystal made of air holes in silicon, 31.3% by a DBR plus 2D grating, and 26.5% by replacing it with an eight-period inverse opal photonic crystal.

715 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023113
2022201
2021342
2020517
2019654
2018703