JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION

THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS : A REVIEW

PROF. R. D. PARMAR
Lecturer, Electrical Engineering Department, C.U.Shah Polytechnic, Surendranagar,
Gujarat, India

raghuvir_dhirubha@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Huge demand of silicon in photovoltaic cells caused a shortage of silicon which results in demand
for new technology in this field and so another revolutionary cheap method is innovated namely thin film solar
cell. In this paper, various types of thin film solar cells are reviewed. They have less efficiency and also low cost
compared to 1st generation solar cell. They are based on silicon Thin film implies that less material is used
which makes the solar cells cheaper.

Keywords: a-Si, CdTe, CIS, CIGS

1. INTRODUCTION: than that of conventional cells, so material cost

Second Generation Solar Cells are thin film solar reduces[7]. Introduction of the triple junction
cells. In this case no c-Si wafers are used but very modules provide relatively high levels of effiiciency
thin layers of silicon, which are deposited on glass or and stability.[2] A p-i-n junction structure is used
a flexible substrate.Typical production size 1*1 with the n- and p-type regions creating a field in the
m^2.Typical thickness about 1 to 4 micro meter. So i-layer due to their work-function difference (Green,
to absorb same amount of light they require almost 2003).Individual cells deposited onto a glass sheet
99% less material than crystalline solar cell. These are laterally connected in series.Since the amorphous
solar cells are manufactured using cheaper processing silicon is not very conductive, a key feature of the
technology hence the materials have more defects technology is the use of a transparent conductive tin
resulting in lower performances.The other advantages oxide layer between the silicon and the glass. The
of thin films are; high automation and production strength of a-Si technology is its simplicity combined
efficiency,ease of building integration and improved with the use of benign and abundant silicon.[3]
appearance, good performance at high ambient 2.1.2. Multiple junction amorphous silicon
temperature and reduced sensitivity to overheating. If two or more cells are stacked on top of one
For utility production, thin film technologies will another,inferior quality material of thinner layers of
require more land than crystalline silicon amorphous silicon can be used.If the bandgaps of the
technologies in order to reach the same capacity due lower cells are smaller than that of the upper cells,
to their lower efficiency. So, land availability and this also gives a performance boost as well.
cost must be taken into consideration when thin film One of the approach to reduce the bandgap from the
technology is considered. Although the solar cells quite high values is to make alloy of hydrogenated
efficiency is lower, due to the lower cost price per amorphous silicon (1.7 eV) with germanium.One of
area,the cost-price per Watt of the second generation such known module is having 3 cell stack with the 2
PV technology is significant lower.Thin films are underlying cells made from a-Si alloyed with
made by depositing extremely thin layers of germanium.This gives nomina lmodule performance
photosensitive materials in the micrometre (µm) in the 6-7% range which is better than the best of the
range on a low-cost backing, such as glass, stainless single junction a-Si approaches.The glass top cover
steel or plastic. sheet is replaced it by Tefzel, a transparent co-
The first generation of thin film solar cell produced polymer of tetrafluoroethane and ethylene in the form
was a-Si. To reach higher efficiencies, thin of a film.Mechanical support is provided by a thin
amorphous and microcrystalline silicon cells have Galvalume rear metal sheet with a hot-dip
been combined with thin hybrid siliconcells. With II- aluminium-zinc coating.
VI semiconductor compounds, other thin film The cells themselves are deposited onto a continuous
technologies have been developed, including roll of another stainless steel sheet of 2.5 km
cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper-indium- length.Only the three stacked cells are connected
gallium-diselenide (CIGS).[1] together during this operation, with strips of these cut
2. TYPES OF THIN FILM CELL SOLAR from the stainless steel.These strips are then
CELLS connected together as in a wafer-based module.
2.1 Silicon based Compared to the usual glass-encapsulated
2.1.1. Single junction amorphous silicon: modules,material cost would be appreciably higher
Because a-Si alloy absorbs light more efficiently,so due to Tefzel,Galvalume,stainless steel and the
a-Si solar cell thickness can be up to 300 times less additional required insulating layers.

