Investigation on growth behavior of multiphase silicon carbon film for front contact layer in a Si thin film solar cell

Sun Ho Kim, Dong Joo You, Sun Tae Hwang, Hae Seok Lee, Sungeun Lee, Heon Min Lee, Donghwan Kim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Boron doped hydrogenated multiphase silicon-carbon (multiphase silicon-carbon) film has been grown by a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method to obtain the properties of high conductivity and a low absorption coefficient. It consists of amorphous carbon, amorphous silicon and a crystalline silicon-like clustering phase. It has the advantage of reducing optical loss due to the wider band gap of amorphous carbon compared to amorphous silicon carbide. The film was fabricated in conditions of low power density with a high hydrogen flow rate to increase the ratio of the amorphous carbon. This result is able to be achieved because the reaction of Si-based and C-based radicals is suppressed by the deposition condition of low electron temperature (Te) of the plasma and the short residence time of the gases. The multiphase silicon-carbon showed high electrical conductivity and a low optical absorption coefficient in the short wavelength region. Applying it for use as a front contact layer in a Si thin film solar cell, it showed an improvement in the conversion efficiency due to the increase in the quantum efficiency in the short wavelength region.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)98-103
    Number of pages6
    JournalSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
    Volume127
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014 Aug

    Bibliographical note

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

    Keywords

    • Contact layer
    • Multiphase silicon-carbon
    • PECVD
    • Si thin film solar cell

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
    • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
    • Surfaces, Coatings and Films

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