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Deposition of highly efficient microcrystalline silicon solar cells under conditions of low H 2 dilution: the role of the transient depletion induced incubation layer
Author(s) -
van den Donker M. N.,
Rech B.,
Finger F.,
Houben L.,
Kessels W. M. M.,
van de Sanden M. C. M.
Publication year - 2007
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.743
Subject(s) - deposition (geology) , solar cell , dilution , layer (electronics) , microcrystalline , materials science , silicon , amorphous silicon , amorphous solid , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , crystalline silicon , optoelectronics , crystallography , environmental chemistry , paleontology , physics , sediment , engineering , biology , thermodynamics
This paper addresses the plasma deposition of highly efficient microcrystalline silicon (μc‐Si:H) p‐i‐n solar cells under conditions of high SiH 4 utilization and low H 2 dilution. It was established that the transient depletion of the initially present SiH 4 source gas induces the formation of an amorphous incubation layer that prevents successful crystallite nucleation in the i‐layer and leads to poor solar cell performance. The effect of this transient depletion induced incubation layer on solar cells was made visible through dedicated solar cell deposition series and selected area electron diffraction measurements. Applying a gas flow procedure at plasma ignition it was succeeded to prepare state‐of‐the‐art μc‐Si:H material and solar cells under low hydrogen dilution conditions, highlighted by μc‐Si:H solar cells of up to 9·5% efficiency prepared using an undiluted source gas flow consisting solely of SiH 4 . Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.