Improvement of a-Si solar cell properties by using SnO2:F TCO films coated with an ultra-thin TiO2 layer prepared by APCVD

Kambe, Mika; Fukawa, Makoto; Taneda, N.; Sato, Kazuo

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2006.06.008

Cited by 44 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Table 1 shows examples of values for w in-situ calculated from α eff in comparison to values for w ex-situ calculated from QE measurements of the considered cells according to equation (3). The material specific absorption coefficient α was taken from photo thermal deflection spectroscopy measurements at μc-Si:H reference samples.…”

Section: -P3 Epj Photovoltaicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, random textures are used which can be realized by e.g. the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) window and front contact layer applied in thin-film silicon solar cells [1][2][3][4][5]. By light scattering and diffraction, the path of the light traversing through the absorber layer is enhanced and the light absorption is increased [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In-situ determination of the effective absorbance of thinμc-Si:H layers growing on rough ZnO:Al

et al. 2013

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In this study optical transmission measurements were performed in-situ during the growth of microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) layers by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The stable plasma emission was used as light source. The effective absorption coefficient of the thin μc-Si:H layers which were deposited on rough transparent conductive oxide (TCO) surfaces was calculated from the transient transmission signal. It was observed that by increasing the surface roughness of the TCO, the effective absorption coefficient increases which can be correlated to the increased light scattering effect and thus the enhanced light paths inside the silicon. A correlation between the in-situ determined effective absorbance of the μc-Si:H absorber layer and the short-circuit current density of μc-Si:H thin-film silicon solar cells was found. Hence, an attractive technique is demonstrated to study, on the one hand, the absorbance and the light trapping in thin films depending on the roughness of the substrate and, on the other hand, to estimate the short-circuit current density of thin-film solar cells in-situ, which makes the method interesting as a process control tool.

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Section: -P3 Epj Photovoltaicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-situ determination of the effective absorbance of thinμc-Si:H layers growing on rough ZnO:Al

et al. 2013

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“…4 To optimize this deposition process to make APCVD suitable for high-tech applications, a detailed reaction mechanism toward film growth is needed in order to tune the intrinsic parameters of the deposition process. Literature on the growth mechanism of APCVD with R x SnCl 4Àx compounds is scarce and inconclusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CVD mechanisms toward SnO 2 film growth that are proposed in literature can be derived into three groups: gasphase-driven mechanisms, surface-driven mechanisms, or a combination of both. In the first group, Gordon and coworkers published radical-driven mechanisms involving tetramethyl tin [TMT, (CH 3 ) 4 Sn] or dimethyl tinchloride [DMTC, (CH 3 ) 2 SnCl 2 ] with oxygen. 5,6 Based on kinetic data from both literature and their own experiments, they postulated a radical-driven gas-phase mechanism with R x SnO x species as a key intermediates that have to form in the gas phase before deposition could take place with SnO 2 as result.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study on the chemistry involved in tin oxide film growth during chemical vapor deposition processes

Mannie

Gerritsen

Abbenhuis

et al. 2012

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films

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The chemistry of atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) processes is believed to be complex, and detailed reports on reaction mechanisms are scarce. Here, the authors investigated the reaction mechanism of monobutyl tinchloride (MBTC) and water during SnO2 thin film growth using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XPS results indicate an acid–base hydrolysis reaction mechanism, which is tested with multilayer experiments, demonstrating self-terminating growth. In-house developed TEM wafers are used to visualize nucleation during these multilayer experiments, and results are compared with TEM results of APCVD samples. Results show almost identical nucleation behavior implying that their growth mechanism is identical. Our experiments suggest that in APCVD, when using MBTC and water, SnO2 film growth occurs via a heterolytic bond splitting of the Sn-Cl bonds without the need to invoke gas-phase radical or coordination chemistry of the MBTC precursor.

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“…[1][2][3][4] Zinc oxide is a direct wide-bandgap ($3.37 eV) semiconductor material with many promising properties for optoelectronics, electronics, spintronics, and sensor applications. 5 Al-, Ga-, and In-doped ZnO films have been shown to have excellent electrical conductivity, as well as visible transmittance, [6][7][8] making them some of the most promising TCOs. In addition, Al-, Ga-, and In-doped ZnO films are nontoxic, less expensive, and more resistant to defects, support impurity doping and hydrogen plasma reduction, and can be deposited at lower temperatures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Texturing of Ga-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Pulsed Direct-Current Magnetron Sputtering for Photovoltaic Applications

Lin

Yen

Shen

et al. 2011

Journal of Elec Materi

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In this study, Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conducting thin films were prepared by pulsed direct-current magnetron sputtering, providing good transparency and relatively low resistivity. The films were further etched in different aqueous solutions, 0.5% HCl, 5% oxalic acid, and 33% KOH, to modify their light-scattering properties. The results showed that film textured by 0.5% HCl aq. for 30 s had total optical transparency of T total = 77.4% and haze value of H T = 0.16, with electrical resistivity of q = 4.9 9 10 À4 X-cm. For film textured in 5% oxalic acid solution for 75 s, the lowest electrical resistivity of 4.3 9 10 À4 X-cm was achieved with relatively high total optical transparency of T total = 75.1%, as well as a more ideal haze value of H T = 0.3. Film textured in 33% KOH solution for 135 s (500 nm thickness) had optimal electrical conductivity of 5.1 9 10 À4 X-cm with T total = 75.6%, and a relatively low haze value of H T = 0.12. GZO film textured with an agitated etch of 5% oxalic acid at 300 K would be the most suitable candidate for photovoltaic applications due to its high transparency and good electrical conducting properties.

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Improvement of a-Si solar cell properties by using SnO2:F TCO films coated with an ultra-thin TiO2 layer prepared by APCVD

Cited by 44 publications

References 6 publications

In-situ determination of the effective absorbance of thinμc-Si:H layers growing on rough ZnO:Al

In-situ determination of the effective absorbance of thinμc-Si:H layers growing on rough ZnO:Al

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study on the chemistry involved in tin oxide film growth during chemical vapor deposition processes

Surface Texturing of Ga-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Pulsed Direct-Current Magnetron Sputtering for Photovoltaic Applications

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