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Title: Charge carrier transport mechanisms of passivating contacts studied by temperature-dependent J-V measurements

Abstract

The charge carrier transport mechanism of passivating contacts which feature an ultra-thin oxide layer is investigated by studying temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics. 4-Terminal dark J-V measurements at low temperatures reveal non-linear J-V characteristics of passivating contacts with a homogeneously grown silicon oxide, which result in an exponential increase in contact resistance towards lower temperature. The attempt to describe the R(T) characteristic solely by thermionic emission of charge carriers across an energy barrier leads to a significant underestimation of the resistance by several orders of magnitude. However, the data can be described properly with the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) theory if tunneling of charge carriers through the silicon oxide layer is taken into account. Furthermore, temperature-dependent light J-V characteristics of solar cells featuring passivating contacts at the rear revealed a FF drop at T < 205 K, which is near the onset temperature of the exponential increase in contact resistivity.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Fraunhofer ISE), Freiburg (Germany); Univ. of Freiburg (Germany). Lab. for Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
  2. Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  4. Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Fraunhofer ISE), Freiburg (Germany)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Fraunhofer ISE), Freiburg (Germany); Univ. of Freiburg (Germany); Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) (Germany); European Union (EU)
OSTI Identifier:
1462326
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-72056
Journal ID: ISSN 0927-0248
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; 0325292; 0325827B; 727529
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 178; Journal ID: ISSN 0927-0248
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; quantum mechanical tunneling; passivating contacts; poly-Si; TOPCon; solar cells

Citation Formats

Feldmann, Frank, Nogay, Gizem, Loper, Philipp, Young, David L., Lee, Benjamin G., Stradins, Paul, Hermle, Martin, and Glunz, Stefan W. Charge carrier transport mechanisms of passivating contacts studied by temperature-dependent J-V measurements. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2018.01.008.
Feldmann, Frank, Nogay, Gizem, Loper, Philipp, Young, David L., Lee, Benjamin G., Stradins, Paul, Hermle, Martin, & Glunz, Stefan W. Charge carrier transport mechanisms of passivating contacts studied by temperature-dependent J-V measurements. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2018.01.008
Feldmann, Frank, Nogay, Gizem, Loper, Philipp, Young, David L., Lee, Benjamin G., Stradins, Paul, Hermle, Martin, and Glunz, Stefan W. Thu . "Charge carrier transport mechanisms of passivating contacts studied by temperature-dependent J-V measurements". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2018.01.008. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1462326.
@article{osti_1462326,
title = {Charge carrier transport mechanisms of passivating contacts studied by temperature-dependent J-V measurements},
author = {Feldmann, Frank and Nogay, Gizem and Loper, Philipp and Young, David L. and Lee, Benjamin G. and Stradins, Paul and Hermle, Martin and Glunz, Stefan W.},
abstractNote = {The charge carrier transport mechanism of passivating contacts which feature an ultra-thin oxide layer is investigated by studying temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics. 4-Terminal dark J-V measurements at low temperatures reveal non-linear J-V characteristics of passivating contacts with a homogeneously grown silicon oxide, which result in an exponential increase in contact resistance towards lower temperature. The attempt to describe the R(T) characteristic solely by thermionic emission of charge carriers across an energy barrier leads to a significant underestimation of the resistance by several orders of magnitude. However, the data can be described properly with the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) theory if tunneling of charge carriers through the silicon oxide layer is taken into account. Furthermore, temperature-dependent light J-V characteristics of solar cells featuring passivating contacts at the rear revealed a FF drop at T < 205 K, which is near the onset temperature of the exponential increase in contact resistivity.},
doi = {10.1016/j.solmat.2018.01.008},
journal = {Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells},
number = ,
volume = 178,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Thu Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Passivating contacts for crystalline silicon solar cells
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Conductivity and Surface Passivation Properties of Boron‐Doped Poly‐Silicon Passivated Contacts for c‐Si Solar Cells
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Double‐Sided Surface Passivation of 3D Perovskite Film for High‐Efficiency Mixed‐Dimensional Perovskite Solar Cells
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