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Microcrystalline Silicon-Germanium Alloys for Absorption Layers in Thin Film Solar Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

R. Carius
Affiliation:
ISI-PV, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany, r.carius@fz-juelich.de
J. Fölsch
Affiliation:
ISI-PV, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
D. Lundszien
Affiliation:
ISI-PV, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
L. Houben
Affiliation:
ISI-PV, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
F. Finger
Affiliation:
ISI-PV, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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Abstract

Thin microcrystalline silicon-germanium films (μ-Sil.xGex:H) prepared by PECVD at 95 MHz have been investigated. The optical absorption of these films increases in the infrared spectral region with increasing germanium content. In addition to the shift of the indirect gap an increase of the absorption coefficient above the band edge is observed. The material shows high crystallinity and exhibits good structural quality similar to pure μ-Si:H films. The films are homogeneous on a macroscopic to a microscopic scale as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy methods. p-i-n solar cells with pc-Sil-xGex:H i-layers have been prepared for the first time. An efficiency of η = 3.1 % under AM1.5 has been obtained for a cell with 150 nm thin i-layer.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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References

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