Development and Analysis of Silicon Solar Cells Near 20% Efficiency in the Flat Plate Solar Array Project: Final Report

摘要

The project reported consisted of two phases. The objective of the first was, through a multi-variable experiment, to determine those process parameters in CVD epitaxial deposition which would yield adequate minority carrier lifetimes in the deposited layers to make them suitable for use in crystalline silicon solar cells. A second task was to develop a method for the measurement of these lifetimes which could not be accessed with the commonly applied methods. The objective of the second phase was to refine the lifetime measuring method called Absolute Light Beam Induced Current (ASLBIC), establish its reliability and transportability, perform a comparative assessment of other potentially applicable methods, and possible select or develop a better method. The study on minority carrier lifetimes obtainable in CVD layers is summarized. The ASLBIC method is described, followed by a theoretical discussion of dynamic techniques, applications and implementations. The merits and limitations of the various experimental methods are compared. (ERA citation 12:024702)