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Microcrystalline silicon solar cells prepared by 13.56 MHz PECVD at high growth rates: Solar cell and material properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Tobias Roschek
Affiliation:
Institut für Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Bernd Rech
Affiliation:
Institut für Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Wolfhard Beyer
Affiliation:
Institut für Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Peter Werner
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, D-06120 Halle, Germany
Felix Edelman
Affiliation:
2Solid State Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa32000, Israel
Albert Chack
Affiliation:
2Solid State Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa32000, Israel
Raoul Weil
Affiliation:
2Solid State Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa32000, Israel
Robert Beserman
Affiliation:
2Solid State Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa32000, Israel
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Abstract

Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells were prepared in a wide range of deposition parameters using 13.56 MHz plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The best μc-Si:H solar cells were prepared close to the transition to amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) growth at very high deposition pressures (∼10 Torr) showing solar cell efficiencies up to 8.0 % at a deposition rate of 5ÊÅ/s. Investigations of the solar cells were performed by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM measurements revealed similar structural properties with similar high crystalline volume fractions for these cells although they showed distinctly different efficiencies. However, an increased amorphous volume fraction was detected by Raman spectroscopy for the low efficiency cells prepared at low deposition pressures. This result is attributed to an increased ion bombardment at low pressures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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