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Optical properties of zirconium oxide thin films for semitransparent solar cell applications

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Abstract

We prepared zirconium oxide thin films using reactive sputter deposition, and investigated their optical properties as a dielectric layer constituting semitransparent silicon thin film solar cells. The transmittance and reflectance of zirconium oxide thin films, deposited at various oxygen flow rates, are distinctly divided into three different ranges depending on the oxygen flow rate. Highly transparent zirconium oxide films are grown at relatively high flow rates, but they become nearly opaque at very low flow rates. Microstructural observation and refractive index measurement support that the transition from metallic zirconium-rich to dielectric zirconium oxide film proceeds as the oxygen flow rate increases. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the highly transparent films have a monoclinic phase of stoichiometric ZrO2. While the transmittance of the monoclinic ZrO2 films gradually decreases with an increase of film thickness, the reflectance exhibits a strong dependence on the film’s antireflection characteristic. The simulation results are in close agreement with the measured transmittance and reflectance. The simulated back reflectance of semitransparent silicon thin film solar cells demonstrates that the color of the semitransparent cells can be adjusted with the addition of the ZrO2 thin film.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program, through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education NRF-2013R1A1A2058709.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Materials Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon, 305-719, South Korea

    Hoi Jin Yoon, Ki Su Bang & Seung-Yun Lee

  2. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon, 305-700, South Korea

    Jung Wook Lim

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  1. Hoi Jin Yoon
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  2. Ki Su Bang
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  4. Seung-Yun Lee
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Correspondence to Seung-Yun Lee.

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Yoon, H.J., Bang, K.S., Lim, J.W. et al. Optical properties of zirconium oxide thin films for semitransparent solar cell applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 27, 11358–11365 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5260-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5260-4

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