p-Type a-Si:H/ZnO:Al and μc-Si:H/ZnO:Al Thin-Film Solar Cell Structures—A Comparative Hard X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study

Author

Gerlach, D. ; Wippler, D. ; Wilks, R.G. ; Wimmer, Manuel ; Lozac´h, M. ; Felix, R. ; Ueda, Shuichi ; Yoshikawa, Hideki ; Lips, K. ; Rech, Bernd ; Sumiya, Masato ; Kobayashi, Kaoru ; Gorgoi, Mihaela ; Hupkes, J. ; Bar, M.

Author_Institution

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fur Mater. und Energie GmbH, Berlin, Germany

Volume

3

Issue

1

fYear

2013

fDate

Jan. 2013

Firstpage

483

Lastpage

487

Abstract

The chemical and electronic properties of a-Si:H(B)/ZnO:Al and μc-Si:H(B)/ZnO:Al thin-film solar cell structures are studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). Using a combination of different X-ray excitation energies and deliberate sample design, we were able to select the probed volume, i.e., the silicon capping layer only or the silicon and zinc oxide layer (including the buried interface). For the a-Si:H(B) material, we find a higher deposition rate and a smaller value for the modified Auger parameter than for μc-Si:H(B). In addition, we find indications of a pronounced band bending limited to the very surface of the a-Si:H(B) and the μc-Si:H(B) layers, which is more distinct in the latter case.

Keywords

II-VI semiconductors; X-ray photoelectron spectra; aluminium; amorphous semiconductors; hydrogenation; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; wide band gap semiconductors; zinc compounds; HAXPES; Si:H-ZnO:Al; X-ray excitation energy; chemical property; deposition rate; electronic property; hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study; modified Auger parameter; pronounced band bending; silicon capping layer; thin-film solar cell structures; Chemicals; Photoelectricity; Photovoltaic cells; Silicon; Spectroscopy; Zinc oxide; Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES); Si thin-film solar cell; surface and interface analysis;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photovoltaics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

2156-3381

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JPHOTOV.2012.2224644

Filename

6355944