Efficient low-cost solar cells based on ITO-nSi

Abstract

A vapor phase pyrolysis deposition (VPPD) method has been described in [1] and applied to prepare indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films with thicknesses about 400 nm, with a conductivity of 8.3 • 103 –1 cm–1, and a transparency of 80% in the visible spectral range. The layers have been deposited on the (100) surface of the n-type Si wafers with a concentration of 1015 cm–3, and their morphology has been examined. The as-deposited ITO thin films consist of crystallites with a height of 300–400 nm and a width of 100–200 nm. Properties of low-cost Cu/ITO/SiO2/n-Si/n Si/Cu solar cells fabricated by depositing ITO layers on n-Si wafers have been studied. The maximum efficiency has been found to be 13.8%.