Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T15:40:51.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Recombination Lifetime in Microcrystalline Silicon Absorbers of Highly Efficient Thin-Film Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Torsten Brammer
Affiliation:
Institute of Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Helmut Stiebig
Affiliation:
Institute of Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Get access

Abstract

Absorber layers of microcrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition are characterized regarding the recombination lifetime. The characterization is based on a comparison of experimentally determined solar cell characteristics with results from numerical device simulations. Evaluation of the dark reverse saturation current indicates a strong dependence of τ on the hydrogen dilution during the deposition. Close to the transition region to amorphous growth where the highest solar cell efficiencies are observed τ is maximum within the crystalline deposition regime and equals 30 ns.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] Klein, S., Finger, F., Carius, R., Kluth, O., Baia Neto, L., Wagner, H., and Stutzmann, M., Proc. 17th EC-PVSEC, Munich, Germany (2001).Google Scholar
[2] Repmann, T., Appenzeller, W., Roschek, T., Rech, B., Kluth, O., Wagner, H., Proc. 17th ECPVSEC, Munich, Germany (2001).Google Scholar
[3] Yamamoto, K., Yoshimi, M., Tawada, Y., Fukuda, S., Meguro, T., Takata, H., Takashi, S., Koi, Y., Hayashi, K., Suzuki, T., Nakajima, A., Tech. Dig. Int'l PVSEC-12, Jeju, Korea, ISSN 1598-2173, 547548 (2001)Google Scholar
[4] Luysberg, M., Scholten, C., Houben, L., Vetterl, O., Carius, R., Finger, F., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 664, A15.2 (2001).Google Scholar
[5] Vetterl, O., Finger, F., Carius, R., Hapke, P., Houben, L., Kluth, O., Lambertz, A., Mück, A., Rech, B., Wagner, H., Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, 62, 97 (2000).10.1016/S0927-0248(99)00140-3Google Scholar
[6] Finger, F., Klein, S., Dylla, T., Baia, A.L. Neto, Vetterl, O. and Carius, R., this conference.Google Scholar
[7] Vetterl, O., Groβ, A., Jana, T., Ray, S., Lambertz, A., Carius, R. and Finger, F., Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, in press.Google Scholar
[8] Kurata, M., Numerical analysis for semiconductor devices, Lexington Books (1982).Google Scholar
[9] Brammer, T., Birmans, F., Krause, M., Stiebig, H., and Wagner, H., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 664, A19.6 (2001).10.1557/PROC-664-A19.6Google Scholar
[10] Matsui, T., Tsukiji, M., Saika, H., Toyama, T., Okamoto, H., Techn. Dig. Int. PVSEC-12, Jeju, Korea, ISSN 1598-2173, 355356 (2001).Google Scholar
[11] Rech, B., private communications (2001).Google Scholar
[12] Sze, S.M., Physics of semiconductor devices, (John Wiley and Sons) (1981).Google Scholar
[13] Brammer, T., PhD Thesis, University of Düsseldorf, Germany, http://www. ulb.uni-duesseldorf.de/diss/mathnat/2002/brammer.html (2002), in German.Google Scholar
[14] Aberle, A., Heiser, G., Green, M.A., J. Appl. Phys. 75(10), 53915405 (1994).10.1063/1.355694Google Scholar
[15] Müller, J., PhD Thesis, University of Aachen, ISSN 0944-2952 (1998), in English.Google Scholar
[16] Kanschat, P., Mell, H., Lips, K., Fuhs, W., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 609, A27.3 (2000).Google Scholar
[17] Rech, B., Beyer, W., private communications (2002).Google Scholar
[18] Brendel, R., Bergmann, R.B., Lölgen, P., Wolf, M., Werner, J.H., Appl. Phys. Lett. 70(3), 390392 (1997).Google Scholar
[19] Catchpole, K.J., Weber, K.J., Sproul, A.B., Blakers, A.W., Proc. 2nd WCPVSC, 1336 (1998).Google Scholar
[20] Rohatgi, A., Ebong, A., Yelundur, V., Ristow, A., Progr. in Photovoltaics 8, 515525 (2000).10.1002/1099-159X(200009/10)8:5<515::AID-PIP351>3.0.CO;2-Q3.0.CO;2-Q>Google Scholar
[21] Cuevas, A., Stocks, M., Armand, S., Stuckings, M., Blakers, A.W., Ferrazza, F., Appl. Phys. Lett. 70(8), 10171019 (1997).10.1063/1.118469Google Scholar
[22] Glunz, S.W., Rein, S., Warta, W., Knobloch, J., Wettling, W., Sol. Eng. Mat. and Solar Cells 65 219229 (2001).10.1016/S0927-0248(00)00098-2Google Scholar
[23] Cuevas, A., Sol. Eng. Mat. and Solar Cells 57, 277290 (1999).10.1016/S0927-0248(98)00179-2Google Scholar