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Amorphous Silicon Alloy Solar Cells Near the Threshold of Amorphous-to-Microcrystalline Transition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Jeffrey Yang ,
Kenneth Lord ,
Subhendu Guha  and
S.R. Ovshinsky
Jeffrey Yang
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
Kenneth Lord
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
S.R. Ovshinsky
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
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Abstract

A systematic study has been made of amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloy solar cells using various hydrogen dilutions during the growth of the intrinsic (i) layer. We find that the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the cells increases as the dilution increases; it then reaches a maximum before it decreases dramatically. This sudden drop in Voc is attributed to the transition from amorphous silicon to microcrystalline inclusions in the i layer. We study i-layer thicknesses ranging from 1000 Å to 5000 Å and find that the transition occurs in all thicknesses investigated. Based on this study, a-Si alloy p i n solar cells suitable for use in the top cell of a high efficiency triple-junction structure are made. By selecting an appropriate dilution, cells with Voc greater than 1 V can be achieved readily. Solar cells made near the threshold not only exhibit higher initial characteristics but also better stability against light soaking. We have compared top cells made near the threshold with our previous best data, and found that both the initial and stable efficiencies are superior for the near-threshold cells. For an a-Si/a-Si double-junction device, a Voc value exceeding 2 V has been obtained using thin component cells. Thicker component cells give rise to an initial active-area efficiency of 11.9% for this tandem structure.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 609: Symposium A – Amorphous & Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films – 2000 , 2000 , A15.4
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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References

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