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Real Time Monitoring of Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Yiwei Lu ,
Sangbo Kim ,
J. S. Burnham ,
Ing-Shin Chen ,
Yeeheng Lee ,
Y. E. Strausser ,
C. R. Wronski  and
R. W. Collins
Yiwei Lu
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Sangbo Kim
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
J. S. Burnham
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Ing-Shin Chen
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Yeeheng Lee
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Y. E. Strausser
Affiliation:
Digital Instruments, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
C. R. Wronski
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
R. W. Collins
Affiliation:
Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
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Abstract

We have applied real time spectroscopie ellipsometry (RTSE) to monitor the successive growth of p-type a-Si1-xCx:H and i-type a-Si:H on specular SnO2:F (i.e., the superstrate solar cell configuration) in a single-chamber deposition system. Both the microstructural evolution, which includes the surface roughness and bulk layer thicknesses versus time and bulk layer void volume fraction, as well as the optical properties, which include the dielectric function (1.5–4.0 eV) and optical gap of the individual layers, were determined from RTSE data collected during growth. The accuracy of our approach is demonstrated by correlating structural parameters obtained both by RTSE and atomic force microscopy. Based on prior information deduced by RTSE, the TCO/p/i structure was fabricated with optimized procedures that have sought to minimize TCO/'p and p/i interfacial problems. These studies illustrate that RTSE can be a valuable tool for identifying problems in the fabrication of a-Si:H solar cells and ultimately improving cell performance.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 377: Symposium A – Amorphous Silicon Technology 1995 , 1995 , 603
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

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