Amorphous silicon solar cells. Quarterly report No. 3, 1 April 1981-30 June 1981

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6256619

Carlson, D. E.; Crandall, R. S.; Dresner, J.; Goldstein, B.; Hanak, J. J.; Moore, A. R.; Schade, H. E.; Weakliem, H. A.; Williams, R.

DLTS measurements on both Schottky-barrier and p-i-n a-Si:H solar cells reveal a deep electron trap that could be associated with the Staebler-Wronski effect. In one series of experiments, the density of metastable defects was proportional to the amount of oxygen and nitrogen introduced by an air bleed. Infrared absorption studies have shown that recent films produced in an rf magnetron mode are comparable to films produced in rf capacitive or dc proximity modes. Auger electron spectroscopy has been used to show that a-Si:H films deposited on substrates such as ITO are initially patchy and become continuous after about 40 to 50 A of growth. An automated system for measuring diffusion lengths is now operational and values as large as 0.47 ..mu..m have been measured in a-Si:H under 1-sun light bias. The Hall effect in p-type a-Si:H (0.4 at. % boron) exhibits the correct sign for temperatures <100/sup 0/C but reverses for high temperatures, thus indicating two hole conduction modes. Conversion efficiencies up to 5.2% have been obtained for p-i-n cells with a microcrystalline p layer. Open-circuit voltages as large as 933 mV have been observed in p-i-n structures with carbon-containing p layers. Diffusion length measurements have been shown to be very sensitive to degradation mechanisms such as electron bombardment.

• Research Organization: State Univ. of New York, Albany (USA). Atmospheric Sciences Research Center; RCA Labs., Princeton, NJ (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 6256619
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-0-9372-3; ON: DE82001101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
AMORPHOUS STATE
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIMENSIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HALL EFFECT
HYDROGEN ADDITIONS
IMPURITIES
INFRARED SPECTRA
LENGTH
MAGNETRONS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SEMIMETALS
SENSITIVITY
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
STABILITY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRAPS