Advances in the characterization of compositionally-graded layers in amorphous semiconductor solar cells by real time spectroellipsometry
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
The authors have developed a real time spectroellipsometry data analysis procedure that allows us to characterize compositionally-graded amorphous semiconductor alloy thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). As an example, the authors have applied the analysis to obtain the depth-profile of the optical gap and alloy composition with {le} {angstrom} resolution for a hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloy (a-Si{sub 1{minus}x}C{sub x}:H) film prepared by continuously varying the gas flow ratio z = [CH{sub 4}]/{l_brace}[CH{sub 4}] + [SiH{sub 4}]{r_brace} In the PECVD process. The graded layer has been incorporated at the p/i interface of widegap a-Si{sub 1{minus}x}C{sub x}:H (x {approximately} 0.05) p-i-n solar cells, and consistent improvements in open-circuit voltage have been demonstrated. The importance of the graded-layer characterization is the ability to relate improvements in device performance directly to the physical properties of the interface layer, rather to the deposition parameters with which they were prepared.
- OSTI ID:
- 527669
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960401-; ISBN 1-55899-323-1; TRN: IM9741%%97
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), San Francisco, CA (United States), 8-12 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Amorphous silicon technology -- 1996; Hack, M. [ed.] [dpiX, Palo Alto, CA (United States)]; Schiff, E.A. [ed.] [Syracuse Univ., NY (United States)]; Wagner, S. [ed.] [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)]; Schropp, R. [ed.] [Utrecht Univ. (Netherlands)]; Matsuda, Akihisa [ed.] [Electrotechnical Lab., Tsukuba (Japan)]; PB: 929 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 420
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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