Development of microcrystalline silicon carbide window layers by hot-wire CVD and their applications in microcrystalline silicon thin film solar cells

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 519; no. 14; pp. 4523 - 4526
• Main Authors: Chen, Tao, Huang, Yuelong, Yang, Deren, Carius, Reinhard, Finger, Friedhelm
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 02.05.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Hot-Wire CVD; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Microcrystalline material; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Silicon carbide; Solar cells; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film; Thin film structure and morphology; Solar cells; Microcrystalline material; Silicon carbide; Hot-Wire CVD; Thin film; Hot filament chemical vapor deposition; Thick films; Organic silane; Gallium phosphide; Layer thickness; Gas mixtures; Thin films; Silver; Thin film devices; Zinc oxide; Current density
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.299

Microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H) thin films in stoichiometric form were deposited from the gas mixture of monomethylsilane (MMS) and hydrogen by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition (HWCVD). These films are highly conductive n-type. The optical gap E 04 is about 3.0–3.2 eV. Such μc-SiC:H window layers were successfully applied in n-side illuminated n-i-p microcrystalline silicon thin film solar cells. By increasing the absorber layer thickness from 1 to 2.5 μm, the short circuit current density ( j SC) increases from 23 to 26 mA/cm 2 with Ag back contacts. By applying highly reflective ZnO/Ag back contacts, j SC = 29.6 mA/cm 2 and η = 9.6% were achieved in a cell with a 2-μm-thick absorber layer.