Effect of the SiO2 Interlayer Properties with Solid-Source Hydrogenation on Passivated Contact Performance and Surface Passivation

William Nemeth, Steven Harvey, David Young, Vincenzo LaSalvia, Matthew Page, Pauls Stradins, Jian Li, Ajay Upadhyaya

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus Citations

Abstract

We investigate how SiOx oxide interlayers prepared by different techniques (chemical, thermal) in combination with hydrogen released from an ALD Al2O3 source layer govern passivation in 1) passivated contacts based on doped poly-Si layers and tunneling SiO2, and 2) wafer surface passivation by Al2O3. Profiles of O and H in these structures with engineered, buried SiOx interlayers were measured by Time-of-Flight SIMS (TOF-SIMS) at nanometer resolution. Passivated contacts perform best with thermally oxidized SiOx, while chemical SiOx causes poly-Si film blistering and performance degradation. ALD Al2O3 acts as passivating H source, significantly improving B-doped and intrinsic poly-Si contacts for IBC cells. Fast-diffusing hydrogen from the Al2O3 source layer appears to penetrate Si wafer thickness, improving the passivation of structures at the opposite side. In contrast to the passivated contacts, chemical SiOx interlayer promotes wafer surface passivation by ALD Al2O3, while similarly thin thermal SiO2 suppresses passivation and built-in charge.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)295-301
Number of pages7
JournalEnergy Procedia
Volume124
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Event7th International Conference on Silicon Photovoltaics, SiliconPV 2017 - Freiburg, Germany
Duration: 3 Apr 20175 Apr 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/JA-5J00-68706

Keywords

  • AlO
  • passivated contact
  • passivation
  • polysilicon
  • silicon

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