Crystallization kinetics in electron-beam evaporated amorphous silicon on ZnO:Al-coated glass for thin film solar cells

Journal Article · Mon Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3222917· OSTI ID:21294313

Sontheimer, T; Becker, C; Gall, S; Rech, B ^[1]; Bloeck, U ^[2]

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1. Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Institute Silicon Photovoltaics, Kekulestr. 5 12489 Berlin (Germany)
2. Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie, Institute Technology, Glienicker Str. 100, 14109 Berlin (Germany)

To systematically study the crystallization process of electron-beam evaporated amorphous silicon on ZnO:Al-coated glass for polycrystalline silicon thin film solar cells, transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy were employed. A time and temperature dependent analysis allowed the individual investigation of the growth and nucleation processes. The growth velocities of Si-crystals on ZnO:Al and SiN-coated glass were found to be identical within the investigated temperature regime of 500-600 deg. C. However, with a high steady state nucleation rate and a low activation energy, the nucleation process of Si on ZnO:Al-coated glass has shown to differ significantly from nucleation on glass.

• OSTI ID: 21294313
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3222917; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ALUMINIUM
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTALLIZATION
ELECTRON BEAMS
GLASS
KINETICS
NUCLEATION
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
POLYCRYSTALS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SOLAR CELLS
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ZINC OXIDES