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Micromorphology investigation of GaAs solar cells: case study on statistical surface roughness parameters

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Abstract

The purpose of this work is surface characterization of GaAs solar cell using atomic force microscopy. The surface appearance influences the optical properties of the cells. It impacts light trapping and consequently affect the efficiency of the solar cells. In case of nano-structural surface, the properties are strongly depends on its geometrical characteristics. Surface appearance was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fractal analysis was done by the triangulation method and evaluation of statistical metrics was carrying out on the basis of AFM-data, before and after heating. The results of fractal analysis show the correlation of fractal dimension and statistical characteristics of surface topography. Characterization technique and data processing methodology are essential for description of the surface condition.

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Acknowledgements

Research described in the paper was financially supported by Internal Grant Agency of Brno University of Technology, grant No. FEKT-S-17-4626, by project Sensor, Information and Communication Systems SIX CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0072 and by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic under no. GACR 15-05259S.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of AET, Discipline of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 103-105 B-dul Muncii St., 400641, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania

    Ştefan Ţălu

  2. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Physics Department, Brno University of Technology, Technická 8, 616 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Papež Nikola & Dinara Sobola

  3. National Institute of Scientific Research, 1650 Bd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X1P7, Canada

    Amine Achour

  4. Department of Physics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Shahram Solaymani

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  1. Ştefan Ţălu
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Correspondence to Shahram Solaymani.

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Appendix

Appendix

Statistical analysis was carried out with the software SPSS 14 for Windows (Chicago, IL, USA). One-way analysis of variance was applied for verification of results with Scheffé post-hoc tests. Statistically significant differences P are assumed to be 0.05 or less. The statistical parameters were expressed by Ra (average roughness), Rq (root-mean-square deviation), Ssk (skew), Sku (kurtosis), angles (θ, φ) (inclination).

In detail, these parameters have following meaning [38]:

  • RMS value of the height irregularities: this quantity is computed from data variance.

  • Ra value of the height irregularities: this quantity is similar to RMS value with the only difference in exponent (power) within the data variance sum. As for the RMS this exponent is q = 2, the Ra value is computed with exponent q = 1 and absolute values of the data (zero mean).

  • Height distribution skewness: computed from 3rd central moment of data values.

  • Height distribution kurtosis: computed from 4th central moment of data values.

  • Mean inclination of facets in area: computed by averaging normalized facet direction vectors.

  • Variation, which is calculated as the integral of the absolute value of the local gradient.

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Ţălu, Ş., Nikola, P., Sobola, D. et al. Micromorphology investigation of GaAs solar cells: case study on statistical surface roughness parameters. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 15370–15379 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7422-4

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