Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Preprint

We review the progress made by amorphous silicon solar cells, including; the emerging technology of solar cells of microcrystalline silicon. The long-term trend in the efficiency of stabilized laboratory cells based on a-Si:H has been a rise of~0.6 % per year. The recent trend in the a-Si,Ge:H cell efficiency alone, measured in the spectral window assigned to the bottom device in atriple-junction cell, has been an increase of~0.16 % per year. These improvements have brought within reach the target of 15% efficiency identified by EPRI and DOE for widespread application. Our review leads to an identification of areas of promising research, with emphasis on the fundamental science required to reach the 15 % target, and then to move to the next-level efficiency goal.