Thin-Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Rolf Brendel studied Physics and Mathematics in Freiburg, Brighton (UK), and Heidelberg. After his Ph.D. in materials science at the University Erlangen-Nuremberg he worked for five years with the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart. He is the head of the division for Thermosensorics and Photovoltaics at the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern) and teaches Physics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

INTRODUCTION
PHYSICAL LOSS MECHANISMS
Limitations to photogeneration
Limitations to radiative recombination
Limitations by non-radiative recombination
ADVANCED QUANTUM EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS
Definition of effective diffusion lengths
Reciprocity theorem for charge carrier collection
Applications of the generalized reciprocity theorem
Limiting recombination parameters derived from LQ
Analytical quantum efficiency model for thin films
Differential and actual recombination parameters
TECHNOLOCIAL APPROACH TO THIN-FILM CELLS
High-temperature substrate (HTS) approach
Low-temperature substrate (LTS) approach
Layer-transfer process (LTP) approach
WAFFLE CELLS FROM THE POROUS SI (PSI) PROCESS
Expitaxy on porous Si
Module concepts
Optical absorption in Si waffles
Efficiency potential
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Physical limitations to power conversion
Revealing the limitations of experimental cells
Limitations of current thin-film approaches
Overcoming technological limitations with the porous Si (PSI) process
Updating Remark
APPENDICES
Light trapping
Recombination
Quantum efficiency

"In conclusion, this is probably the first book to offer a comprehensive treatment of the specific problems of thin silicon solar cells. It can be warmly recommended to those interested in the development of an emerging aspect of silicon photovoltaics."

Gilles Horowitz, ITODYS, Université Paris,
Advanced Materials, September 2004