Influence of oxygen on the performance of silicon solar cells

The effects of dissolved and precipitated oxygen in silicon on the solar cell performance are identified. It is shown that oxygen concentrations up to 5*10¹⁷ cm^-3 can be beneficial for improving cell performance. The presence of precipitated oxygen, which can often accompany dissolved oxygen concentrations beyond 5*10¹⁷ cm^-3, strongly influences the cell performance. The dominant mechanisms influencing the cell parameters are discussed. The implications of these results are discussed in the light of material requirements for high-efficiency silicon solar cells.