Regent advances of thin film solar cells and their technologies
Abstract
The state of the art in amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and thin film solar cell R&D efforts and their photovoltaic system applications are reviewed. Firstly, progress in a-Si alloy production technologies is overviewed with their significance as the champion material for a low cost solar cells. Secondly, some new approaches and key technologies to improve solar cell efficiency with stabilized performance by new amorphous silicon alloys and polycrystalline thin film for a-Si basis stacked solar cells are demonstrated. Aspects of some other new material devices such as CIS and CdS/CdTe are also introduced. In the final part of paper, progress of the conversion efficiency in various types of amorphous silicon solar cells are surveyed and summarized.