Abstract :
In the present work, we report on the effect of introducing a superficial porous silicon (PS) layer on the performance of polycrystalline
silicon (pc-Si) solar cells. Laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) mapping shows that the PS treatment on the emitter of pc-Si solar cells
improves their quantum response and reduce the grain boundaries (GBs) activity. After the porous silicon treatment, mapping investigation
shows an enhancement of the LBIC and the internal quantum efficiency (IQE), due to an improvement of the minority carrier
diffusion length and the passivation of recombination centers at the GBs as compared to the reference substrate. It was quantitatively
shown that porous silicon treatment can passivate both the grains and GBs.
2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.