Annealing optimization of silicon nitride film for solar cell application

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 515; no. 19; pp. 7611 - 7614
• Main Authors: Yoo, Jinsu, Kumar Dhungel, Suresh, Yi, Junsin
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 16.07.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Annealing; Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Silicon; Silicon nitride; Solar cell; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Solar cell; Annealing; Silicon; Silicon nitride; Temperature dependence; Minority carrier; Deposition rate; Single crystal; Optimization; Operating conditions; Thin film; Ammonia; Carrier lifetime; PECVD; Thermal annealing; Gallium selenides; Antireflection coating; Wafer
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2006.11.125

Hydrogenated films of silicon nitride (SiN x:H) is commonly used as an antireflection coating as well as passivation layer in crystalline silicon solar cell. SiN x:H films deposited at different conditions in Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) reactor were investigated by varying annealing condition in infrared (IR) heated belt furnace to find the optimized condition for the application in silicon solar cells. By varying the gases ratio ( R = NH 3/SiH 4 + NH 3) during deposition, the SiN x:H films of refractive indices 1.85–2.45 were obtained. Despite the poor deposition rate, the silicon wafer with SiN x:H film deposited at 450 °C showed the best effective minority carrier lifetime. The film deposited with the gases ratio of 0.57 shows the best peak of carrier lifetime at the annealing temperature of 800 °C. The single crystalline silicon solar cells fabricated in conventional industrial production line applying the optimized film deposition and annealing conditions on large area substrates (125 mm × 125 mm) were found to have the conversion efficiencies as high as 17.05 %. Low cost and high efficiency single crystalline silicon solar cells fabrication sequence employed in this study has also been reported in this paper.