Silicon Nano Wire Solar Cell Low-Temperature Fabrication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current solar cell technologies face challenges in miniaturization due to high-temperature processes and silicon material supply shortages, limiting the development of low-temperature methods for fabricating miniaturized thin film solar cells.
Innovation Solution
The development of a solar cell structure incorporating silicon nano wires with a transparent conductive oxide layer, antireflective layers, and specific doping layers, fabricated using techniques like inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition, which allows for the growth of silicon nano wires with optimal dimensions for efficient light absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If silicon wafer based solar cells are used, then conversion efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and material supply constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of silicon from bulk wafer form to nano wire form with diameters of 1-100 nm and lengths of 1-100 μm. This parameter change enables low-temperature fabrication processes while maintaining high conversion efficiency, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating highly doped regions (first-type and second-type doping layers with doping concentrations of 10^19-10^21 atoms/cm³) at specific locations around the nano wires, while keeping other regions intrinsic or lightly doped. This localized doping approach optimizes carrier collection efficiency without requiring complex high-temperature processing throughout the entire structure
2Ease of manufacture
If miniaturized thin film solar cells are fabricated by low-temperature process, then manufacturing ease is improved, but conversion efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures combining silicon nano wires with transparent conductive oxide layers, intrinsic semiconductor layers, and doped semiconductor layers. This composite approach enables low-temperature fabrication while maintaining efficient light absorption and charge carrier collection, thus achieving both ease of manufacture and high conversion efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The solar cell structure is segmented into distinct functional layers: light absorption layer with nano wires, intrinsic layer for carrier separation, and doped layers for charge collection. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently at low temperatures, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing ease and conversion efficiency
3Productivity
If silicon material supply is increased, then solar cell production is improved, but material cost and supply chain constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes silicon from bulk material to nano wire structures with diameters of 1-100 nm, dramatically reducing the total silicon material quantity required per cell while maintaining or enhancing production capacity. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between productivity and material quantity requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the creation of efficient solar cells with improved light absorption and conversion efficiency, overcoming the limitations of traditional high-temperature processes and silicon material constraints.
Implementation Method 1
A solar cell, a representative example of the new recyclable energy fields, directly converts sunlight, which is a limitless source of clean energy, into electricity using the photoelectric effect.
Implementation Method 2
fabricated using techniques like inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition, which allows for the growth of silicon nano wires with optimal dimensions
Implementation Method 3
inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A method for fabricating a silicon nano wire, a solar cell including the silicon nano wire and a method for fabricating the solar cell. The solar cell includes a substrate, a first++-type poly-Si layer formed on the substrate, a first-type silicon nano wire layer including a first-type silicon nano wire grown from the first++-type poly-Si layer, an intrinsic layer formed on the substrate having the first-type silicon nano wire layer, and a second-type doping layer formed on the intrinsic layer.