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Recent approach is to combine an amorphous silicon superior contender commercialisation was
top cell with a bottom cell consisting of a unsuccessful.In case Cds(cadmium sulfide) bandgap
two-phase mixture of amorphous and is of the order of 2.5 ev.
microcrystalline silicon.The bandgap of the lower 2.2.2 Cadmium Telluride
cell is similar to that of wafer-based cells (1.1 A layer of cadmium sulphide is deposited from
eV).Apart from the use of two cells, which improves solution onto a glass sheet coated with a transparent
module performance to the 8-10% range, the conducting layer of tin oxide. This is followed by the
technology otherwise resembles that of amorphous deposition of the main cadmium telluride cell by as
silicon with its associated strengths and weaknesses. variety of techniques including close-spaced
Although the mixed-phase material is more stable sublimation, vapour transport, chemical spraying, or
than the amorphous material, the overall stability of electroplating.[3].One of the biggest problem with
the device is determined by the latter, giving no cadmium telluride is that Cadmium is hazardous and
grounds for expecting improved stability telluride is rare available.
performance from the “hybrid” combination, despite CdTe cells are a type of II-VI semiconductor thin
early claims to this effect [3] film that has a relatively simple production process,
Cells of different band gaps are stacked together,In a allowing for lower production costs.It has an energy
triple junction cell.The top cell uses a-Si alloy with payback time of eight months, the shortest time
an optical gap of 1.8 eV,which captures the blue among all existing PV technologies. In case of CdTe,
photons.Green photons are absorbed by an bandgap is of the order of 1.5 ev and absorption
amorphous silicongermanium (a-SiGe) alloy with coefficient is 10 times that of Si.Indeed, thin film
about 10-15% Ge and optical gap of 1.6 eV in as solar cells based on CdTe show the highest
intrinsic layer in the middle cell.The bottom cell performance among thin film solar cells in terms of
captures the red and infrared photons and uses an i efficiency and on the module level. Today, CdTe
layer of a-SiGe alloy with about 40-50% Ge, cells have achieved a dominant position in the thin
corresponding to an optical gap of 1.4 eV. Light that film and have a market-leading cost-per watt.
is not absorbed in the cells gets reflected from the However, these materials are toxic and less abundant
aluminum/zinc oxide (Al/ZnO) back reflector, which than silicon. CdTe cells and modules have reached
is usually textured to facilitate light trapping.[7] 16.5 % and 10.2% efficiency respectively [5]..
The resulting thin film photovoltaic product has the 2.2.3 Copper-Indium Diselenide (CIS and CIGS)
ability to capture a greater percentage of the incident CIS technology have 19% efficiency small cells, but
light energy which is one of the keys to higher has proved difficult to commercialise. It involves
efficiencies and higher energy output, especially at deposition onto a glass substrate and then
lower irradiation levels and under diffused light.The interconnected.An additional glass top-cover is then
cell is deposited using a vapor deposition process at laminated to the cell/substrate combination. For
low temperatures; the CIGS cells, the fabrication process is more
energy payback time is therefore much smaller than demanding and results in higher costs and
that for the conventional technology. [7] efficiencies compared to CdTe cells. CIGS solar cells
Once the solar cell material has been provided with and modules have achieved 19.5 and 13%
suitable electrodes, the cells are encapsulated in UV efficiencies , respectively.Thus they offer highest
stabilized, weather-defying polymers. This efficiency of all thin film technologies.
laminating process incorporates a fluoropolymer on In case of CIGS cell, over glass/ss/polymer, a layer of
the top side. The bottom side of the finished product Mo of size 0.5-1.5 micro meter, above that layer
is a polyester material suitable for adhesives.[7] another layer of CulnGase2 of size 1.5-2.0 micro
2.1.3 Crystalline silicon on glass meter, above that layer another layer of Cds of size
With the help of high temperature process an 0.03-0.05 micrometer, above that a layer of ITO/Zno
amorphous silicon layer is converted to a of size 0.5-1.5 micro meter, above that MgF2 of size
polycrystalline layer, The resulting films have 0.1 micro meter is deposited.
properties similar to those of the polycrystalline 3. CONCLUSION :
wafers that nowdominatethe commercial solar Among these commercially available thin film
module market.As it is more conductive, transparent technologies, a-Si is the most important in terms of
conducting oxide is not needed.So cost reduces a-si production and installation.Multicrystalline thin film
stability problem is eliminated. Other advantages are on glass (CSG) is a promising thin film technology
;ruggedness and a fault tolerant metallisation which is now entering industrial production.
approach. Microcrystalline technology, in particular the
2.2 Chalcogenide-Based Cells combination of amorphous silicon and
2.2.1 Cadmium Sulphide microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/m-Si), is another
The first thin-film solar cell prodeuced on for large- approach with encouraging results. Thin film
scale were based on cadmium sulphide.Due to technologies are growing rapidly. In recent years,
attributed to stability issues with the cells and the thin film production units have increased from pilot
appearance of amorphous silicon as an apparently scale to 50 MW lines, with some manufacturing units

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 JOURNAL OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH IN
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
in the gigawatt (GW) range. As a result, thin films Univesity of new south wales, sydney, N.S.W.,
technologies are expected to increase their market Australia
share significantly by 2020. It is difficult to predict
which of the thin film technologies will reach higher REVIEW PAPER PUBLISHED ON : 02/08/2010
market shares in the long-term.
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