Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
The boron doped p-layer is a critical part of a-Si:H solar cells. Trimethylboron (B(CH3)3) has been suggested to be a better doping gas and has a better thermal stability than B2H6. Single junction a-Si:H solar cells and a-Si:H/a-Si:H tandem cells with the p-layers deposited using B(CH3)3 have resulted in conversion efficiencies of 11.4% and 10.4%, respectively. Using these new p+-layers, we also reached 10% efficiencies in single junction a-Si:H solar cells with the i-layer deposited at a high deposition rate of ∼ 2 nm/s from either SiH4 or Si2H6 as a source gas.