Abstract:At the front contact of thin film silicon solar cells, the junction between the p-doped window layer and the n-type transparent electrode results in a barrier that must be surmounted by the charge carriers. The barrier height is governed by the work function difference of these two materials. For different compositions of the well known In 2 O 3 -SnO 2 (ITO) system, we find that higher oxygen partial pressure during sputter deposition increases the work function of the deposited films. Over the same range of oxygen partial pressures, ITO electrodes with low tin content applied to n-i-p type thin film silicon solar yield a gain in Voc by up to 40 mV.

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Indium tin oxide (ITO) ceramic sputtering targets used for the manufacturing of transparent conductive thin films for electrodes in flat panel displays, solar cells, touch panels, antistatic films and others developed and commercially produced are described. Thanks to optimised compositions and developed technology, commercially producing large size planar and new generation rotary ceramic target components have high density (up to 99?5% of theoretical density), uniform microcrystalline structure and superior properties, e.g. low electrical resistivity. As a result, nanosized thin films produced by direct current magnetron sputtering from the developed targets have uniform nanocrystalline or amorphous structures and superior transmittance (.90%) and low electrical resistivity. The morphology and properties of these films have been studied, depending on the film processing features. The benefits of the developed ITO rotary targets for industrial nanosized film processing (e.g. significant increase in process efficiency, about three times higher target utilisation, practically no nodule formation and particle redeposition during sputtering and reduced processing cost) are outlined.