Turkish Journal of Physics
DOI
-
Abstract
The effect of tin oxide (SnO_2) texture and back reflector (BR) on optical enhancement factor has been extensively investigated in a series of 4 a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells. The internal quantum efficiency QE in the wavelength range 550--750 nm has been analyzed using an optical model. The optical enhancement factor m, which is a wavelength-dependent fitting parameter, represents the increase in optical pathlength relative to the i-layer thickness. Our solar cells, at low or high haze SnO_{2} with an Al BR, have negligible optical enhancement, m < 1.5, representing failure to obtain multiple reflections. This is consistent with large parasitic absorption at the Al/Si interface. Our solar cells at high haze SnO_{2} with ZnO/Al or ZnO/Ag BRs have peak values of m \sim 3-4, with ZnO/Ag having slightly larger values than ZnO/Al. The maximum values of m , and thus the QE increase with reflectivity of the BR, indicates that efficient light trapping needs a very reflective BR to minimize parasitic absorption losses with each pass.
Keywords
amorphous (a-) Si:H p-i-n solar cells, back reflectors, light trapping, quantum efficiency.
First Page
363
Last Page
368
Recommended Citation
KAPLAN, RUHİ and KAPLAN, BENGÜ (2002) "Effects of the Back Reflector on the Optical Enhancement Factor and Quantum Efficiency of a-Si:H p-i-n Solar Cells," Turkish Journal of Physics: Vol. 26: No. 5, Article 5. Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/physics/vol26/iss5/5