Al/ZnO/a-SiGe:H: A system protected by the ZnO buffer from metal-induced crystallization
Metal-Induced-Crystallization (MIC) by the contact of amorphous semiconductors with metals is one of the degradation factors in solar cells. This study has been made on the barrier properties of a ZnO layer between undoped a-SiGe:H and Al metallization films in the structure (001)Si/SiO{sub 2}/a-SiGe:H/ZnO/Al. Plasma assisted CVD deposition was used to produce a-Si{sub 1{minus}x}Ge{sub x}:H (x = 0 to 1) undoped films over thermally oxidized Si-wafers. There were covered with 500 {angstrom} and 1,000 {angstrom} thick transparent conductive layers of ZnO:Al and then 1,000 {angstrom} thick films of Al. A set of Al-implanted A-Si, a-Ge, and a-Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5} films on Si/SiO{sub 2} substrates was also prepared to study MIC in an amorphous system with dispersed Al. The structures were annealed in vacuum in the temperature range of 200 C to 400 C for 1h. X-ray diffraction studies demonstrated the a-SiGe:H stability against crystallization under ZnO protection up to 400 C. Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy didn't reveal any noticeable redistribution of Al inside Al-implanted a-Si:H and a-Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5}:H samples after annealing at 400 C for 1h, but strong Al diffusion was seen in the a-Ge:H layer. Nevertheless, no MIC was observed in any of the Al-implanted a-materials.
- Research Organization:
- Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (IL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Forschungszentrum Juelich
- OSTI ID:
- 20085558
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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