Advances in the Characterization of Compositionally-Graded Layers in Amorphous Semiconductor Solar Cells by Real Time Spectroellipsometry

Advances in the Characterization of Compositionally-Graded Layers in Amorphous Semiconductor Solar Cells by Real Time Spectroellipsometry

NREL

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

Abstract

We have developed a real time spectroellipsometry data analysis procedure that allows us to characterize compositionally-graded amorphous semiconductor alloy thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As an example, we have applied the analysis to obtain the depth-profile of the optical gap and alloy composition with the .ltoreq.15 .ANG. resolution for ahydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (a-Si1-x Cx:H) film prepared by continuously varying the gas flow ratio z=[CH4]/{[CH4]+[SiH4]} in the PECVD process. The graded layer has been incorporated at the p/i interface of widegap a-Si1-xCx:H (x~0.05) p-i-n solar cells, and consistent improvements in open-circuit voltage have been demonstrated. The importance of the graded-layercharacterization is the ability to relate improvements in device performance directly to the physical properties in the interface layer, rather to the deposition parameters with which they were prepared.

Original language	American English
Pages	443-448
Number of pages	6
State	Published - 1996
Event	Amorphous Silicon Technology 1996: Materials Research Society Symposium - San Francisco, California Duration: 8 Apr 1996 → 12 Apr 1996

Conference

Conference	Amorphous Silicon Technology 1996: Materials Research Society Symposium
City	San Francisco, California
Period	8/04/96 → 12/04/96

Bibliographical note

Work performed by Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

NLR Publication Number

NREL/CP-23023

Cite this

@conference{f2220efd0d654b709dffb55a24358743,

title = "Advances in the Characterization of Compositionally-Graded Layers in Amorphous Semiconductor Solar Cells by Real Time Spectroellipsometry",

abstract = "We have developed a real time spectroellipsometry data analysis procedure that allows us to characterize compositionally-graded amorphous semiconductor alloy thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As an example, we have applied the analysis to obtain the depth-profile of the optical gap and alloy composition with the .ltoreq.15 .ANG. resolution for ahydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (a-Si1-x Cx:H) film prepared by continuously varying the gas flow ratio z=[CH4]/\{[CH4]+[SiH4]\} in the PECVD process. The graded layer has been incorporated at the p/i interface of widegap a-Si1-xCx:H (x\textasciitilde{}0.05) p-i-n solar cells, and consistent improvements in open-circuit voltage have been demonstrated. The importance of the graded-layercharacterization is the ability to relate improvements in device performance directly to the physical properties in the interface layer, rather to the deposition parameters with which they were prepared.",

author = "NREL",

note = "Work performed by Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; Amorphous Silicon Technology 1996: Materials Research Society Symposium ; Conference date: 08-04-1996 Through 12-04-1996",

year = "1996",

language = "American English",

pages = "443--448",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Advances in the Characterization of Compositionally-Graded Layers in Amorphous Semiconductor Solar Cells by Real Time Spectroellipsometry

AU - NREL, null

N1 - Work performed by Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

PY - 1996

Y1 - 1996

N2 - We have developed a real time spectroellipsometry data analysis procedure that allows us to characterize compositionally-graded amorphous semiconductor alloy thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As an example, we have applied the analysis to obtain the depth-profile of the optical gap and alloy composition with the .ltoreq.15 .ANG. resolution for ahydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (a-Si1-x Cx:H) film prepared by continuously varying the gas flow ratio z=[CH4]/{[CH4]+[SiH4]} in the PECVD process. The graded layer has been incorporated at the p/i interface of widegap a-Si1-xCx:H (x~0.05) p-i-n solar cells, and consistent improvements in open-circuit voltage have been demonstrated. The importance of the graded-layercharacterization is the ability to relate improvements in device performance directly to the physical properties in the interface layer, rather to the deposition parameters with which they were prepared.

AB - We have developed a real time spectroellipsometry data analysis procedure that allows us to characterize compositionally-graded amorphous semiconductor alloy thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As an example, we have applied the analysis to obtain the depth-profile of the optical gap and alloy composition with the .ltoreq.15 .ANG. resolution for ahydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (a-Si1-x Cx:H) film prepared by continuously varying the gas flow ratio z=[CH4]/{[CH4]+[SiH4]} in the PECVD process. The graded layer has been incorporated at the p/i interface of widegap a-Si1-xCx:H (x~0.05) p-i-n solar cells, and consistent improvements in open-circuit voltage have been demonstrated. The importance of the graded-layercharacterization is the ability to relate improvements in device performance directly to the physical properties in the interface layer, rather to the deposition parameters with which they were prepared.

M3 - Paper

SP - 443

EP - 448

T2 - Amorphous Silicon Technology 1996: Materials Research Society Symposium

Y2 - 8 April 1996 through 12 April 1996

ER -

Advances in the Characterization of Compositionally-Graded Layers in Amorphous Semiconductor Solar Cells by Real Time Spectroellipsometry

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

NLR Publication Number

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