Material Improvements and Device Processing on APIVT-Grown Poly-Si Thin Layers

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

    Abstract

    Means to develop efficient solar cells using as-deposited large-grain (~20 mm) atmospheric pressure iodine vapor transport (APIVT) thin-silicon materials are explored with grain boundary passivation and low-temperature device processing. Hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) a-SiNx:H films are used as anti-reflection coating and passivation layers. After thermal annealing at varioustemperatures, Voc of the solar cell devices was improved by about 10%, and Jsc was increased by as much as 46%. A HWCVD-deposited a(mc)-Si emitter reduces the open-circuit voltage loss caused by grain boundaries in the polycrystalline APIVT-Si layers. Epitaxial growth on metallurgical grade (MG) silicon seeded substrates results in very large grain sizes so that a much less stringent passivationprocess would be needed. With optimized growth conditions, we are able to eliminate gas-phase nucleation that leads to spurious growth in the bulk and on the surface of silicon films. A smoother surface and nearly isotropic growth characteristics are also obtained, compared to films grown earlier.
    Original languageAmerican English
    Number of pages6
    StatePublished - 2003
    EventNational Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) and Solar Program Review Meeting - Denver, Colorado
    Duration: 24 Mar 200326 Mar 2003

    Conference

    ConferenceNational Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) and Solar Program Review Meeting
    CityDenver, Colorado
    Period24/03/0326/03/03

    NREL Publication Number

    • NREL/CP-520-33574

    Keywords

    • direct deposition
    • polycrystalline silicon
    • solar cells
    • thin films

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