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Protocrystalline Growth of Silicon below 80°C

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Christian Koch ,
Manabu Ito ,
Vlado Svrcek ,
Markus B. Schubert  and
Jürgen H. Werner
Christian Koch
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Univ. Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-70569 Stuttgart, GermanyEmail:chkoch@ipe.uni-stuttgart.de
Manabu Ito
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Univ. Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany on leave of TOPPAN Printing Co., Ltd., Japan
Vlado Svrcek
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnicka 10, 162 000 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Markus B. Schubert
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Univ. Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Jürgen H. Werner
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Univ. Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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Abstract

Protocrystalline silicon deposited at temperatures below 80°C exhibits an extraordinary photosensitivity and superior stability against light-soaking. This material growths at the borderline of the amorphous and nanocrystalline phases in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. After thermal annealing and subsequent light-soaking, the photosensitivity is comparable to the values after deposition, while amorphous silicon strongly drops off. A structural and optical characterization reveals a small fraction of silicon crystallites embedded in an amorphous well-ordered matrix. We investigate the morphology of silicon films deposited at the edge of crystallinity by the absolute Constant Photocurrent Method and observe a phase transition from amorphous to nanocrystalline silicon. This thickness dependant morphology is of crucial importance for solar cell design. We attain protocrystalline absorber which reflect in a strongly improved fill factor compared to amorphous silicon based solar cells.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 609: Symposium A – Amorphous & Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films – 2000 , 2000 , A15.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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References

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