Premium
Base doping and recombination activity of impurities in crystalline silicon solar cells
Author(s) -
Geerligs L. J.,
Macdonald D.
Publication year - 2004
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.546
Subject(s) - impurity , silicon , doping , metastability , boron , recombination , materials science , electrical resistivity and conductivity , base (topology) , carrier lifetime , crystalline silicon , chemical physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , mathematical analysis , biochemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , gene , engineering
The optimisation of base doping for industrial crystalline silicon solar cells is examined with model calculations. Focus is on the relation between base doping and carrier recombination through the important impurities interstitial iron (Fe i ) and the metastable boron–oxygen (BO) complex. In p ‐type silicon, the optimum base resistivity is strongly dependent on defect concentration. In n ‐type silicon, recombination due to Fe i is much lower and nearly independent of resistivity. Fe i is likely representative for other transition metal impurities. In many real cells a balance between Fe i or similar defects, and BO will occur. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.