A Study of Interface Problems in Polycrystalline GaAs Schottky Barrier and MIS Solar Cells

L. L. Kazmerski, P. J. Ireland

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3 Scopus Citations

Abstract

AES, SIMS and XPS are used to investigate the interfaces in polycrystalline GaAs Schottky barrier and MIS solar cells. A significant interfacial chemical reaction is found to occur between Au and the GaAs in room temperature fabricated devices, with at least one phase, Ga2Au, identified using chemical peak shifts in XPS. Enhanced interdiffusion is reported at elevated temperatures for these structures. The primary mechanism is identified to be grain boundary diffusion, and the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient is estimated from the AES depth‐compositional data. The interface in the Ag/GaAs Schottky barrier is studied for comparison and is found to be stable to 573 K. The measured Schottky barrier heights and photovoltaic performances of these solar cells are correlated with the condition of the metal‐semiconductor interface. The advantage of including a thin oxide layer between the Au and GaAs (MIS structure) in preserving the integrity of the interfaces is demonstrated.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)144-148
Number of pages5
JournalSurface and Interface Analysis
Volume1
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1979

NREL Publication Number

  • ACNR/JA-213-3817

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