Efficient laser textured nanocrystalline silicon-polymer bilayer solar cells

Abstract

Excimer laser textured thin film silicon and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2(')-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene bilayer solar cells are fabricated and characterized with air mass 1.5 simulated solar irradiation. The polymer layer increases the light harvesting capability of the cell and increases the shunt resistance while increasing open circuit voltage. The highest efficiency of 0.87% for the thin film silicon/polymer bilayer device is observed due to enhanced charge collection resulting from the inclusion of the polymer layer. Generation of charge carriers is proposed to be occurring mainly in the silicon layer and charge transport is explained using an energy band diagram. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

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