Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-5nwft Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-22T10:18:53.860Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Simulation of Steady State and Transient Phenomena in a-Si:H Pin Structures and Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Rudi Brüggemann
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-7000 Stuttgart 80, Federal Republic of Germany
Charles Main
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Dundee Institute of Technology, Bell Street, Dundee DD1 1HG, Scotland, UK
Gottfried H. Bauer
Affiliation:
Institut für Physikalische Elektronik, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, D-7000 Stuttgart 80, Federal Republic of Germany
Get access

Abstract

In this paper we report on a range of simulation studies. The transient photocur-rent decay after switching off of steady illumination is investigated and we show that the protracted decay in undegraded pin-solar cells is a hole current. In degraded pin samples a change of sign in the photocurrent during the decay is observed by simulation (as is experimentally) which is attributed to an electron diffusion current in reverse direction. We study the distribution of defects according to the defect pool model in a pin structure. The varying dangling bond density with position of the Fermi level leads to large inhomogeneities in defect density across the i-layer in thermal equilibrium leading to increased band bending and giving increased recombination close to the interfaces under illumination. As a demonstration of another application of the simulation method we show how the quasi-steady state is established in the steady state photocarrier grating experiment in lock-in technique.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Kida, H., Hattori, K., Okamoto, H., Hamakawa, Y., J. Appl. Phys. 59, 4079 (1986).Google Scholar
[2] Wieczorek, H., PhD Thesis, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 1987.Google Scholar
[3] Wieczorek, H., Fuhs, W., Phys. Stat. Sol. 114, 413 (1989).Google Scholar
[4] Hack, M., Shaw, J.G. in Amorphous Silicon Technology edited by Madan, A., Hamakawa, Y., Thompson, M.J., Taylor, P.C., LeComber, P.G. (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 219, Pittsburgh, PA 1991) p. 315;Google Scholar
Shaw, J.G., Hack, M.G., LeComber, P.G., Willums, M., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 137 & 138, 1233 (1991).Google Scholar
[5] Schumm, G., Bauer, G.H., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 137 & 138, 315 (1991).Google Scholar
[6] Hughes, R.C., Sokel, R.J., J. Appl. Phys. 52, 6743 (1981);Google Scholar
Sokel, R., Hughes, R.C., J. Appl. Phys. 53, 7414 (1982).Google Scholar
[7] Main, C., Berkin, J., Merazga, A., Marshall, J.M., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 97 & 98, 779 (1987); C.Google Scholar
Russell, Main R., Berkin, J., Marshall, J.M., Phil. Mag. Lett. 55, 189 (1987).Google Scholar
[8] Shapiro, F.R., Bar-Yam, Y., J. Appl. Phys. 64, 2185 (1988).Google Scholar
[9] Main, C., Berkin, J., Merazga, A. in New Physical Problems in Electronic Materials, edited by Borissov, M., Kirov, N., Marshall, J.M., Vavrek, A. (World Scientific, Singapore, 1990), p. 55 Google Scholar
[10] Brüggemann, R., Schumm, G., Main, C., Berkin, J., Bauer, G.H., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 137 & 138, 359 (1991).Google Scholar
[11] Kemp, M., IEEE Trans. ED 35, 1510 (1988).Google Scholar
[12] Schumm, G., Abel, C.-D., Bauer, G.H., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 137 & 138, 351 (1991).Google Scholar
[13] Pierz, K., PhD Thesis, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 1990.Google Scholar
[14] Rothwarf, A., Conf. Record 20th IEEE PVSC, Las Vegas, 1988, p. 166.Google Scholar
[15] Smith, Z.E., Wagner, S. in Amorphous Silicon and Related Materials, edited by Fritzsche, H. (World Scientific, Singapore, 1989), p. 409.Google Scholar
[16] Branz, H. M., Crandall, R. S., Solar Cells 9, 159 (1989)Google Scholar
[17] Schumm, G., Bauer, G.H. in Amorphous Silicon Technology-1990, edited by Taylor, P.C., Thompson, M.J., LeComber, P.G., Hamakawa, Y., Madan, A. (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 192, Pittsburgh, PA 1990) p. 189.Google Scholar
[18] Block, M., Bonnet, D., Zetzsche, F., Conf. Record 22nd IEEE PVSC, Las Vegas, 1991.Google Scholar
[19] Arch, J.K., Fonash, S.J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 757 (1992).Google Scholar
[20] Abel, C.-D., Bauer, G.H., these proceedings.Google Scholar