Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T06:00:51.331Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Defect and Band Gap Engineering of Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1993

R.E.I. Schropp
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Interface Physics, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80,000, 3508 TA Utrecht,The Netherlands
J.Daey Ouwens
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Interface Physics, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80,000, 3508 TA Utrecht,The Netherlands
M.B. Von Der Linden
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Interface Physics, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80,000, 3508 TA Utrecht,The Netherlands
C.H.M. Von Der Werf
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Interface Physics, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80,000, 3508 TA Utrecht,The Netherlands
W.F. Van Der Weg
Affiliation:
Department of Atomic and Interface Physics, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80,000, 3508 TA Utrecht,The Netherlands
P.F.A. Alkemade
Affiliation:
DIMES,Section Submicron Technology, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5046, 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that the incorporation of an unoptimized, wide band gap a-SiC:H layer near the p-type emitter layer in addition to a graded bandgap ”buffer” layer, leads to improved fill factors and open circuit voltages, in spite of the increased number of recombination sites at the p/i heterojunction. The as deposited as a function of a-SiC:H thickness shows an optimum of 10.5 % at a thickness of 10 – 20 Å. We have further improved this type of cell by incorporating a reverse carbon graded p-type layer and have thus achieved efficiencies in excess of 11.0 %. The cells are all amorphous and do not comprise antireflective coatings or enhanced back reflectors. A new defect engineering scheme to accomplish enhanced stabilized efficiencies of amorphous silicon solar cells is also proposed here.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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

REFERENCES

1. Tawada, Y., Okamoto, H., and Hamakawa, Y., Appl. Phys. Lett. 39, 237 (1981).Google Scholar
2. Arya, R.R., Catalano, A., and Oswald, R.S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 49, 1089 (1986).Google Scholar
3. Miyachi, K., Ishiguro, N., Miyashita, T., Yanagawa, N., Tanaka, H., Koyama, M., Ahsida, Y., and Fukuda, N., Proc. of the 11th E.C. Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 12–16 October 1992, Montreux, Switzerland, pp. 8891.Google Scholar
4. Ichikawa, Y., Ihara, T., Saito, S., Ota, H., Fujikake, S., and Sakai, H., Proc. of the 11th E.C. Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 12-16 October 1992, Montreux, Switzerland, pp. 203206.Google Scholar
5. von der Linden, M.B., Schropp, R.E.I., Stammeijer, J. and van der Weg, W.F., in Amorphous Silicon Technology - 1992, edited by Thompson, M.J., Hamakawa, Y., LeComber, P.G., Madan, A., and Schiff, E. (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 258, Pittsburgh, PA, 1992) pp. 235240.Google Scholar
6. Yamanaka, S., Kawamura, S., Konagai, M. and Takahashi, K., Technical Digest of the International PVSEC-3, Tokyo, Japan, 1987, pp. 709712.Google Scholar
7. von Roedern, B., Proc. of the 11th E.C. Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 12-16 October 1992, Montreux, Switzerland, pp. 295298.Google Scholar
8. Madan, A., Rava, P., Schropp, R.E.I. and von Roedern, B., accepted for publication in Appl. Surf. Sci.Google Scholar
9. von Roedern, B., Appl. Phys. Commun. 12, 45 (1993).Google Scholar