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N-Type Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon Oxide Films and Their Applications in Micromorph Silicon Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2011

Amornrat Limmanee ,
Songkiate Kittisontirak ,
Channarong Piromjit ,
Jaran Sritharathikhun  and
Kobsak Sriprapha
Amornrat Limmanee
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Songkiate Kittisontirak
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Channarong Piromjit
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Jaran Sritharathikhun
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Kobsak Sriprapha
Affiliation:
Solar Energy Technology Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
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Abstract

We have prepared n-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide films (n μc-SiO:H) and investigated their structural, electrical and optical properties. Raman spectra shows that, amorphous phase of the n μc-SiO:H films tends to increase when the CO2/SiH4 ratio increases from 0 to 0.28 resulting in a reduction of the crystalline volume fraction (Xc) from 70 to 12%. Optical bandgap (E04) becomes gradually wider while dark conductivity and refractive index (n) continuously drop with increasing CO2/SiH4 ratio. The n μc-SiO:H films have been practically applied as a n layer in top cell of a-SiO:H/μc-Si:H micromorph silicon solar cells. We found that, open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) of the cells gradually increased, while short circuit current density (Jsc) remained almost the same value with increasing CO2/SiH4 ratio for n top layer deposition up to 0.23. The highest initial cell efficiency of 10.7% is achieved at the CO2/SiH4 ratio of 0.23. The enhancement of the Voc is supposed to be due to a reduction of reverse bias at sub cell connection (n top/p bottom interface). An increase of shunt resistance (Rsh) which is caused by a better tunnel recombination junction contributes to the improvement in the FF. Quantum efficiency (QE) results indicate no difference between the cells using n top μc-SiO:H and the cells with n top μc-Si:H layers. These results reveal that, the n μc-SiO:H films in this study do not work as an intermediate reflector to enhance light scattering inside the solar cells, but mainly play a key role to allow ohmic and low resistive electrical connection between the two adjacent cells in the micromorph silicon solar cells.

Keywords

thin filmSialloy
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1321: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology , 2011 , mrss11-1321-a17-18
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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