Plasma deposition of p‐i‐n microcrystalline silicon solar cells using a single plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber: study of the phosphorus contamination

Abstract

A series of microcrystalline silicon thin films were fabricated by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition in a single‐chamber at different phosphorus‐contamination backgrounds. The influence of phosphorus on the properties of p‐layer was studied. The results of electrical properties showed that the dark conductivity of p‐layer decreased largely because of the influence of phosphorus. Several techniques used to reduce the phosphorus contaminations were investigated: the deposition of p‐layers between cells, hydrogen plasma treatment and deposition of microcrystalline silicon covering layer after n‐layer of the last cell. Their effectiveness was evaluated by means of the improvement of p‐layer properties and cell performance (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Reduction of the phosphorus contamination for plasma deposition of p—i—n microcrystalline silicon solar cells in a single chamber

“…[10,11] The details for the QE measurement results were reported in our previous paper. [12] Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating the structural properties of µc-Si:H. Each device above was measured from the p-layer side and n-layer side using the wave of wavelength of 633 nm whose material up to a depth of above 500 nm contributes to the signal. [13,14] Figure 5 showed the crystallinity of them.…”