The effects of impurities on the diffusion length in amorphous silicon

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Conf. Rec. IEEE Photovoltaic Spec. Conf.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6075825

Carlson, D E; Catalano, A W; D'Aiello, R V; Dickson, C R; Oswald, R S

A variety of impurities were added to silicon films grown under identical conditions in a dc glow discharge. Both the diffusion length and the depletion width were measured by means of the surface photovoltage technique. Gases such as disiloxane and nitrogen caused significant decreases in both the diffusion length and the depletion width while the effects produced by gases such as CH/sub 4/, CF/sub 4/, and SiF/sub 4/ were much smaller. Gases such as CO and SiH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ caused some reduction in the diffusion length but had little effect on the depletion width. A simple model is used to predict the effect of the impurities on the conversion efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cells.

• Research Organization: Solarex Thin Film Division, Newtown, PA
• OSTI ID: 6075825
• Report Number(s): CONF-840561-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Conf. Rec. IEEE Photovoltaic Spec. Conf.; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON FLUORIDES
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
DEPLETION LAYER
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GLOW DISCHARGES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMPURITIES
LAYERS
LENGTH
MEASURING METHODS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SILICON COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SEMIMETALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON CHLORIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON FLUORIDES
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SILOXANES
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT