Preparation of SiC Porous Ceramics by Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1 400 ℃ for4 h with crystalline silicon cutting waste and activated carbon as main starting materials and NH4HCO3 as the pore-forming agent. Effects of NH4HCO3 additions( 0,20%,30%,40%,by mass) on the phase composition,microstructure,sintering properties,cold compressive strength and thermal shock resistance of as-prepared Si C porous ceramics were investigated. The results show that:( 1) addition of NH4HCO3 remarkably influences the apparent porosity and cold compressive strength of specimens. The apparent porosity achieves its maximum value( 63. 40%) when 40% NH4HCO3 is added,while the minimum cold compressive strength is 4. 77 MPa;( 2) the specimen with 40% NH4HCO3 has the best thermal shock resistance. The thermal cycling times between1 000 ℃ to room temperature reach 62;( 3) the addition of NH4HCO3 does not remarkably affect the phase composition of the specimens;( 4) the specimens include a large number of SiC particles and a small amount of SiC whiskers.

Enhanced Photovoltaic Properties for Rear Passivated Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells by Fabricating Boron Doped Local Back Surface Field

In order to enhance the p-type doping concentration in the LBSF, boron was added into the aluminum paste and boron doped local back surface field（B-LBSF） was successfully fabricated in this work. Through boron doping in the LBSF, much higher doping concentration was observed for the B-LBSF over the Al-LBSF. Higher doping concentration in the LBSF is expected to lead to better rear passivation and lower rear contact resistance. Based on one thousand pieces of solar cells for each type, it was found that the rear passivated crystalline silicon solar cells with B-LBSF showed statistical improvement in their photovoltaic properties over those with Al-LBSF.

Effects of Pore-forming Agents on Properties of Silicon Carbide Porous Ceramics Prepared from Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC powder was rapidly synthesized in an induction furnace with crystalline silicon cutting waste and active carbon as raw materials,and then SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1600 t for 4 h with carbon embedded using the powder as raw material,the starch and the graphite as pore-forming agents.Effects of additions of different pore-forming agents on the phase composition,microstructures,physical properties,and cold crushing strength of the porous ceramics were investigated.The results show that the main crystalline phases of the synthetic powder areα-S iC(6H-SiC)andβ-SiC(3C-SiC).The phase composition of the porous ceramics includesα-S iC(6H-SiC),β-SiC(3C-SiC),FeSi,quartz and Si2N20.The apparent porosity and closed porosity of the porous ceramics prepared by adding starch are higher,and the cold compressive strength of the porous ceramics added with graphite is higher.As increasing the additions of the starch,the apparent porosity,closed porosity and linear shrinkage ratio of the porous ceramics increase,and the bulk density decreases correspondingly.When 20 mass%starch is added,the apparent porosity,closed porosity,linear shrinkage ratio and cold compressive strength are 57.05%,2.03%,5.10%and 10.20 MPa,respectively.

History of the Amorphous Silicon on Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell

Some commercially available solar panels with very high efficiencies for terrestrial photovoltaic applications are based on the amorphous silicon on crystalline silicon material system. This type ofheterostructure has more than 40 years＇ old history. The early development of the technology and the results, obtained in the last years with this type of solar cell are reviewed. In particular it is demonstrated why the physical understanding of the interface properties and band-structure was important for the development of high efficiency solar cells.

Columnar growth of crystalline silicon films on aluminium-coated glass by inductively coupled plasma CVD at room temperature

Silicon films were grown on aluminium-coated glass by inductively coupled plasma CVD at room temperature using a mixture of SiH4 and H2 as the source gas. The microstructure of the films was evaluated using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. It was found that the films are composed of columnar grains and their surfaces show a random and uniform distribution of silicon nanocones. Such a microstructure is highly advantageous to the application of the films in solar cells and electron emission devices. Field electron emission measurement of the films demonstrated that the threshold field strength is as low as -9.8V/μm and the electron emission characteristic is reproducible. In addition, a mechanism is suggested for the columnar growth of crystalline silicon films on aluminium-coated glass at room temperature.

Fabrication of 3D structure by combining AFM and chemical etching on crystalline silicon surface

AFM is used for forming silicon dioxide as a layer (mask) on the silicon wafer surface (100) during the cutting process in ambient atmosphere. The silicon dioxide is made through reaction of silicon and oxygen in the atmosphere. As a result of the anisotropic behavior of single crystalline silicon, the etching rates in alkaline solution depend greatly on the various crystal orientations. The anisotropic etching behaviors in KOH solution and reasons of crystalline silicon are described. Effect of etching conditions such as etching temperature and KOH concentration of the alkaline solution on height of the micro-protuberances has been described.

Reduction Bending of Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Reported are the results of reduction the bending of thin crystalline silicon solar cells after printing and sintering of back electrode by changing the back electrode paste and adjusting the screen printing parameters without effecting the electrical properties of the cell.Theory and experiments showed that the bending of the cell is changed with its thickness of substrate,the thinner cell,the more serious bending.The bending of the cell is decreased with the thickness decrease of the back contact paste.The substrate with the thickness of 190 μm printing with sheet aluminum paste shows a relatively lower bend compared with that of the substrate printing with ordinary aluminum paste,and the minimum bend is 0.55 mm which is reduced by 52%.

Determination of Particle Sizes and Crystalline Phases on Colloidal Silicon Nanoparticle Suspensions

Particle size and crystallinity of silicon nanoparticles were determined by analyzing the optical extinction spectra of colloidal suspensions. Experimental results from these colloids were anaiyzed using Mie theory in connection with effective medium theory, in order to determine particle sizes and their internal structure with the simple technique of optical transmission spectroscopy. By modeling an effective refractive index for the particles, the crystalline volume fraction can be extracted from extinction spectra in addition to information about the size. The crystalline volume fraction determined in this way were used to calibrate the ratio of the Raman cross sections for nanocrystalline and amorphous silicon, which was found to be σc./σa = 0.66

Amorphous/Crystalline （n-n） Si Heterojunction Photodetector Made by Q-Switched 0.532-mm Laser Pulses with Novel Technique

Amorphous/crystalline n-n-isotype Si heterojunetions are made by a pulsed Q-switched second harmonic generation Nd：YAG laser. The process includes melting and subsequently fast resolidification of a thin front layer of monocrystalline Si by laser pulses to create an amorphous layer （phase transition）. Different laser energy densities are used to form the amorphous layer on a monocrystalline Si substrate, the results of the electrical characteristics of the heterojunctions are dependent strongly on the laser energy density. Optoelectronic properties such as current-voltage, capacitance voltage, and spectral sensitivity are measured in a-Si/c-Si hereto junctions （in the absence of anti-reflecting coating and frontal grid contact） prepared by different laser energy densities. The built-in-potential values extracted from current-voltage measurements are close to the published results of （n-p） amorphous/crystalline hereto junction made by glow discharge and plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Furthermore, examination of the formation of amorphous pattern on Si surface is carried out with the help of optical microscopy. Best photovoltaic performance is recognized to be at ,5.6 J/cm^2. The photodetector shows a wide spectral response, and the peak response is at 780nm. On the other hand, this peak is independent of laser energy.

Simulations of Heterojunction and Tandem Solar Cells Based on 3C Silicon Carbide

In order to improve the efficiency of solar cells based on cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC), one heterojunction solar cell and two tandem structures were simulated under AM1.5 illumination using SCAPS software. The cells’ performances were studied according to the thickness of the silicon carbide layers. Simulation results allowed to achieve an efficiency of 22.03% with a tandem junction structure using an optimal thickness of 3C-SiC layer.

Review of all-inorganic perovskites and their tandem solar cells with crystalline silicon

In widely studied organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites,the organic component tends to volatilize and decompose under high temperatures,oxygen,and humidity,which adversely affects the performance and longevity of the associated solar cells.In contrast,all-inorganic perovskites demonstrate superior stability under these conditions and offer photoelectric properties comparable to those of their hybrid counterparts.The potential of tandem solar cells(TSCs)made from all-inorganic perovskites is especially promising.This review is the first to address recent advancements in TSCs that use all-inorganic perovskites and crystalline silicon(c-Si),both domestically and internationally.This work provides a systematic and thorough analysis of the current challenges faced by these systems and proposes rational solutions.Additionally,we elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of all-inorganic perovskites and their TSCs when combined with c-Si,summarizing the corresponding patterns.Finally,we outline future research directions for all-inorganic perovskites and their TSCs with c-Si.This work offers valuable insights and references for the continued advancement of perovskitebased TSCs.

