Passivation of a Metal Contact with a Tunneling Layer

Loozen, Xavier; Larsen, Jørgen Hannover; Dross, Frédéric; Aleman, Monica; Bearda, Twan; O’Sullivan, Barry; Gordon, Ivan; Poortmans, Jef

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2012.05.010

Cited by 32 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The exact injection level of the metallized part was not quantified (given the impact of the metal layer on the sample conductivity), but nonetheless, the relative impact of the metallization can clearly be seen. If anything, the local PL should be higher in these cases, given the enhanced reflectivity of the aluminum layer [13].…”

Section: B Samples For Photoluminescence Analysismentioning

confidence: 98%

Process-Induced Degradation of SiO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_{\bf 2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and a-Si:H Passivation Layers for Photovoltaic Applications

O’Sullivan

Bearda

Nadupalli

et al. 2014

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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The passivation characteristics of thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers are investigated, using a combination of photoluminescence and capacitance-voltage analysis techniques. Key findings are the significant passivation degradation of SiO 2 and a-Si:H layers induced by metallization through electron beam evaporation. The degradation correlates with an increase in silicon dangling bond defect density at the interface with silicon (for both SiO 2 and a-Si:H) or in the passivation layer (a-Si:H). Performing the metallization by thermal evaporation is an effective method to avoid such process-induced damage, as is forming gas annealing at 450°C, which effectively recovers the interface characteristics of SiO 2 layers. Deposition of amorphous silicon on a thermal SiO 2 layer induces bulk and interface defects in the SiO 2 layer-but in this case, a 450°C forming gas anneal is not possible due to the thermal budget limitations of a-Si:H, thereby posing problems for solar cell structures which rely on a combination of PECVD a-Si:H and thermal SiO 2 passivation layers.Index Terms-Capacitance-voltage (C-V), dangling bond defects, passivation layer, photoluminescence (PL), recombination.

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Section: B Samples For Photoluminescence Analysismentioning

confidence: 98%

Process-Induced Degradation of SiO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_{\bf 2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and a-Si:H Passivation Layers for Photovoltaic Applications

O’Sullivan

Bearda

Nadupalli

et al. 2014

IEEE J. Photovoltaics

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“…There has recently been an increase in interest in the use of tunneling layers for contact passivation in single junction Si solar cells. Tunneling contact passivation using Al 2 O 3 [1,2] and SiO 2 [3] has been shown to give high efficiencies. Al 2 O 3 has negative interface charges that are particularly suited to passivate the back side of p-type Si solar cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tunneling Contact Passivation Simulations using Silvaco Atlas

2015

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TCAD simulations of a p-Si/Al 2 O 3 /Al structured solar cell are done to improve the understanding of parameters important for tunneling contact passivation. High efficiencies are achieved for oxide thicknesses below 1.4 nm and for an oxide interface charge concentration of -1 10 13 cm -3 . The dependence of the work function of Al is shown. The effective mass of bulk Al 2 O 3 is found to be too large for tunneling to occur, so a smaller effective mass is likely for thin films. The simulations of charges, work function, band gap and dielectric constant can also be used as a basis for choosing new tunneling materials.

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“…To further increase the conversion efficiency a metal back reflector is applied in this study, which improves the optical absorption and consequently the short circuit current density. Unfortunately, a metal contact as back reflector directly deposited onto crystalline silicon leads to high surface recombination . Therefore, a surface passivation is essential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimized emitter contacting on multicrystalline silicon thin film solar cells

Gawlik

Höger

Bergmann

et al. 2015

Physica Rapid Research Ltrs

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We present an optimized contacting scheme for multicrystalline silicon thin film solar cells on glass based on epitaxially crystallized emitters with a thin Al2O3 layer and a silver back reflector. In a first step a 6.5 µm thick amorphous silicon absorber layer is crystallized by a diode laser. In a second step a thin silicon emitter layer is epitaxially crystallized by an excimer laser. The emitter is covered by an Al2O3 layer with a thickness ranging from 1.0 nm to 2.5 nm, which passivates the surface and acts as a tunnel barrier. On top of the Al2O3 layer a 90–100 nm thick silver back reflector is deposited. The Al2O3 layer was found to have an optimal thickness of 1.5 nm resulting in solar cells with back reflector that achieve a maximum open‐circuit voltage of 567 mV, a short‐circuit current density of 27.9 mA/cm2, and an efficiency of 10.9%. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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Passivation of a Metal Contact with a Tunneling Layer

Cited by 32 publications

References 11 publications

Process-Induced Degradation of SiO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_{\bf 2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and a-Si:H Passivation Layers for Photovoltaic Applications

Process-Induced Degradation of SiO<inline-formula><tex-math>$_{\bf 2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and a-Si:H Passivation Layers for Photovoltaic Applications

Tunneling Contact Passivation Simulations using Silvaco Atlas

Optimized emitter contacting on multicrystalline silicon thin film solar cells

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