Low defect interface study of intrinsic layer for c-Si surface passivation in a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells

Kim, Sangho; Dao, Vinh Ai; Shin, Chonghoon; Cho, Jaehyun; Lee, Youngseok; Balaji, Nagarajan; Ahn, Shihyun; Yi, Junsin

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2012.03.074

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The total C H and bonding configuration of hydrogen were measured by transmission‐mode Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Perkin Elmer, Spectrum 100), as it is the most useful tool for characterizing the microstructures and properties of a‐Si:H layers based on their typical peak positions and intensities . As the absorption around 2000 cm −1 is attributable to isolated and/or clustered Si–H bonds and that at 2090 ∼ 2100 cm −1 to Si–H 2 and/or to clustered Si–H 2 bonds , the hydrogen contents in the Si–H ( C 1 ) and Si–H 2 ( C 2 ) bonding configurations were deduced from the peaks of the FTIR absorption spectra fits in these regions, while C H was obtained from the wagging mode at 640 cm −1 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, high‐quality intrinsic a‐Si:H layers with dark conductivities ( σ dark ) less than 10 − 11 S/cm are essential to improve the performance of a‐Si:H‐based thin film solar cells . However, satisfying this condition is not sufficient to ensure the quality of crystalline SHJ solar cells because the quality of the a‐Si:H/c‐Si heterojunction interface also plays a dominant role in the collection of free carriers . The density of dangling bonds at the a‐Si:H/c‐Si interface can be reduced by the presence of a sufficient number of H atoms, which also improves the passivation effect.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Study of the correlation between hydrogenated amorphous silicon microstructure and crystalline silicon surface passivation in heterojunction solar cells

Guo

Zhang

Meng

et al. 2015

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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The properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin layers were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements to determine their effects on the surface passivation of crystalline silicon (c-Si) in heterojunction solar cells. It was demonstrated that the high bulk quality of a-Si:H layers with denser structures was not sufficient for the passivation of c-Si surfaces in Silicon Heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells, in which the passivation performance is strongly governed by the total hydrogen content (C H ) as a-Si:H layers are ultra-thin. High effective carrier lifetime and implied open-circuit voltage (V oc,im ), as well as low surface recombination velocity, were obtained at the appropriate C H values, and the optimal windows of C H and of the hydrogen content in the Si-H 2 configuration (C 2 ) were determined to be 5.0 $ 8.5 and 2.9 $ 6.8 at.%, respectively. For C H values higher than 8.5 at.%, the passivation effect was degraded due to the deteriorated bulk properties of the a-Si:H layers. However, V oc,im decreased when C H was lower than 5.0 at.% because the number of H atoms was insufficient to saturate the dangling bonds at the a-Si: H/c-Si interface even though the a-Si:H layers had dense microstructures.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of the correlation between hydrogenated amorphous silicon microstructure and crystalline silicon surface passivation in heterojunction solar cells

Guo

Zhang

Meng

et al. 2015

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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“…According to the investigation of Kim et al, the interface between intrinsic layer and C-Si substrate with low defects density led to lower surface recombination velocity resulting in an excellent effect of surface passivation. 10 Hence, the amorphous intrinsic layer generally used to passivate dangling bonds was ignored in our simulation work since we regarded the surface recombination velocity as zero. Equation (1) displays the relation among effective lifetime (t eff ), bulk lifetime (t bulk ) and surface recombination velocity (S), where W is the thickness of the substrate.…”

Section: Device Structure and Input Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation analysis of impact of silicon substrate selection on performance of heterojunction solar cells

Yang

Lien²,

Sun

et al. 2014

Materials Research Innovations

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The simulation of the electrical and optical behaviour of solar cell has been established as an essential tool for both improvement of existing devices and development of new ones. In this study, the effects of excess minority lifetime and concentration of n-c-Si on heterojunction solar cell performance are discussed to attempt to understand the possible key technique of 24?7% heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cell presented by Panasonic Company. Two basic models, Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination and Auger recombination equations, which can describe the recombination behaviour of carriers in the bulk of monocrystalline silicon, are discussed. This study improves the understanding of this device and to derive arguments for design optimisation. The simulated results show that the heterojunction solar cell has open circuit voltage of 0?75 V, short circuit current of 38?9 mA cm 22 , fill factor of 0?836 and efficiency of 24?4% under the effective lifetime of 1610 23 s, and substrate doping concentration of 1610 16 cm 23 . These results of simulation can coincide with Panasonic's latest 24?7% HIT solar cell.

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“…8 The low defect interface of intrinsic surface passivation was investigated in a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction structures 15 and in-process plasma monitoring using mass spectrometry 2 and OES, thus, the PECVD process control in Si-based solar cell manufacturing was closely correlated to the chamber environment as well as plasma composition and chemistry. 16 In this study, the quality of passivation was investigated by examining changes in the predeposition conditions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved Process Stability on an Extremely Thin Amorphous/Crystalline Silicon Interface Passivation Layer by Using Predeposition on the Chamber Wall

Hsieh

Tseng

Lee

et al. 2018

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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In this study, in situ plasma diagnostic systems of optical emission spectrometry (OES) and quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) were used to monitor an extremely thin (5-10 nm) intrinsic amorphous/crystalline Si interface passivation film as deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). We observed a dramatic improvement in the quality of the passivation layer with a chamber background environment, even with a background pressure of 1E-6 Torr. When the chamber walls were coated (at a predeposition time of approximately 150 min) to a specified thickness of a few hundred micrometers, the minority carrier lifetime increased by more than 26 times, as compared with an insufficiently coated counterpart with a predeposition of approximately 30 min (from approximately 30 μs to 800 μs). In this predeposition process, the tendency of species to concentrate could be systematically obtained using the in situ OES system, with the chamber environment monitored using residual gas analysis and threshold ionization mass spectrometry of QMS. We found that the optimal predeposition time was 150 min, which enabled the OES intensity of Si * /SiH * , H β /Hα, and Hα/SiH * to become stable. OES and QMS were incorporated in this study and were validated using the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy absorbance spectra on the films. The plasma condition was stabilized and the minority carrier lifetime was improved to 800 μs. The proposed predeposition process stabilized the chamber environment and gas discharge. Therefore, the optimized value of the minority carrier lifetime could be consistently obtained. A transmission electron microscopy photograph showed a compact a-Si:H layer (of approximately 10 nm) on the c-Si substrate interface passivation layer with a void-free and crystallites-free interface after a predeposition time of 150 min.

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Low defect interface study of intrinsic layer for c-Si surface passivation in a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells

Cited by 33 publications

References 11 publications

Study of the correlation between hydrogenated amorphous silicon microstructure and crystalline silicon surface passivation in heterojunction solar cells

Study of the correlation between hydrogenated amorphous silicon microstructure and crystalline silicon surface passivation in heterojunction solar cells

Simulation analysis of impact of silicon substrate selection on performance of heterojunction solar cells

Improved Process Stability on an Extremely Thin Amorphous/Crystalline Silicon Interface Passivation Layer by Using Predeposition on the Chamber Wall

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