Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching

Caroline Lima Salles; William Nemeth; Harvey Guthrey; Sumit Agarwal; Pauls Stradins

doi:10.1063/5.0089213

Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching

Caroline Lima Salles, William Nemeth, Harvey Guthrey, Sumit Agarwal, Pauls Stradins

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

1 Scopus Citations

Abstract

Polysilicon on silicon oxide (poly-Si/SiOx) passivating contacts with predominant charge-carrier transport via pinholes are currently prepared via a > 1000 °C thermal step to induce oxide break-up. Herein, we develop the precursor of a pinhole-enabled poly-Si/SiOx contact utilizing room temperature metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) to form pinholes in the SiOx. The pinholes were created via electroless Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) deposition followed by the MACE of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) on SiOx, creating isolated mesopores through the film stack. By varying the MACE etching solution (HF:H2O2) concentration, we were able to vary the pinhole areal density over four orders of magnitude (10⁴-10⁷ cm^-2). We observed the Ostwald ripening of the Ag NP to enable control over the pinhole radii. Our work demonstrates proof-of-concept for a-Si:H/SiOx with mesopores across the film stack, which may serve as precursor for the development of poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts of both polarities.

Original language	American English
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213
State	Published - 24 Aug 2022
Event	11th International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics, SiliconPV 2021 - Hamelin, Virtual, Germany Duration: 19 Apr 2021 → 23 Apr 2021

Conference

Conference	11th International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics, SiliconPV 2021
Country/Territory	Germany
City	Hamelin, Virtual
Period	19/04/21 → 23/04/21

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-5900-79903

Keywords

metal assisted chemical etching
Ostwald ripening
passivating contact
photovoltaic
pinholes
poly Si/SiOx
PV

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Lima Salles, C., Nemeth, W., Guthrey, H., Agarwal, S., & Stradins, P. (2022). Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching. Paper presented at 11th International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics, SiliconPV 2021, Hamelin, Virtual, Germany. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213

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title = "Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching",

abstract = "Polysilicon on silicon oxide (poly-Si/SiOx) passivating contacts with predominant charge-carrier transport via pinholes are currently prepared via a > 1000 °C thermal step to induce oxide break-up. Herein, we develop the precursor of a pinhole-enabled poly-Si/SiOx contact utilizing room temperature metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) to form pinholes in the SiOx. The pinholes were created via electroless Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) deposition followed by the MACE of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) on SiOx, creating isolated mesopores through the film stack. By varying the MACE etching solution (HF:H2O2) concentration, we were able to vary the pinhole areal density over four orders of magnitude (104-107 cm-2). We observed the Ostwald ripening of the Ag NP to enable control over the pinhole radii. Our work demonstrates proof-of-concept for a-Si:H/SiOx with mesopores across the film stack, which may serve as precursor for the development of poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts of both polarities.",

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Lima Salles, C, Nemeth, W , Guthrey, H, Agarwal, S & Stradins, P 2022, 'Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching', Paper presented at 11th International Conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics, SiliconPV 2021, Hamelin, Virtual, Germany, 19/04/21 - 23/04/21. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089213

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AU - Lima Salles, Caroline

AU - Nemeth, William

AU - Guthrey, Harvey

AU - Agarwal, Sumit

AU - Stradins, Pauls

PY - 2022/8/24

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N2 - Polysilicon on silicon oxide (poly-Si/SiOx) passivating contacts with predominant charge-carrier transport via pinholes are currently prepared via a > 1000 °C thermal step to induce oxide break-up. Herein, we develop the precursor of a pinhole-enabled poly-Si/SiOx contact utilizing room temperature metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) to form pinholes in the SiOx. The pinholes were created via electroless Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) deposition followed by the MACE of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) on SiOx, creating isolated mesopores through the film stack. By varying the MACE etching solution (HF:H2O2) concentration, we were able to vary the pinhole areal density over four orders of magnitude (104-107 cm-2). We observed the Ostwald ripening of the Ag NP to enable control over the pinhole radii. Our work demonstrates proof-of-concept for a-Si:H/SiOx with mesopores across the film stack, which may serve as precursor for the development of poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts of both polarities.

AB - Polysilicon on silicon oxide (poly-Si/SiOx) passivating contacts with predominant charge-carrier transport via pinholes are currently prepared via a > 1000 °C thermal step to induce oxide break-up. Herein, we develop the precursor of a pinhole-enabled poly-Si/SiOx contact utilizing room temperature metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) to form pinholes in the SiOx. The pinholes were created via electroless Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) deposition followed by the MACE of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) on SiOx, creating isolated mesopores through the film stack. By varying the MACE etching solution (HF:H2O2) concentration, we were able to vary the pinhole areal density over four orders of magnitude (104-107 cm-2). We observed the Ostwald ripening of the Ag NP to enable control over the pinhole radii. Our work demonstrates proof-of-concept for a-Si:H/SiOx with mesopores across the film stack, which may serve as precursor for the development of poly-Si/SiOx passivating contacts of both polarities.

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KW - Ostwald ripening

KW - passivating contact

KW - photovoltaic

KW - pinholes

KW - poly Si/SiOx

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ER -

Controlling Pinhole Radius and Areal Density in a-Si/SiOx Using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching

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Keywords

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