Theoretical and experimental study of semiconducting iron disilicide and its applications to thin film solar cells

Abstract

Transition metal silicides have been studied extensively for many years due to their potential technological importance and applications. Recently, the semiconducting phase of iron disilicide (β-FeSi 2) has received considerable attention due to its potential applications in optoelectronic and microelectronic areas. This is attributed to its direct K. H. Tan iii which confirmed the theoretical predictions. A carrier concentration in a tunable range of 10 17 cm-3 and a mobility in the order of 100 cm 2 /Vs were consistently obtained. Using this knowledge, p-type B-doped β-FeSi 2 /n-Si heterojunction thin film solar cells were fabricated. The effects of various physical parameters on the output characteristics of the cells were investigated and found to have a direct influence on the cell performance.