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Title: Vacuum-deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar-cell applications. Final technical report, September 14, 1979-December 1, 1980

Abstract

A potentially all-vacuum fabrication process for forming thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cells has been explored in which the solar cell was constructed in layers, as follows: alumina (or sapphire) substrate/TiB/sub 2/ bottom electrode/p-type polycrystalline silicon film/n-type polycrystalline silicon film/Ti-Ag top electrode. Techniques were developed for forming stable, low resistivity thin films of TiB/sub 2/. The p-layer was vacuum deposited by electron beam heating of Si and B sources. The n-layer was formed both by thermal diffusion and by silicon deposition in a phosphine atmosphere. Both methods yielded photodiodes; the diffused junctions were studied more extensively and consequently produced the higher efficiency devices. Emphasis was placed on producing thin (10 to 15 ..mu..m) silicon films with high purity and large grain size (20 to 40 ..mu..m). The presence of the underlying TiB/sub 2/ layer was found to be essential for the growth of large Si grains. The interactions between Si and TiB/sub 2/ were studied extensivey by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and x-ray diffraction techniques. SIMS was also used to determine doping and impurity profiles. The best photovoltaic response without an antireflection coating was obtained from small (less than or equal to 1 mm/sup 2/) devices with base p-typemore » region grain sizes larger than 5 ..mu..m; typical AM-1 photovoltaic parameters were: V/sub oc/ approx. = 300 mV, J/sub sc/ approx. = 14 mA/cm/sup 2/ ff approx. = 0.60, eta approx. = 2.5%. Recommendations are made for further studies which should lead to improved performance of the thin film cells.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA). Applied Physics Lab.
OSTI Identifier:
6890597
Report Number(s):
SERI/TR-8278-1-T4
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-77CH00178
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; SILICON; SPUTTERING; VACUUM COATING; SILICON SOLAR CELLS; FABRICATION; PERFORMANCE; CHARGE CARRIERS; CRYSTAL DOPING; DIFFUSION LENGTH; ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FILL FACTORS; FILMS; GRAIN SIZE; GRAPHS; IMPURITIES; ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS; POLYCRYSTALS; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SPECTRAL RESPONSE; SUBSTRATES; TITANIUM BORIDES; X-RAY DIFFRACTION; BORIDES; BORON COMPOUNDS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; COHERENT SCATTERING; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; CRYSTALS; DATA; DEPOSITION; DIFFRACTION; DIMENSIONS; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ELEMENTS; EQUIPMENT; INFORMATION; LENGTH; MICROANALYSIS; MICROSCOPY; MICROSTRUCTURE; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; NUMERICAL DATA; PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS; PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; SCATTERING; SEMIMETALS; SIZE; SOLAR CELLS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SURFACE COATING; TITANIUM COMPOUNDS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; 140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion; 360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture

Citation Formats

Feldman, C, Arrington, III, C H, Blum, N A, and Satkiewicz, F G. Vacuum-deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar-cell applications. Final technical report, September 14, 1979-December 1, 1980. United States: N. p., 1980. Web.
Feldman, C, Arrington, III, C H, Blum, N A, & Satkiewicz, F G. Vacuum-deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar-cell applications. Final technical report, September 14, 1979-December 1, 1980. United States.
Feldman, C, Arrington, III, C H, Blum, N A, and Satkiewicz, F G. 1980. "Vacuum-deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar-cell applications. Final technical report, September 14, 1979-December 1, 1980". United States.
@article{osti_6890597,
title = {Vacuum-deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar-cell applications. Final technical report, September 14, 1979-December 1, 1980},
author = {Feldman, C and Arrington, III, C H and Blum, N A and Satkiewicz, F G},
abstractNote = {A potentially all-vacuum fabrication process for forming thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cells has been explored in which the solar cell was constructed in layers, as follows: alumina (or sapphire) substrate/TiB/sub 2/ bottom electrode/p-type polycrystalline silicon film/n-type polycrystalline silicon film/Ti-Ag top electrode. Techniques were developed for forming stable, low resistivity thin films of TiB/sub 2/. The p-layer was vacuum deposited by electron beam heating of Si and B sources. The n-layer was formed both by thermal diffusion and by silicon deposition in a phosphine atmosphere. Both methods yielded photodiodes; the diffused junctions were studied more extensively and consequently produced the higher efficiency devices. Emphasis was placed on producing thin (10 to 15 ..mu..m) silicon films with high purity and large grain size (20 to 40 ..mu..m). The presence of the underlying TiB/sub 2/ layer was found to be essential for the growth of large Si grains. The interactions between Si and TiB/sub 2/ were studied extensivey by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and x-ray diffraction techniques. SIMS was also used to determine doping and impurity profiles. The best photovoltaic response without an antireflection coating was obtained from small (less than or equal to 1 mm/sup 2/) devices with base p-type region grain sizes larger than 5 ..mu..m; typical AM-1 photovoltaic parameters were: V/sub oc/ approx. = 300 mV, J/sub sc/ approx. = 14 mA/cm/sup 2/ ff approx. = 0.60, eta approx. = 2.5%. Recommendations are made for further studies which should lead to improved performance of the thin film cells.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6890597}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}

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