Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Modeling, Materials and Device Technology

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

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2. Technology of Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 3-7

   3. Deposition of Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 9-39

   4. Optical, Electronic and Structural Properties

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 41-68

   5. Technology of Solar Cells

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 69-97

   6. Metastability

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 99-113

3. Modeling of Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

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   2. Electrical Device Modeling

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 117-146

   3. Optical Device Modeling

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 147-174

   4. Integrated Optical and Electrical Modeling

      • Ruud E. I. Schropp, Miro Zeman

      Pages 175-201

4. Back Matter

   Pages 203-207

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Amorphous silicon solar cell technology has evolved considerably since the first amorphous silicon solar cells were made at RCA Laboratories in 1974. Scien­ tists working in a number of laboratories worldwide have developed improved alloys based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon. Other scientists have developed new methods for growing these thin films while yet others have developed new photovoltaic (PV) device structures with im­ proved conversion efficiencies. In the last two years, several companies have constructed multi-megawatt manufacturing plants that can produce large-area, multijunction amorphous silicon PV modules. A growing number of people be­ lieve that thin-film photovoltaics will be integrated into buildings on a large scale in the next few decades and will be able to make a major contribution to the world's energy needs. In this book, Ruud E. I. Schropp and Miro Zeman provide an authoritative overview of the current status of thin film solar cells based on amorphous and microcrystalline silicon. They review the significant developments that have occurred during the evolution of the technology and also discuss the most im­ portant recent innovations in the deposition of the materials, the understanding of the physics, and the fabrication and modeling of the devices.

• Utrecht University, Debye Institute, Netherlands

  Ruud E. I. Schropp

• Delft University of Technology, Netherlands

  Miro Zeman

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