Reliability of transparent conductive oxide in ambient acid and implications for silicon solar cells
Jian Yu,
Yu Bai,
Qingqing Qiu,
Zehua Sun,
Lei Ye,
Cheng Qian,
Zhu Ma,
Xin Song,
Tao Chen,
Junsheng Yu,
Wenzhu Liu
Affiliations
Jian Yu
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China; School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, China; Corresponding authors.
Yu Bai
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Qingqing Qiu
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Zehua Sun
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Lei Ye
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Cheng Qian
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Zhu Ma
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
Xin Song
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
Tao Chen
School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China; State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Junsheng Yu
School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054, China; Corresponding authors.
Wenzhu Liu
Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201800, China; Corresponding authors.
Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, known for their role as carrier transport layers in solar cells, can be adversely affected by hydrolysis products from encapsulants. In this study, we explored the morphology, optical-electrical properties, and deterioration mechanisms of In2O3-based TCO films under acetic acid stress. A reduction in film thickness and carrier concentration due to acid-induced corrosion was observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry analyses revealed that TCOs doped with less-reactive metals exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance. The efficiency of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells with tin-doped indium oxide, titanium-doped indium oxide, and zinc-doped indium oxide films decreased by 10%, 26%, and 100%, respectively, after 200 h of corrosion. We also found that tungsten-doped indium oxide could effectively safeguard SHJ solar cells against acetic acid corrosion, which offers a potential option for achieving long-term stability and lower levelized cost of solar cell systems. This research provides essential insights into selecting TCO films for solar cells and highlights the implications of ethylene-vinyl acetate hydrolysis for photovoltaic modules.
