We propose a nanostructured three-dimensional ͑nano-3D͒ solar cell design employing an ultrathin hydrogenated amorphous silicon ͑a-Si:H͒ n-i-p junction deposited on zinc oxide ͑ZnO͒ nanorod arrays. The ZnO nanorods were prepared by aqueous chemical growth at 80°C. The photovoltaic performance of the nanorod/a-Si:H solar cell with an ultrathin absorber layer of only 25 nm is experimentally demonstrated. An efficiency of 3.6% and a short-circuit current density of 8.3 mA/ cm 2 were obtained, significantly higher than values achieved for planar or even textured counterparts with three times thicker ͑ϳ75 nm͒ a-Si:H absorber layers.

Crystalline silicon surface passivation by amorphous silicon deposited by three different chemical vapor deposition ͑CVD͒ techniques at low ͑T ϳ 130°C͒ temperatures is compared. For all three techniques, surface recombination velocities ͑SRVs͒ are reduced by two orders of magnitude after prolonged thermal annealing at 200°C. This reduction correlates with a decreased dangling bond density at the amorphous-crystalline interface, indicating that dangling bond saturation is the predominant mechanism. All three deposition methods yield excellent surface passivation. For a-Si:H layers deposited by radio frequency plasma enhanced CVD, we obtain outstanding carrier lifetimes of 10.3 ms, corresponding to SRVs below 1.32 cm/s.

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