Boron-doped nanocrystalline silicon thin films for solar cells

• Main Author: Fathi, E.
• Publication Date: 2011
• Other Authors: Vygranenko, Yuri, Vieira, Manuela, Sazonov, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/2112
• topic: Thin solid films; Nanocrystalline silicon; PECVD; Solar cells; Microcrystalline silicon; Amorphous-silicon; Raman-spectroscopy; SI nanocrystals; P-layer; Thickness; Hydrogen; Silane; Window; Seed

This article reports on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of boron-doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si: H) thin films. The films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) at a substrate temperature of 150 degrees C. Crystalline volume fraction and dark conductivity of the films were determined as a function of trimethylboron-to-silane flow ratio. Optical constants of doped and undoped nc-Si: H were obtained from transmission and reflection spectra. By employing p(+) nc-Si: H as a window layer combined with a p' a-SiC buffer layer, a-Si: H-based p-p'-i-n solar cells on ZnO:Al-coated glass substrates were fabricated. Device characteristics were obtained from current-voltage and spectral-response measurements. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.