Characterization of thin epitaxial emitters for high-efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells
- 3 September 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 101 (10), 103906
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4751339
Abstract
We report silicon heterojunction solar cells with conversion efficiencies exceeding 21% using appropriately designed emitter structures comprised of highly doped thin epitaxial layers grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at temperatures close to 200 °C. We show that at a given doping concentration, there is an optimum epitaxial layer thickness, above which the conversion efficiency is limited by Auger recombination and bandgap narrowing within the epitaxial layer. In contrast, below the optimum thickness, the conversion efficiency is limited by carrier recombination at the emitter surface of the crystalline silicon substrate.This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Low-Temperature Epitaxy of Compressively Strained Silicon Directly on Silicon SubstratesJournal of Electronic Materials, 2011
- Improved amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation by hydrogen plasma treatmentApplied Physics Letters, 2011
- Efficient heterojunction solar cells on p-type crystal silicon wafersApplied Physics Letters, 2010
- The role of amorphous silicon and tunneling in heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cellsJournal of Applied Physics, 2009
- Toward a better physical understanding of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cellsJournal of Applied Physics, 2009
- Highly stable amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors on clear plasticApplied Physics Letters, 2008
- Extended phase diagrams for guiding plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon thin films for photovoltaics applicationsApplied Physics Letters, 2002
- The effect of emitter recombination on the effective lifetime of silicon wafersSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 1999
- Substrate selectivity in the formation of microcrystalline silicon: Mechanisms and technological consequencesApplied Physics Letters, 1995
- Modelling of minority-carrier transport in heavily doped silicon emittersSolid-State Electronics, 1987