Thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells. Technical progress quarterly report No. 1, September 25-December 24, 1979

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5356619

Faughnan, B. W.; Blanc, J.; Phillips, W.; Redfield, D.

The laser scanner has been improved in resolution and convenience of operation. The analysis of grain-boundary laser-photoresponse line shape at lambda = 1.5 ..mu..m yields a value for the grain boundary surface recombination velocity, i.e., s = 1.0 x 10/sup 4/ cm/s. New experiments are underway in: (1) deep-level spectroscopy, where a sample is being fabricated with a grain boundary level spectroscopy, where a sample is being fabricated with a grain boundary parallel to the surface; (2) liquid-crystal technique for measuring grain boundaries, by improving the electrical contacts to the sample; and (3) electron channeling patterns, by examining grains which have been previously laser-scanned. Hydrogenation experiments on phosphorus-diffused Wacker Silso solar cells yield negative results even when grain-boundary activity is monitored by the sensitive laser scanning method. Experiments are planned on bare silicon by a laser-scan-photoconductivity technique. Phosphorus diffusion down grain boundaries has been observed by bevel and stain experiments on a variety of diffused and implanted junctions in the temperature range of 750/sup 0/ to 950/sup 0/C. Diffusion spike lengths vary from 1/3 to 1 1/2 times the junction depth, and between 25 to 75% of the grain boundaries show these spikes. Laser scanning experiments show that grain boundaries with diffusion spikes are not electrically active. A new series of bicyrstals was begun with a <110> growth direction. So far, a crystal with a 30/sup 0/ misorientation has been successfully grown.

• Research Organization: RCA Labs., Princeton, NJ (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EG-77-C-01-4042
• OSTI ID: 5356619
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-0-8276-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
BICRYSTALS
CHANNELING
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRON CHANNELING
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
FLUIDS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HYDROGENATION
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
LASERS
LIQUID CRYSTALS
LIQUIDS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OPTICAL SCANNERS
PASSIVATION
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
RECOMBINATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTROSCOPY