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Infrared ellipsometric characterization of silicon nitride films on textured Si photovoltaic cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

M. F. Saenger ,
M. Schädel ,
T. Hofmann ,
J. Hilfiker ,
J. Sun ,
T. Tiwald ,
M. Schubert  and
J. A. Woollam
M. F. Saenger
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0511, USA
M. Schädel
Affiliation:
Q-Cells AG, Thalheim, 06766, Germany
T. Hofmann
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0511, USA
J. Hilfiker
Affiliation:
J. A. Woollam Co. Inc., Lincoln, NE, 68508-2243, USA
J. Sun
Affiliation:
J. A. Woollam Co. Inc., Lincoln, NE, 68508-2243, USA
T. Tiwald
Affiliation:
J. A. Woollam Co. Inc., Lincoln, NE, 68508-2243, USA
M. Schubert
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0511, USA
J. A. Woollam
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, and Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0511, USA J. A. Woollam Co. Inc., Lincoln, NE, 68508-2243, USA
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Abstract

We present an infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of SixNy films deposited on textured Si substrates employed for photovoltaic cells. A multiple-sample data analysis scheme is used in order to determine the SixNy dielectric function and thickness parameters regardless of the surface morphology of the substrate. We observe changes in the dielectric function of the silicon nitride film which suggest variations in the chemical composition of the films depending on the substrate morphology.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1123: Symposium P – Photovoltaic Materials and Manufacturing Issues , 2008 , 1123-P02-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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