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Mechanism of Enhanced Hydrogen Diffusion in Solar Cell Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Bhushan L. Sopori*
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401
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Abstract

Experimental results that support our previously reported observations of enhanced diffusivity of hydrogen in some solar cell silicon are presented. The diffusivities of hydrogen, implanted at low energies, were measured for several commercial silicon substrates. It is shown that the diffusivity of hydrogen in some solar cell substrates is about two orders of magnitude higher than that in Float Zone silicon in a temperature range of 100° - 300°C. This value of diffusivity is also close to that observed along some grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon. It is determined that hydrogen in-diffusion is accompanied by an out-diffusion of boron, and that the hydrogen diffusivity is retarded by high concentrations of oxygen. A mechanism for enhanced hydrogen diffusion is proposed which invokes formation of a highly mobile vacancy-hydrogen complex.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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