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Light‐enhanced surface passivation of TiO 2 ‐coated silicon
Author(s) -
Thomson Andrew F.,
McIntosh Keith R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.1132
Subject(s) - passivation , materials science , silicon , boron , titanium , silicon dioxide , carrier lifetime , titanium dioxide , optoelectronics , saturation current , solar cell , open circuit voltage , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , chemistry , composite material , voltage , metallurgy , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Titanium dioxide is shown to afford good passivation to non‐diffused silicon surfaces and boron‐diffused surfaces after a low‐temperature anneal. The passivation most likely owes to the significant levels of negative charge instilled in the films, and passivation is enhanced by illumination—advantageous for solar cells—indicating that a titanium dioxide photoreaction is at least partly responsible for the low surface recombination. We demonstrate a surface recombination velocity of less than 30 cm/s, on a 5‐Ω cm n‐type silicon, and an emitter saturation current density of 90 fA/cm 2 on a 200‐Ω/sq boron diffusion. If these titanium dioxide passivated boron‐diffused surfaces were employed in a crystalline silicon solar cell, an open‐circuit voltage as high as 685 mV could be achieved. Given that TiO 2 has a high refractive index and was deposited with atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition, an inexpensive technique, it has the potential as a passivating antireflection coating for industrial boron‐diffused silicon solar cells. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.