The back reflector of thin-film silicon solar cells often consists of a textured metal surface separated from the silicon layers by a thin dielectric layer (e.g. ZnO). Despite the high reflectivity of the textured ZnO/Ag back reflector, parasitic absorption losses exist in both the ZnO and Ag layers. In order to better understand the origin of the optical losses at the rear side of thin-film silicon solar cells and study the potential of alternative back reflector designs, a new method is introduced. This method is based on the utilization of a highly conductive n-layer and a local electrical contacting scheme allowing the use of nonconductive rear dielectric layers or media. In this contribution, the cell absorption and the quantum efficiency of microcrystalline p-i-n solar cells with ZnO/Ag and SiO 2/Ag back reflectors as well as with a textured Ag back reflector separated from the n-layer by an air gap of a few micrometers are compared. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
Moulin, E., Wilhelm Paetzold, U., Siekmann, H., Worbs, J., Bauer, A., & Carius, R. (2011). Study of thin-film silicon solar cell back reflectors and potential of detached reflectors. In Energy Procedia (Vol. 10, pp. 106–110). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2011.10.161
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