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Crystallization Kinetics in High-rate Electron Beam Evaporated Poly-Si Thin Film Solar Cells on ZnO:Al

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Tobias Sontheimer
Affiliation:
tobias.sontheimer@helmholtz-berlin.de, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Silicon Photovoltaics, Berlin, Germany
Christiane Becker
Affiliation:
christiane.becker@helmholtz-berlin.de, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Silicon Photovoltaics, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Carola Klimm
Affiliation:
klimm@helmholtz-berlin.de, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Silicon Photovoltaics, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Stefan Gall
Affiliation:
gall@helmholtz-berlin.de, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Silicon Photovoltaics, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Bernd Rech
Affiliation:
bernd.rech@helmholtz-berlin.de, Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Silicon Photovoltaics, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Abstract

The microstructure and crystallization kinetics of electron beam evaporated Si on ZnO:Al coated glass for polycrystalline solar cells was studied by electron backscatter diffraction and optical microscopy at various deposition temperatures. A time dependent analysis of the dynamics of the crystallization allowed for the individual determination of growth and nucleation processes. The nucleation process of Si on ZnO:Al was found to be influenced by a variation of the deposition temperature of the amorphous Si in a critical temperature regime of 200 ˚C to 300 ˚C. The nucleation rate decreased significantly with decreasing deposition temperature, while the activation energy for nucleation increased from 2.9 eV at a deposition temperature of 300 ˚C to 5.1 eV at 200 ˚C, resulting in poly-Si which comprised grains with features sizes of several μm.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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