Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Maximization of the open circuit voltage for hydrogenated amorphous silicon n-i-p solar cells by incorporation of protocrystalline silicon p-type layers

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-12-2002

Volume

81

Issue

7

Journal

Applied Physics Letters

First Page

1258

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1063/1.1499735

Last Page

1260

Abstract

In studies of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) n-i-p solar cells fabricated by rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), we have found that the maximum open circuit voltage (Voc) is obtained by incorporating p-type doped Si:H layers that are protocrystalline in nature. Specifically, these optimum p layers are prepared by PECVD in the a-Si:H growth regime using the maximum hydrogen-to-silane flow ratio possible without crossing the thickness-dependent transition into the mixed-phase (amorphous+microcrystalline) growth regime for the ∼200 Å p-layer thickness. The strong dependence of the p-layer phase and solar cell V oc on the underlying i-layer phase also confirms the protocrystalline nature of the optimum Si:H p layer. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.

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