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Micro-Raman Studies of Mixed-phase Hydrogenated Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Jessica M. Owens ,
Daxing Han ,
Baojie Yan ,
Jeffrey Yang ,
Kenneth Lord  and
Subhendu Guha
Jessica M. Owens
Affiliation:
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, U.S.A.
Daxing Han
Affiliation:
Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, U.S.A.
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084,U.S.A.
Jeffrey Yang
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084,U.S.A.
Kenneth Lord
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084,U.S.A.
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084,U.S.A.
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Abstract

The open-circuit voltage (Voc) of mixed-phase hydrogenated silicon solar cells has been found to increase after light soaking. In this study, we use micro-Raman to investigate the heterogeneous structure of solar cells in the amorphous-to-nanocrystalline transition region. For a cell with Voc = 0.981 V, Raman spectra show a typical broad Gaussian lineshape around 480 cm-1, a signature of typical amorphous material. A cell with Voc = 0.674 V displays a sharp Lorentzian peak around 516 cm-1, indicative of nanocrystallinity. A cell with Voc = 0.767 V was systematically scanned for 20 different positions in 500 μm increments. Most spectra show a typical Gaussian lineshape around 480 cm-1, several spectra reveal a hint of a nanocrystalline shoulder around 512 cm-1, and one spectrum exhibits a distinct nanocrystalline peak. We conclude that the nanocrystallite distribution in the mixed-phase material is very non-uniform even within a mm dot. This result provides direct evidence supporting a recently proposed two-diode equivalent-circuit model to explain the light-induced effect.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 762: Symposium A – Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon-Based Films – 2003 , 2003 , A4.5
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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