A study on the aluminum fire-through to a-SiNx:H thin film for crystalline solar cells

Jooyong Song; Sungeun Park; Soonwoo Kwon; Sungtak Kim; Hyunho Kim; Sung Ju Tark; Sewang Yoon; Donghwan Kim

doi:10.1016/j.cap.2011.06.028

A study on the aluminum fire-through to a-SiN_x:H thin film for crystalline solar cells

Jooyong Song, Sungeun Park, Soonwoo Kwon, Sungtak Kim, Hyunho Kim, Sung Ju Tark, Sewang Yoon, Donghwan Kim

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The relationship between aluminum fire-through and the properties of a-SiN_x:H thin films was investigated to aid their use as dielectric layers in rear side and front passivation layers in crystalline solar cells. Aluminum fire-through was shown to depend on the refractive index and the deposition rate of the films. Refractive index, density and deposition rate increased with increasing SiH₄/NH₃ ratio, while the etching rate decreased. Aluminum fire-through occurred in a sample of refractive index 2.0 during fast deposition but not when the deposition rate was slow. Aluminum fire-through occurred during extended firing, despite it not occurring during normal firing by RTP. The results of this work demonstrate that refractive index was the major determinant of aluminum fire-through, and that the aluminum and the a-SiN_x:H thin film reacted immediately at the beginning of firing at a rate determined by the deposition rate.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	313-318
Number of pages	6
Journal	Current Applied Physics
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cap.2011.06.028
Publication status	Published - 2012 Jan

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Human Resources Development grant from the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea (No. 20104010100640 ), and this work was supported by the New & Renewable Energy of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 20093021010010 ).

Keywords

Aluminum
Back surface field
Local contact
Rear passivation
Silicon nitride
Solar cell

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science
General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cap.2011.06.028

Cite this

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title = "A study on the aluminum fire-through to a-SiNx:H thin film for crystalline solar cells",

abstract = "The relationship between aluminum fire-through and the properties of a-SiNx:H thin films was investigated to aid their use as dielectric layers in rear side and front passivation layers in crystalline solar cells. Aluminum fire-through was shown to depend on the refractive index and the deposition rate of the films. Refractive index, density and deposition rate increased with increasing SiH4/NH3 ratio, while the etching rate decreased. Aluminum fire-through occurred in a sample of refractive index 2.0 during fast deposition but not when the deposition rate was slow. Aluminum fire-through occurred during extended firing, despite it not occurring during normal firing by RTP. The results of this work demonstrate that refractive index was the major determinant of aluminum fire-through, and that the aluminum and the a-SiNx:H thin film reacted immediately at the beginning of firing at a rate determined by the deposition rate.",

keywords = "Aluminum, Back surface field, Local contact, Rear passivation, Silicon nitride, Solar cell",

author = "Jooyong Song and Sungeun Park and Soonwoo Kwon and Sungtak Kim and Hyunho Kim and Tark, {Sung Ju} and Sewang Yoon and Donghwan Kim",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by a Human Resources Development grant from the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea (No. 20104010100640 ), and this work was supported by the New & Renewable Energy of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 20093021010010 ).",

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AU - Song, Jooyong

AU - Park, Sungeun

AU - Kwon, Soonwoo

AU - Kim, Sungtak

AU - Kim, Hyunho

AU - Tark, Sung Ju

AU - Yoon, Sewang

AU - Kim, Donghwan

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a Human Resources Development grant from the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea (No. 20104010100640 ), and this work was supported by the New & Renewable Energy of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 20093021010010 ).

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N2 - The relationship between aluminum fire-through and the properties of a-SiNx:H thin films was investigated to aid their use as dielectric layers in rear side and front passivation layers in crystalline solar cells. Aluminum fire-through was shown to depend on the refractive index and the deposition rate of the films. Refractive index, density and deposition rate increased with increasing SiH4/NH3 ratio, while the etching rate decreased. Aluminum fire-through occurred in a sample of refractive index 2.0 during fast deposition but not when the deposition rate was slow. Aluminum fire-through occurred during extended firing, despite it not occurring during normal firing by RTP. The results of this work demonstrate that refractive index was the major determinant of aluminum fire-through, and that the aluminum and the a-SiNx:H thin film reacted immediately at the beginning of firing at a rate determined by the deposition rate.

AB - The relationship between aluminum fire-through and the properties of a-SiNx:H thin films was investigated to aid their use as dielectric layers in rear side and front passivation layers in crystalline solar cells. Aluminum fire-through was shown to depend on the refractive index and the deposition rate of the films. Refractive index, density and deposition rate increased with increasing SiH4/NH3 ratio, while the etching rate decreased. Aluminum fire-through occurred in a sample of refractive index 2.0 during fast deposition but not when the deposition rate was slow. Aluminum fire-through occurred during extended firing, despite it not occurring during normal firing by RTP. The results of this work demonstrate that refractive index was the major determinant of aluminum fire-through, and that the aluminum and the a-SiNx:H thin film reacted immediately at the beginning of firing at a rate determined by the deposition rate.

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