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Light Induced Changes in PIN Solar Cells: Beyond the Staebler-Wronski Effect

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2012

Ka-Hyun Kim
Affiliation:
TOTAL S.A., Gas & Power – R&D Division, Courbevoie, France Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (UMR 7647 CNRS), Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
Erik V. Johnson
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (UMR 7647 CNRS), Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
Samir Kasouit
Affiliation:
TOTAL S.A., Gas & Power – R&D Division, Courbevoie, France
Pere Roca i Cabarrocas
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces (UMR 7647 CNRS), Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
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Abstract

Hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H) is one of the most promising candidates for a stable top cell material in multi-junction thin film solar cells. Solar cells using pm-Si:H as their absorbing layer show very interesting degradation kinetics when compared to hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), summarized by macroscopic structural changes and irreversible changes in solar cell characteristics, while nevertheless preserving a higher stabilized efficiency. Notably, pm-Si:H solar cells, once degraded, respond to neither annealing nor further light-soaking. Such results suggest a device degradation mechanism including structural changes, active hydrogen motion, and interface delamination mediated by fast hydrogen diffusion and accumulation at the interface. Interestingly, a similar behavior was reported for a-Si:H solar cells under severe light soaking conditions (at 350 °C or under 50 suns) while pm-Si:H solar cells show such behavior under 1 sun at 40 °C.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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