저비용 태양 에너지 전환 소자를 위한 균열 기반 박막 분리 기술

Crack-Assisted Layer Transfer for Cost-Effective Solar Energy Conversion Devices

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for environmentally friendly renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Among the renewable energy sources, electrical/chemical energy converted by solar energy is considered a realistic alternative. However, it has been difficult to spread the solar energy conversion systems due to its high-cost compare to the conventional fossil fuel based energy system. In the photovoltaic module system, the crystalline silicon substrate used as solar light-absorbing materials is accounted for ~40% of the total manufacture cost, therefore the cost-reduction of the light-absorbing materials is one of the main research topics. In this review, we introduce a crack-assisted layer transfer technology for a cost-effective silicon substrate which enables demonstration of sub 50 μm-thick silicon without material loss in the process. The crack-assisted layer transfer approach does not require expensive processing equipment and enables the production of multiple thin films from the same donor substrate. This article also presents cost-effective and efficient solar energy conversion devices such as solar cells and photoelectrochemical cells using the ultra-thin silicon