High-performance SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)electron-selective contacts for crystalline silicon solar cells

High carrier recombination loss at the metal and silicon contact regions is one of the dominant factors constraining the power conversion efficiency(PCE)of crystalline silicon(c-Si)solar cells.Metal compound-based carrier-selective contacts are being intensively developed to address this issue.In this work,we present a high-performance electron-selective SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)contact for c-Si solar cells.The SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)stack is prepared by thermally-grown SiO_(x)(∼0.7 nm)and thermally-evaporated MgO_(x)(~1.0 nm).The electron selectivity of SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)contact is investigated by measuring the surface passivation and the contact resistivity(ρ_(c))on the c-Si surface.The results demonstrate that optimized SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)contact displays a very lowρ_(c)(3.4 mΩcm^(2))and a good surface passivation on an n-type c-Si surface simultaneously.A high PCE of 21.1%is achieved on an n-type c-Si solar cell featuring a full-area SiO_(x)/MgO_(x)rear contact.

Study on device simulation and performance optimization of the epitaxial crystalline silicon thin film solar cell

Because crystalline silicon thin film （CSiTF） solar cells possess the advantages of crystalline silicon solar cells such as high ef- ficiency and stable performance and those of thin film solar cells such as low cost and so on, it is regarded as the next genera- tion solar cell technology, which is most likely to replace the existing crystalline silicon solar cell technology. In this paper, we performed device simulation on the epitaxial CSiTF solar cell by using PCI D software. In order to make simulation results closer to the actual situation, we adopted a more realistic device structure and parameters. On this basis, we comprehensively and systematically investigated the effect of physical parameters of back surface field （BSF） layer, base and emitter, electrical quality of crystalline silicon active layer, situation of surface passivation, internal recombination and p-n junction leakage on the optoelectronic performance of the epitaxial CSiTF solar cell. Among various factors affecting the efficiency of the epitaxial CSiTF solar cell, we identified the three largest efficiency-affecting parameters. They are the base minority carrier diffusion length, the diode dark saturation current and the front surface recombination velocity in order. Through simulations, we found that the base is not the thicker the better, and the base minority carrier diffusion length must be taken into account when deter- mining the optimal base thickness. When the base minority carrier diffusion length is smaller, the optimal base thickness should be less than or equal to the base minority carrier diffusion length; when the base minority carrier diffusion length is larger, the base minority carrier diffusion length should be at least twice the optimal base thickness. In addition, this paper not only illustrates the simulation results but also explains their changes from the aspect of physical mechanisms. Because epitaxi- al CSiTF solar cells possess a device structure that is similar to crystalline silicon solar cells, the conclusions drawn in this pa- per are also applied to crystalline silicon solar cells to a certain extent, particularly to thin silicon solar cells which are the hot- test research topic at present.

Polarization effects and tests for crystalline silicon solar cells

We try to find a fast and simple potential induced degradation effect （PID） test procedure for crystalline silicon solar cells. With sodium chloride （NaC1） solution as Na＋ source, PVB as lamination material, we can carry out the test in 1 h. Solar cells with newly developed PID resistance process were also tested. The increase of reverse current of solar cell can be considered a key standard to determine if the solar cell was prone to PID. Moreover, it showed that the increase of reverse current for the PID resistance solar cell was less than 2. In addition, the test results of the solar cells fitted very well with that of the modules by standard procedure.

Photovoltaic Cells and Modules towards Terawatt Era

Progresses in photovoltaic technologies over the past years are evident from the lower costs, the rising efficiency, to the great improvements in system reliability and yield. Cumulative installed power yearly growths were on an average more than 40% in the period from 2007 to 2016 and in 2016, the global cumulative photovoltaic power installed has reached 320 GWp. The level 0.5 TWp could be reached before 2020. The production processes in the solar industry still have great potential for optimization both wafer based and thin film technologies. Trends following from the present technology levels are discussed, also taking into account other parts of photovoltaic systems that influence the cost of electrical energy produced. Present developments in the three generations of photovoltaic modules are discussed along with the criteria for the selection of appropriate photovoltaic module manufacturing technologies. The wafer based crystalline silicon(csilicon) technologies have the role of workhorse of present photovoltaic power generation, representing more than 90% of total module production. Further technology improvements have to be implemented without significantly increasing costs per unit, despite the necessarily more complex manufacturing processes involved. The tandem of c-silicon and thin film cells is very promising. Durability may be a limiting factor of this technology due to the dependence of the produced electricity cost on the module service time.

