Solar Cell Metal Oxide Conductive Areas Tunneling Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solar cells face challenges with low efficiency and high manufacturing costs, necessitating improved designs that maximize efficiency and productivity while minimizing costs.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell configuration featuring a semiconductor substrate with a tunneling layer and metal compound conductive areas, where the tunneling layer acts as a barrier for carriers and the conductive areas are formed as metal oxide layers to enhance passivation and photoelectric conversion efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional solar cell structures are used, then manufacturing process is relatively simple, but photoelectric conversion efficiency is low due to recombination losses
Solution Approach 1:
The solar cell structure is segmented into distinct functional layers: a semiconductor substrate, a tunneling layer, and metal compound conductive areas. The tunneling layer is further divided into a first tunneling layer and a second tunneling layer in different embodiments. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally, reducing recombination losses while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tunneling layer acts as an intermediary between the semiconductor substrate and the metal compound conductive areas. It provides a transition region that facilitates carrier transport while maintaining passivation, thereby reducing recombination losses at the interface between the substrate and the conductive areas.
2Loss of energy
If efficiency is maximized through complex layer structures, then photoelectric conversion improves, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in material properties, specifically the work function of the metal compound conductive areas and the band structure of the tunneling layer. By carefully selecting materials with appropriate parameters (work function, band gap, electron affinity), the structure achieves high photoelectric conversion efficiency without requiring excessively complex multi-layer configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The solar cell employs composite material structures combining semiconductor materials (such as silicon) with metal compound materials (such as oxides or nitrides). This composite approach allows optimization of each material's properties for its specific function while maintaining overall structural simplicity and manufacturability.
3Loss of energy
If tunneling layer thickness is reduced to improve carrier transport, then efficiency increases, but passivation quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tunneling layer structure implements local quality by having different thicknesses or compositions in different regions. The first tunneling layer and second tunneling layer can have different thicknesses optimized for their respective locations, allowing simultaneous achievement of good passivation in one region and efficient carrier transport in another.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-layer tunneling structure to a multi-layer tunneling structure with the first tunneling layer and second tunneling layer. This dimensional change in the layer structure provides additional degrees of freedom for optimizing both passivation quality and carrier transport efficiency independently in different layers.
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
The configuration improves photoelectric conversion efficiency and productivity by minimizing recombination losses and simplifying the manufacturing process, leading to higher energy output and reduced production costs.
Implementation Method 1
the electron collector includes a quantum-tunneling barrier (QTB) layer situated adjacent to the base layer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Solar cell including a semiconductor substrate, a first conductive area of a first conductive type on one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive area of a second conductive type opposite to the first conductive type on the other surface opposite the one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first electrode connected to the first conductive area, and a second electrode connected to the second conductive area.The first conductive area and the second conductive area are formed of a metal compound.