Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T09:44:53.839Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Correlation of Hydrogen Dilution Profiling to Material Structure and Device Performance of Hydrogenated Nanocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Baojie Yan ,
Guozhen Yue ,
Yanfa Yan ,
Chun-Sheng Jiang ,
Charles W. Teplin ,
Jeffrey Yang  and
Subhendu Guha
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
[email protected], Untied Solar Ovonic LLC, Research and Development, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States, 248-519-5304, 248-362-4442
Guozhen Yue
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States
Yanfa Yan
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, CO, 80401, United States
Chun-Sheng Jiang
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, CO, 80401, United States
Charles W. Teplin
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, CO, 80401, United States
Jeffrey Yang
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI, 48084, United States
Get access

Abstract

We present a systematic study on the correlation of hydrogen dilution profiles to structural properties materials and solar cell performance in nc-Si:H solar cells. We deposited nc-Si:H single-junction solar cells using a modified very high frequency (VHF) glow discharge technique on stainless steel substrates with various profiles of hydrogen dilution in the gas mixture during deposition. The material properties were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, X-TEM, AFM, and C-AFM. The solar cell performance correlates well with the material structures. Three major conclusions are made based on the characterization results. First, the optimized nc-Si:H material does not show an incubation layer, indicating that the seeding layer is well optimized and works as per design. Second, the nanocrystalline evolution is well controlled by hydrogen dilution profiling in which the hydrogen dilution ratio is dynamically reduced during the intrinsic layer deposition. Third, the best nc-Si:H single-junction solar cell was made using a proper hydrogen dilution profile, which caused a nanocrystalline distribution close to uniform throughout the thickness, but with a slightly inverse nanocrystalline evolution. We have used the optimized hydrogen dilution profiling and improved the nc-Si:H solar cell performance significantly. As a result, we have achieved an initial active-area cell efficiency of 9.2% with a nc-Si:H single-junction structure, and 15.4% with an a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H/nc-Si:H triple-junction solar cell structure.

Keywords

nanostructurephotovoltaicplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1066: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology—2008 , 2008 , 1066-A03-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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] Vallat-Sauvain, E., Kroll, U. Meier, J. Shah, A. and Pohl, J. J. Appl. Phys. 87, 3137 (2000).Google Scholar
[2] Nasuno, Y. Kondo, M. and Matsuda, A. Proc. of 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (IEEE, Anchorage, Alaska, 2000), p.142.Google Scholar
[3] Finger, F. Klein, S. Dylla, T. Baia Neto, A. L., Vetterl, O. and Carius, R. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 715, 123 (2002).Google Scholar
[4] Teplin, C. W. Jiang, C.S. Stradins, P. and Branz, H. M. Appl. Phy. Lett. 92, 093114 (2008).Google Scholar
[5] Roschek, T. Repmann, T. Müller, J., Rech, B. Wagner, H. Proc. of 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conf., Anchorage, AK, September 15-22, 2000, (IEEE New York, 2000), p. 150.Google Scholar
[6] Yan, B. Lord, K. Yang, J. Guha, S. Smeets, J. and Jacquet, J.M. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 715, 629 (2002).Google Scholar
[7] Yan, B. Yue, G. Yang, J. Guha, S. Williamson, D. L. Han, D. and Jiang, C.S. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 1955 (2004).Google Scholar
[8] Yue, G. Yan, B. Teplin, C. W. Yang, J. and Guha, S. J. Non.Crystal. Solids, (2008), in press.Google Scholar
[9] Yan, B. Jiang, C.S. Teplin, C.W. Moutinho, H.R. Al-Jassim, M.M., Yang, J. and Guha, S. J. Appl. Phys. 101, 033711 (2007).Google Scholar
[10] Koèka, J., Fejfar, A. Stuchlìkovà, H., Stuchlìk, J., Fojtìk, P., Mates, T. Rezek, B. Luterovà, K., vrèek, V., and Pelant, I. Sol. Energy Mater. & Sol. Cells 78, 493 (2003).Google Scholar