Japan STA Program: Rapid Growth of Microcrystalline Silicon for Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

9802639 Payne该奖项支持Adam Payne博士在日本筑波电工实验室获得为期24个月的日本科学技术机构（STA）博士后奖学金。Payne博士将与薄膜硅太阳能电池超级实验室主任Akihisa Matsuda博士合作，进行一个名为“薄膜硅太阳能电池微晶硅的快速生长”的研究项目。该研究项目将集中在两个方面：(1)进一步研究二氯硅烷作为新的气源，以及寻找不同的方法来提高微晶硅（uc-Si）的沉积速率；(2)应用一种方法来提高a- sige:H薄膜和太阳能电池的空穴迁移率。人们相信化石燃料导致了全球气候的剧烈变化。此外，煤炭和石油基液体燃料的使用正在造成当地空气质量的严重恶化。光伏电池有潜力成为上述燃料的良好替代品。虽然单晶和多晶硅电池满足了大部分需求，但薄膜太阳能电池将主导未来的光伏发电。微晶硅（uc-Si）表现出比a-Si:H更高的导电性，但它也不吸收光。uc-Si的沉积速率低于a- Si:H，因此吸收阳光所需的较厚的层需要更长的沉积时间。该研究将集中于将uc-Si作为太阳能电池吸收层的必要改进，以尽可能提高其沉积速率。＊＊＊

9802639 Payne This award supports a 24 month Science and Technology Agency of Japan (STA) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Adam Payne at the Electrotechnical Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan. Dr. Payne will work with Dr. Akihisa Matsuda, Director, Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells Super Lab, on a research project entitled, "Rapid Growth of Microcrystalline Silicon for Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells." The proposed research project will focus on two aspects: (1) further investigations of dichlorosilane as a new source gas, as well as looking at different ways to increase the deposition rate of Microcrystalline silicon (uc-Si), and (2) applying a method for improving hole mobility to a-SiGe:H films and solar cells. It is believed that fossil fuels lead to dramatic changes in the global climate. Also, use of coal and petroleum-based liquid fuels is causing massive degradation in local air quality. Photovoltaic cells have the potential to become a good substitute for the above fuels. Although the bulk of their demand is being met by single crystalline and polycrystalline silicon cells, thin- film solar cells will dominate the future of photovoltaics. Microcrystalline silicon (uc-Si) shows increased conductivity compared with a-Si:H, but it does not absorb light as well. The deposition rate of uc-Si is lower than a- Si:H so the thicker layers required to absorb sunlight take even longer to deposit. The research will focus on improvements necessary to incorporate uc-Si as the absorbing layer of a solar cell in order to increase its deposition rate as much as possible. ***