Improved amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation by hydrogen plasma treatment
- 19 September 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 99 (12), 123506
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3641899
Abstract
Silicon heterojunction solar cells have high open-circuit voltages thanks to excellent passivation of the wafer surfaces by thin intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We show a dramatic improvement in passivation when H2plasma treatments are used during film deposition. Although the bulk of the a-Si:H layers is slightly more disordered after H2treatment, the hydrogenation of the wafer/film interface is nevertheless improved with as-deposited layers. Employing H2treatments, 4 cm2 heterojunction solar cells were produced with industry-compatible processes, yielding open-circuit voltages up to 725 mV and aperture area efficiencies up to 21%.Keywords
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