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Fabrication and Optimization of a-Si:H n-i-p Single-junction Solar Cells with 8 Å/s Intrinsic Layers of Protocrystalline Si:H Materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Xinmin Cao ,
Wenhui Du ,
Y. Ishikawa ,
Xianbo Liao ,
Robert W. Collins  and
Xunming Deng
Xinmin Cao
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2801 West Bancroft St., Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
Wenhui Du
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
Y. Ishikawa
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
Xianbo Liao
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
Robert W. Collins
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
Xunming Deng
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Toledo, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
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Abstract

At the University of Toledo (UT), we have investigated hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) n-i-p solar cells with intrinsic layers deposited at high rates, ~ 8 Å/s, using our UT multi-chamber load-locked PECVD system. a-Si:H i-layers were grown with a VHF plasma density of ~ 0.2 W/cm2 and a frequency of 70 MHz using various hydrogen dilution levels. It is observed from the current-voltage (I-V) device performance characteristics that the open-circuit voltage (Voc) increases with increasing hydrogen dilution reaching a maximum and then decreasing. This drop in Voc can be attributed to the transition region (or protocrystalline regime) from an amorphous phase into a mixed amorphous+nanocrystalline (a + nc) phase for the i-layer. An initial efficiency of 9.99% (Voc = 0.986 V, Jsc = 13.98 mA/cm2, FF = 72.5%) was obtained. Quantum efficiency (QE) measurement has shown that the blue light response increases as the hydrogen dilution increases. Very good blue light spectral response with QE values over 0.7 at the wavelength of 400 nm have been obtained for a-Si:H cells made under specific deposition conditions in which tailored protocrystalline silicon materials were incorporated at the i/p interface region.

Keywords

photovoltaicplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)thin film
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 989: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology-2007 , 2007 , 0989-A15-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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