HF etched glass substrates for improved thin-film solar cells. Issue 10 (October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, Hyeongsik; Kim, Doyoung; Jung, Junhee; Pham, Duy Phong; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Cho, Jaehyun; Hussain, Shahzada Qamar; Yi, Junsin
• Is Part Of: Heliyon. Volume 4:Issue 10(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Subjects: Materials science; Research -- Periodicals; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Periodicals; 507.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00835
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8440

Abstract

Abstract: A hemisphere-array textured glass substrate was fabricated for the development of an improved thin-film (TF) silicon solar cell. The HF-H2 SO4 -etchant system influenced the light path owing to the formation of the strong fluorine-containing HSO3 F acid. In particular, the etching system of the various HF concentration with a constant H2 SO4 solution is related to make an improvement of optical transmittance and light trapping structure without a uniform pattern. According to the specular transmittance measurements, the haze ratio was maintained for the glass sample etched with 35% HF in the longer-wavelength region. The proposed substrate was implemented in a TF-Si solar cell, and an improved conversion efficiency was observed according to the short-circuit current density owing to the increase in the haze ratio. This morphology, therefore, induces more scattering at the front side of the cell and leads to an improvement of the open circuit voltage gain for the HF 25% cell. It will be helpful to understand the application of thin film solar cell based on the HF-H2 SO4 etching system for the readers.