Numerical Analysis of Ingot Casting Processes for Quasi-Single Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells in the iDSS Furnace

Multi-crystalline silicon ingots produced using directional solidification systems(DSS)represent the best way to obtain high quality crystalline silicon at low prices and with high throughputs.The DSS technology is widespread among PV silicon ingot producers and hundreds of furnaces are manufactured worldwide every year.The present challenge for crystal growers is to increase the quality of ingot and to reduce the specific energy consumption and cost. The first goal can be reached by changing the DS process to a Mono-Like-Casting process,while the second one has pushed some companies to develop new DSS furnaces able to grow ingots up to 800 kg.The main features and the characteristic design of the hot-zone in the iDSS(induction-DSS)furnace are presented,also in comparison with the standard DSSs ones.The reduction of the thickness of insulation boards,the smaller size of the hot-zone and the selective lateral induction coil system lead to an optimal control of the thermal instabilities into the silicon melt,increasing the ingot quality.In fact,the lateral induction coil system is equipped with independent turns connections and it can be used to force selectively-at different vertical positions-the most suitable thermal condition.In this way,one is able to compensate the radiative thermal losses and create a 'virtual' adiabatic wall,producing a planar solidification front or modeling the radial thermal gradient in order to obtain the desired solidification front shapes.In previous papers,the authors have presented some preliminary results obtained with a iDSS furnace^([4][5][6]).In the present paper is proposed a discussion about the numerical analysis of Mono-Like-Casting process with iDSS furnace capacity up to 120 kg of silicon feedstock.The furnace is actually under construction in the context of research activities of PFV(Polo Fotovoltaico Veneto).

Development of metal-recycling technology in waste crystalline-silicon solar cells

Solar energy is currently one of the most promising clean energy sources and the use of solar energy has led to a rapid increase in the number of solar cells.As one of the fastest-growing electronic wastes,the resource treatment of solar cells at the end of their life should not be neglected.This review discusses the trend for the market development of crystalline-silicon solar cells and analyzes their physical structure and composition.It also discusses the current domestic and international recycling technologies for crystalline-silicon solar cells,including manual dismantling,inorganic acid dissolution,the combination of heat-treatment and chemical methods,and organic solvent dissolution.The shortcomings of the above treatment methods are discussed and some views on the recycling of waste crystalline-silicon solar cells are presented.Constructive suggestions for the green and sustainable development of crystalline-silicon solar cells are put forward by comparing different treatment-recycling processes.

Study of crystalline silicon solar cells with integrated bypass diodes

This paper reported a novel method of integrating bypass diodes into crystalline silicon solar cells.Bypass diodes which have the opposite p-n junction were formed by printing specific paste on the local surface of solar cells using screen printing,while infrared laser was applied to isolate the diode from the cell after firing.A module of crystalline silicon solar cells with integrated bypass diodes was fabricated and the I-V characteristics were measured under different shade conditions.The experimental results clearly showed that the integrated bypass diodes can effectively stabilize module's short circuit current while reduce the module power loss when shaded as well.

Progress of photovoltaic technology in China

Chinese government has been devoting itself to the development of renewable energy sources. This paper describes the history, achievement and future trends of photovoltaie technology, and suggestions axe proposed for strengthening the research and development （R＆D） ability of China.

Study of Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Nickel Clusters and Semiconductor Structures

The possibility of building of clusters of impurity atoms of Ni in silicon and controlling their parameters is currently investigated in the present research article. Our group develops a special technique for doping, the so-called “low-temperature doping” of semiconductors. This method of doping is based upon the diffusion process which is carried out in stages by gradually increasing temperature ranging from room temperature to the diffusion temperature.