Improverment of electrical and optical properties of doped amorphous silicon layers applied to heterojunction solar cells

Abstract

The optimisation of electrical and optical properties of doped amorphous silicon layers (the emitter layer) is the key importance to obtain high efficiency heterojunction (HJ) solar cells. Desired properties for the emitter layer include wide bandgap, low surface and interface recombination, and good doping efficiency. In this study, we report the thinfilm properties of n-doped nc-Si:H emitter layers deposited using RF (13.56 MHz) PECVD, at different SiH4/H2 gas flow ratios, at the same RF power, pressures, and temperatures. Trends relating deposition conditions to relevant film characteristics such as thickness, wide bandgap, crystalline fraction and conductivity are discussed. Finally, the heterojunction solar cells using the optimised parameters for n-doped nc- Si:H layers are fabricated with high short circuit current (17 mA).