Real-Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry as an In-Situ Diagnostic for Hot-Wire CVD Growth of Amorphous and Epitaxial Si
Real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) has proven to be an exceptionally valuable tool in the optimization of hot wire CVD (HWCVD) growth of both silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells and thin epitaxial layers of crystal silicon (epi-Si). For SHJ solar cells, RTSE provides real-time thickness information and rapid feedback on the degree of crystallinity of the thin intrinsic layers used to passivate the crystal silicon (c-Si) wafers. For epi-Si growth, RTSE provides real-time feedback on the crystallinity and breakdown of the epitaxial growth process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used to verify the RTSE analysis of thickness and crystallinity. In contrast to TEM, RTSE provides feedback in real time or same-day, while TEM normally requires weeks. This rapid feedback has been a key factor in the rapid progress of both the SHJ and epi-Si projects.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99-GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 860834
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP-520-37047; TRN: US200524%%326
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Presented at the 2004 DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program Review Meeting, 25-28 October 2004, Denver, Colorado. Also included in the proceedings available on CD-ROM (DOE/GO-102005-2067; NREL/CD-520-37140)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
BREAKDOWN
ELLIPSOMETRY
FEEDBACK
HETEROJUNCTIONS
OPTIMIZATION
SILICON
SOLAR CELLS
THICKNESS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
PV
REAL-TIME SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY (RTSE)
SILICON HETEROJUNCTION (SHJ)
CRYSTAL SILICON (C-SI) WAFERS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (TEM)
NANOCRYSTALLINE
Solar Energy - Photovoltaics
Silicon Materials and Devices