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Researchers in China have examined gallium-doped zinc oxide as an indium-free transparent conductive oxide for silicon heterojunction solar cells, according to pv magazine. The work, published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, targets lower manufacturing costs and reduced dependence on scarce indium used in conventional transparent electrodes.
The team reported that the expense of indium has motivated the search for indium-free alternatives to standard transparent conductive oxides in heterojunction cells. The study combined in-situ optical emission spectroscopy with ex-situ characterization to assess the structural, morphological, electrical, optical and chemical properties of the gallium-doped zinc oxide films.
For device fabrication, the researchers used n-type crystalline silicon wafers measuring 210 by 105 millimeters and roughly 130 micrometers thick. The wafers were chemically cleaned and textured, after which intrinsic amorphous silicon passivation layers and doped microcrystalline silicon oxide layers were deposited on both sides through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
Gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent electrodes were then deposited at room temperature by reactive plasma deposition, at 80 nanometers on the front and 100 nanometers on the rear. The oxygen fraction in the oxygen-argon deposition gas was varied from 5 percent to 25 percent while total gas flow was held constant, and contacts were screen-printed using a paste containing 30 weight percent silver-coated copper.
The plasma was monitored by optical emission spectroscopy, and the films were characterized for crystal structure, surface morphology, oxygen chemical states, electrical properties and optical transmission. Cell current-voltage characteristics were measured under simulated sunlight at 1,000 watts per square meter and 25 degrees Celsius, with performance compared against a reference heterojunction cell carrying indium-based transparent electrodes on both sides.
According to the results, the film deposited at 10 percent oxygen content delivered the best electrical behavior, with a minimum resistivity of 4.902 x 10-4 ohm-centimeters and average optical transmittance of 83.45 percent across the 400 to 1100 nanometer range. That film also showed a typical hexagonal wurtzite structure with a pronounced preferred orientation.
When the optimized films served as transparent conductive oxide electrodes in heterojunction solar cells, conversion efficiency reached 24.92 percent. The figure was 0.68 percent lower than that of the heterojunction cell using double-sided indium-based electrodes.
Contributors to the research came from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dinto Solar and Anhui Huasun Energy.
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World's largest monocrystalline silicon producer
Major PV manufacturer, high-efficiency cells
One of world's largest solar module producers
Leading PV module and cell manufacturer
Major LED chip and compound semiconductor producer
Global HQ in Canada, major ops in China
Major PV product manufacturer
Solar cell and module division
HJT solar cell specialist
Solar cell manufacturer
Major polysilicon and solar cell producer
Solar cell and module manufacturer
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LED packaging and components
LED chip manufacturer
LED packaging and lighting solutions
LED packaging and components
Solar cell and module manufacturer
Solar cell producer
Crystal growth equipment and materials
Integrated circuits and LED chips
LED packaging and lighting
LED packaging and components
LED packaging and smart lighting
LED packaging and display products
LED chip technology company
LED packaging
PV manufacturing equipment
LED driver ICs and chips
LED packaging and components
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