Stability of thin film solar cells having less-hydrogenated amorphous silicon i-layers

In this study, highly stabilized hydrogenated amorphous silicon films and their solar cells were developed. The films were fabricated using the triode deposition system, where a mesh was installed between the cathode and the anode (substrate) in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. At a substrate temperature of 250 °C, the hydrogen concentration of the resulting film (Si–H=4.0 at%, Si–H2<1×1020 cm−3) was significantly less than that of conventionally prepared films. The films were used to develop the i-layers of solar cells that exhibited a significantly low degradation ratio of 7.96%.