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Built-In Potentials Via Electroabsorption Measurements in a-Si:H p-i-n Solar Cells: a Critical Assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2011

Qi Wang ,
E. A. Schiff  and
Steven S. Hegedus
Qi Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244–1130
E. A. Schiff
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244–1130
Steven S. Hegedus
Affiliation:
Institute of Energy Conversion, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716–3820
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Abstract

We have measured electroabsorption (EA) in a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells in order to estimate their built-in potentials Vbi. This Method was pioneered by the Osaka University group; in simple cases Vbi is identified with a parameter V0 obtained by a simple linear fit to the dependence of EA on external bias voltage. Using signal averaging techniques we are able to Measure V0 with a reproducibility of better than 2%. In one sample from the Institute of Energy Conversion with an a-SiC:H p+ layer we estimate Vbj = 0.97 ± 0.06 V, which is in good agreement with previous JVT Measurement. The reason that the error estimate is larger than the reproducibility error is the presence of several small effects not accounted for by the original EA theory: in particular V0 depends slightly on the laser wavelength. We attribute these effects to the small portion of Vbi dropped in the a-SiC:Hp+ layer, which has a different electroabsorption than a-Si:H. We discuss models for the wavelength dependence.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 336: Symposium A – Amorphous Silicon Technology - 1994 , 1994 , 365
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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References

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