Electrochemically deposited zinc oxide for light trapping in thin film silicon solar cell

Electrochemically deposited ZnO films which have the appropriate texture surface for light trapping effect in solar cells are presented. A voltage was applied between anodes and Ag-coated-stainless steel substrate as a cathode in the heated aqueous solution of Zn(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ and ZnO films were formed on the substrate. The specular-and-diffuse and diffuse reflectance at 800nm wavelength were 94.3% and 91.7%, respectively. The polycrystalline ZnO grain size was about infrared wavelength, which gave appropriate texture for the light trapping effect in solar cells. Thin film Si triple junction solar cells were deposited on ZnO/Ag-coated-stainless steel substrate. The performance of 13.4% and a total photocurrent density of 31.51 mA/cm/sup 2/ have been achieved at large area (801.6 cm/sup 2/). We believe that this electrochemical deposition technique is best realized by adoption of the electrically conductive substrate like stainless steel substrate.