The influence of various parameters on microcrystalline silicon films and solar cells by hot-wire CVD

Microcrystalline silicon (/spl mu/c-Si:H) thin-film solar cells are prepared with intrinsic Si-layer by hot wire CVD. The operating parameters of solar cells are strongly affected by the filament temperature (T/sub f/) during intrinsic layer. J/sub sc/ and efficiency abruptly decreases with elevated T/sub f/ to 1400/spl deg/C. This deterioration of solar cell parameters are resulted from increase of crystalline volume fraction and corresponding defect density at high T/sub f/. The heater temperature (T/sub h/) are also critical parameter that controls device operations. Solar cells prepared at low T/sub h/ (<200/spl deg/C) shows a similar operating properties with devices prepared at high T/sub f/ i.e. low j/sub sc/, V/sub oc/ and efficiency. The origins for this result, however, are different with that of inferior device performances at high T/sub f/. In addition the phase transition of the silicon films occurs at different silane concentration (SC) by varying filament temperature, by which highest efficiency with SC varies with T/sub f/.