Thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells. Technical progress quarterly report No. 3, 25 March 1980-24 June 1980

Technical Report · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5232723

Funghnan, B W; Blanc, J; Phillips, W; Redfield, D

Thirty-four new solar cells were fabricated on Wacker Silso substrates and the AM-1 parameters were measured. A detailed comparison was made between the measurement of minority carrier diffusion length by the QE method and the penetrating-light laser-scan grain-boundary photoresponse linewidth method. The laser scan method has more experimental uncertainty and agrees within 10 to 50% with the QE method. It allows determination of L over a large area. Atomic hydrogen-passivation studies continued on Wacker material by three techniques. A method of determining surface recombination velocity, s, from laser scan data was developed. No change in s in completed solar cells after H-plasma treatment was observed within experimental error. H-passivation of bare silicon bars as measured by the new laser scan - photoconductivity technique showed very large effects. This method measures majority carrier effects which are sensitive to changes in GB barrier heights. Finally, H-passivation was studied in silicon-ITO heterojunction structures so that a phosphorus diffusion step was not necessary to observe minority carrier effects. Preliminary results showed a 50% reduction in s from 1.8 x 10/sup 5/ cm/s to 1.2 x 10/sup 5/ cm/s. However, both values are higher than what is observed in phosphorus-diffused cells, i.e., s = 7 x 10/sup 3/ cm/s. Laser scans and QE measurements were carried out on three low-cost substrates: Crystal Systems cast silicon, Mobil-Tyco ribbon, and RCA epitaxial layer on Dow metallurgical grade substrate. Etching studies were initiated to observe dislocations and stacking faults in polycrystalline silicon.

• Research Organization: RCA Labs., Princeton, NJ (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 5232723
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-0-8276-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CHARGE CARRIERS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DISLOCATIONS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
ETCHING
FABRICATION
FILMS
FLUIDS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HYDROGEN
LASERS
LINE DEFECTS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NONMETALS
PASSIVATION
PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYCRYSTALS
RECOMBINATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STACKING FAULTS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE FINISHING