17.3% efficiency metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) solar cells with liquid-phase-deposited silicon dioxide

Simple and high efficiency silicon metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) solar cells, with silicon dioxide prepared by a room-temperature liquid phase deposition (LPD) method, are proposed. The thickness of LPD oxide is about 5 nm. After adding a 2/spl sim/5 nm semi-transparent thin Al film between the 200 nm patterned Al cathode, all the solar cells' performance parameters are improved. For a cell exposed under 15 mW/cm/sup 2/, short-circuit current density J/sub SC/ up to 10.7 mA/cm/sup 2/, open-circuit voltage V/sub OC/ up to 412 mV, fill factor FF up to 59, and record effective conversion efficiency /spl eta/ up to 17.3% are obtained for this structure. Photo-conductivity properties of LPD oxide are found and the mechanism is discussed.