Optimization of double nanocrystalline silicon p-layers for amorphous silicon solar cells

• Published in: Cai liao gong cheng = Journal of materials engineering no. 8; pp. 5 - 13
• Main Authors: Liu, Shi-Yong, Zeng, Xiang-Bo, Peng, Wen-Bo, Yao, Wen-Jie, Xie, Xiao-Bing, Yang, Ping, Wang, Chao, Wang, Zhan-Guo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: 01.08.2011
• Subjects: Amorphous silicon; Density; Energy gaps (solid state); Nanocrystals; Photovoltaic cells; Silicon; Solar cells; Thin films
• ISSN: 1001-4381

The plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system was used for fabricating the silicon films with different hydrogen dilution ratio (R(H)) under the high power density, high pressure and low substrate temperature. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the thin films were nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) films which contained nanocrystallites with grain size around 3-5 nm. The effects of the R(H) on the optical band gaps of the nc-Si thin films were studied. The results showed that the optical band gaps of the nc-Si thin films increased with the increased in the R(H). An double nc-Si p-layers structure was developed to improve the i/p interface in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. The efficiency of the double nc-Si p-layers cell was improved by 17% compared its counterpart of the single nc-Si p-layer cell.