The role of an amorphous SiC:H ´buffer´ in the high-performance mu c-SiC:H/a-SiC:H/poly-Si heterojunction solar cells

Author

Hirata, G.A. ; Nishimoto, T. ; Matsumoto, Y. ; Okamoto, H. ; Hamakawa, Y. ; Farias, M.H. ; Cota-Araiza, L.

Volume

12

Issue

10

fYear

1991

Firstpage

562

Lastpage

564

Abstract

High-efficiency solar cells have been developed using relatively simple processing at low temperatures up to 300 degrees C. The cells studied were p/sup +/ mu c-SiC:H/p a-SiC:H (buffer)/n poly-Si and n/sup +/ mu c-SiC:H/n a-SiC:H (buffer)/p poly-Si heterojunctions fabricated by the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The thin amorphous buffer layer played an important role in improving the photovoltaic performance. The optimization of the buffer layer thickness resulted in a conversion efficiency of eta =15.4% under AM1 solar simulated radiation of 100 mW/cm/sup 2/.<>

Keywords

amorphous semiconductors; elemental semiconductors; hydrogen; p-n heterojunctions; plasma CVD; semiconductor materials; silicon; silicon compounds; solar cells; 15.4 percent; 300 C; AM1 solar simulated radiation; SiC:H-SiC:H-Si; amorphous SiC:H buffer layer; buffer layer thickness; conversion efficiency; high efficiency solar cells; low temperature processing; microcrystalline SiC:H; photovoltaic performance; polycrystalline Si; thin amorphous buffer layer; Amorphous materials; Buffer layers; Cyclotrons; Electrons; Heterojunctions; Photovoltaic cells; Plasma chemistry; Plasma materials processing; Plasma temperature; Resonance;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/55.119189

Filename

119189