F-In-codoped ZnO (FIZO) films produced by corona-discharge-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and hydrogenation as electron-selective contacts in FIZO/SiOx/p-Si heterojunction crystalline silicon solar cells with 10.5% efficiency

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 181; pp. 148 - 160
• Main Authors: Untila, G.G., Kost, T.N., Chebotareva, A.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2019; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Chemical composition; Contact potentials; Corona-discharge-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis; Electric contacts; Electron-selective contacts; Film thickness; Heterojunction solar cells; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen storage; Morphology; Optical properties; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaics; Pyrolysis; Silicon; Solar cells; Solar energy; Spray pyrolysis; Thin films; Zinc oxide; Heterojunction solar cells; Zinc oxide; Corona-discharge-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis; Electron-selective contacts
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2019.01.080

Schematic of the home-made Corona-Discharge-Assisted Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (CDA-USP) setup: (1) ultrasonic nebulizer, (2) film-forming solution, FFS, (3) FFS aerosol, (4) atomization chamber, (5) carrier-gas inlet, (6) aerosol guide tube, (7) thermocouple, (8) massive hot plate, (9) stage (Si wafer), (10) quartz cylinder, (11) substrate, (12) spray, (13) pointed electrode, (14) high-voltage source. [Display omitted] •Corona-discharge-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (CDA-USP) method is proposed.•F-In-codoped ZnO (FIZO)/(pp+)Cz-Si heterostructures were prepared by CDA-USP.•Effect of FIZO film thickness and annealing in hydrogen was examined.•SEM-images, composition, and electrical and optical properties were studied.•FIZO/(pp+)Cz-Si heterojunction solar cell with 10.5% efficiency was obtained. In this paper, we report the first results obtained by corona-discharge-assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (CDA-USP), a method proposed by us for growing thin transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films. We have grown F-In-codoped ZnO (FIZO) thin films by this method and investigated their properties from the viewpoint of their potential application as electron-selective contacts to p-type silicon. In particular, we have examined the effect of film thickness and post-deposition annealing in hydrogen on the structure, morphology, elemental composition, and electrical and optical properties of the FIZO films and on the photovoltaic properties of FIZO/SiOx/p-Si heterojunctions and related solar cells. We have obtained solar cells with 10.5% conversion efficiency (total area) under 1-sun illumination, which is the highest value reported for TCO/Si heterojunction solar cells with ZnO-based TCOs.