Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures

p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (µc-SiOx:H) was developed and implemented as a contact layer in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) single junction solar cells. Higher transparency, sufficient electrical conductivity, low ohmic contact to sputtered ZnO:Al, and tunable refracti...

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Main Authors: Chao Zhang, Matthias Meier, Andreas Lambertz, Vladimir Smirnov, Bernhard Holländer, Aad Gordijn, Tsvetelina Merdzhanova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:International Journal of Photoenergy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/176965
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author Chao Zhang
Matthias Meier
Andreas Lambertz
Vladimir Smirnov
Bernhard Holländer
Aad Gordijn
Tsvetelina Merdzhanova
author_facet Chao Zhang
Matthias Meier
Andreas Lambertz
Vladimir Smirnov
Bernhard Holländer
Aad Gordijn
Tsvetelina Merdzhanova
author_sort Chao Zhang
collection DOAJ
description p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (µc-SiOx:H) was developed and implemented as a contact layer in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) single junction solar cells. Higher transparency, sufficient electrical conductivity, low ohmic contact to sputtered ZnO:Al, and tunable refractive index make p-type µc-SiOx:H a promising alternative to the commonly used p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) contact layers. In this work, p-type µc-SiOx:H layers were fabricated with a conductivity of up to 10−2 S/cm and a Raman crystallinity of above 60%. Furthermore, we present p-type µc-SiOx:H films with a broad range of optical properties (2.1 eV < band gap E04<2.8 eV and 1.6 < refractive index n<2.6). These properties can be tuned by adapting deposition parameters, for example, the CO2/SiH4 deposition gas ratio. A conversion efficiency improvement of a-Si:H solar cells is achieved by applying p-type µc-SiOx:H contact layer compared to the standard p-type µc-Si:H contact layer. As another aspect, the influence of the front side texture on a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells with different p-type contact layers, µc-Si:H and µc-SiOx:H, is investigated. Furthermore, we discuss the correlation between the decrease of Voc and the cell surface area derived from AFM measurements.
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spelling doaj-art-6c30928a9bde438bbcda2b2d323204452025-08-20T02:06:07ZengWileyInternational Journal of Photoenergy1110-662X1687-529X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/176965176965Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front TexturesChao Zhang0Matthias Meier1Andreas Lambertz2Vladimir Smirnov3Bernhard Holländer4Aad Gordijn5Tsvetelina Merdzhanova6IEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyIEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyIEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyIEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyPeter Grünberg Institute (PGI-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyIEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, GermanyIEK5-Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germanyp-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (µc-SiOx:H) was developed and implemented as a contact layer in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) single junction solar cells. Higher transparency, sufficient electrical conductivity, low ohmic contact to sputtered ZnO:Al, and tunable refractive index make p-type µc-SiOx:H a promising alternative to the commonly used p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) contact layers. In this work, p-type µc-SiOx:H layers were fabricated with a conductivity of up to 10−2 S/cm and a Raman crystallinity of above 60%. Furthermore, we present p-type µc-SiOx:H films with a broad range of optical properties (2.1 eV < band gap E04<2.8 eV and 1.6 < refractive index n<2.6). These properties can be tuned by adapting deposition parameters, for example, the CO2/SiH4 deposition gas ratio. A conversion efficiency improvement of a-Si:H solar cells is achieved by applying p-type µc-SiOx:H contact layer compared to the standard p-type µc-Si:H contact layer. As another aspect, the influence of the front side texture on a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells with different p-type contact layers, µc-Si:H and µc-SiOx:H, is investigated. Furthermore, we discuss the correlation between the decrease of Voc and the cell surface area derived from AFM measurements.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/176965
spellingShingle Chao Zhang
Matthias Meier
Andreas Lambertz
Vladimir Smirnov
Bernhard Holländer
Aad Gordijn
Tsvetelina Merdzhanova
Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
International Journal of Photoenergy
title Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
title_full Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
title_fullStr Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
title_full_unstemmed Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
title_short Optical and Electrical Effects of p-type μc-SiOx:H in Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells on Various Front Textures
title_sort optical and electrical effects of p type μc siox h in thin film silicon solar cells on various front textures
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/176965
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