New 3-dimensional design of thin film silicon solar cells

At 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference we reported on a new 3-dimensional design of „folded“ thin film silicon solar cells. It is based on nanostructured substrate glass/ZnO, where ZnO nanocollumns are organized approximately in hexagonal arrangement and amorphous and/or nanocrystalline silicon p-i-n cells are deposited conformally over this nanostructured substrate.

We experimentally measured a high quality of the Si absorber layer deposited over the ZnO nanocollumns and calculated potential for the record stable efficiency of such amorphous and “micromorph” solar cells. M. Vanecek, A. Poruba, Z. Remes,J. Holovsky, A. Purkrt, O. Babchenko, K. Hruska, J. Meier, U. Kroll: Five roads towards increased optical absorption and high stable efficiency for thin film silicon solar cells, Proceedings of the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, eds. W. Sinke, H. Ossenbrink, P. Helm, 21-25. September 2009, Hamburg, Germany, pp. 2286-9.