Deposition of transparent conducting oxides for solar cells
- Chemical Laboratories, Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
Transparent conductors are needed as the front surface electrodes in all types of solar cells. The electrical and optical performance of a transparent conductor may be rated by a figure of merit defined as the ratio of the electrical conductivity to the optical absorption coefficient of the layer. Fluorine-doped zinc oxide is shown to have the highest figure of merit. ZnO:F films with a sheet resistance of 5 ohms per square can have a visible absorption of less than 3 per cent. This high performance makes zinc oxide a candidate for replacing tin oxide in thin film amorphous silicon solar cells, or for replacing part of the highly-doped silicon layer in crystalline silicon solar cells. A new, cost-effective process is described for the chemical vapor deposition of ZnO:F at atmospheric pressure. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 552818
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961178--
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 394; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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