A new type of high efficiency with a low-cost solar cell having the structure of a μc-SiC/polycrystalline silicon heterojunction

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Abstract
A new type of high‐efficiency solar cell has been developed by a simple production process only with electron cyclotron resonance plasma‐assisted chemical vapor deposition of highly conductive microcrystalline silicon carbide (μ c ‐SiC) on polycrystalline silicon (poly‐Si). The device consists of a p ‐type μ c ‐SiC/ n ‐type poly‐Si heterojunction where the window material is a specially made wide‐band gap and highly conductive μ c ‐SiC. At the present stage, a conversion efficiency of 15.4% with V oc=556 mV, J sc=35.7 mA/cm2, and F. F.=77.4% has been achieved. Also employing this device as a bottom cell in a four‐terminal amorphous silicon ( a ‐Si) tandem‐type solar cell, 16.8% efficiency has been obtained. A series of technical data on the fabrication technology and device performance is presented and discussed.