Resolving the nanostructure of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited nanocrystalline SiO{sub x} layers for application in solar cells

Journal Article · Tue Jun 14 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4953566· OSTI ID:22596778

Klingsporn, M.; Costina, I. ^[1]; Kirner, S.; Stannowski, B. ^[2]; Villringer, C. ^[3]; Abou-Ras, D. ^[4]; Lehmann, M. ^[5]

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1. IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany)
2. PVcomB, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Schwarzschildstr. 3, 12489 Berlin (Germany)
3. Technische Hochschule Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau (Germany)
4. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 15109 Berlin (Germany)
5. Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin (Germany)

Nanocrystalline silicon suboxides (nc-SiO{sub x}) have attracted attention during the past years for the use in thin-film silicon solar cells. We investigated the relationships between the nanostructure as well as the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of phosphorous, doped, nc-SiO{sub 0.8}:H fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The nanostructure was varied through the sample series by changing the deposition pressure from 533 to 1067 Pa. The samples were then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and a specialized plasmon imaging method. We found that the material changed with increasing pressure from predominantly amorphous silicon monoxide to silicon dioxide containing nanocrystalline silicon. The nanostructure changed from amorphous silicon filaments to nanocrystalline silicon filaments, which were found to cause anisotropic electron transport.

• OSTI ID: 22596778
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 22; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTALS
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELECTRONS
ELLIPSOMETRY
FILAMENTS
LAYERS
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMONS
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
SILICON OXIDES
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY