Lowest surface recombination velocity on n-type crystalline silicon using PECVD a-Si:H/SiNx bi-layer passivation

Dmitri S. Stepanov; Zahidur R. Chowdhury; Nazir P. Kherani

doi:10.1117/12.905624

8 September 2011 Lowest surface recombination velocity on n-type crystalline silicon using PECVD a-Si:H/SiN_x bi-layer passivation

Dmitri S. Stepanov, Zahidur R. Chowdhury, Nazir P. Kherani

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8007, Photonics North 2011; 800720 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.905624
Event: Photonics North 2011, 2011, Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

Energy conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells manufactured on thin substrates is strongly influenced by the recombination losses of photo-generated charge carriers at the surface and in its proximity. Intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-a-Si:H) deposited using DC saddle-field plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) at a low temperature of ~200°C reduces recombination losses of photo-generated carriers through passivation of defects at the surface. This study reports on high quality surface passivation achieved using a dual layer approach wherein a 70nm amorphous silicon nitride (SiN_x) capping layer is deposited on a less than 10nm thin i-a-Si:H layer. While the a-Si:H layer is effective in passivating the interface recombination sites, SiN_x is deemed to incorporate field-effect passivation, thus providing a minority carrier mirror. Additionally, SiN_x layer acts as an anti-reflection coating with a low absorption coefficient in the optical frequency range of interest. The SiN_x deposition conditions, known to strongly influence the passivating quality of the dual layer structure, were systematically investigated using the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal deposition parameters obtained from the RSM study were experimentally verified to yield the lowest surface recombination velocity of 3.5 cm/s on 1-2 Ω-cm n-type FZ c-Si using a PECVD a-Si:H/SiN_x bi-layer passivation stack.

Citation Download Citation

Dmitri S. Stepanov, Zahidur R. Chowdhury, and Nazir P. Kherani "Lowest surface recombination velocity on n-type crystalline silicon using PECVD a-Si:H/SiN_x bi-layer passivation", Proc. SPIE 8007, Photonics North 2011, 800720 (8 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.905624

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