Current Status of Layer Transfer Process in Thin Silicon Solar Cell : a review

Abstract

Layer transfer process has emerged as a promising tool in the field of thin silicon solar cell technology. This process can use mono-crystalline silicon as a surface for the epitaxial growth of a thin layer of silicon. It requires some sort of surface conditioning of the substrate due to which the surface become suitable for homo-epitaxy and lift off after solar cell fabrication. The successful reuse of substrate has been reported. The use of the conditioned surface without any kind of epitaxial layer growth is also the issue to be addressed. This review paper basically describes the five most cost effective methods on which works are in progress. Several types of possible problems envisaged by different research groups are also incorporated here with necessary discussion. Work in Korea has already started in this area in collaboration IC Design and Fabrication Centre, Jadavpur University, India and that also has been mentioned.