Light‐induced degradation of PECVD aluminium oxide passivated silicon solar cells

Light‐induced degradation (LID) has been identified to be a critical issue for solar cells processed on boron‐doped silicon substrates. Typically, Czochralski‐grown silicon (Cz‐Si) has been reported to suffer from stronger LID than block‐cast multicrystalline silicon (mc‐Si) due to higher oxygen concentrations. This work investigates LID under conditions practically relevant under module operation on different cell types. It is shown that aluminium oxide (AlOx) passivated mc‐Si solar cells degrade more than a reference aluminium back surface field mc‐Si cell and, remarkably, an AlOx passivated Cz‐Si solar cell. The defect which is activated by illumination is shown to be doubtful a sole bulk effect while the AlOx passivation might play a certain role. This work may contribute to a re‐evaluation of the suitability of boron‐doped Cz‐ and mc‐Si for solar cells with very high efficiencies. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nanotextured multicrystalline Al‐BSF solar cells reaching 18% conversion efficiency using industrially viable solar cell processes

We report recent achievements in adapting industrially used solar cell processes on nanotextured surfaces. Nanostructures were etched into c‐Si surfaces by dry exothermic plasma‐less reaction of F species with Si in atmospheric pressure conditions and then modified using a short post‐etching process. Nanotextured multicrystalline wafers are used to prepare Al‐BSF solar cells using industrially feasible solar cell proc‐ essing steps. In comparison to the reference acidic textured solar cells, the nanostructured cells showed gain in short circuit current (J_sc) of up to 0.8 mA/cm² and absolute gain in conversion efficiency of up to 0.3%. The best nanotextured solar cell was independently certified to reach the conversion efficiency of 18.0%. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

SiOx precipitate composition in Si,revisited: Discussion closed?

The composition SiO_x of oxide precipitates in Si has been discussed for the past thirty years with experimentally estimated x ‐values ranging between 1 and 2. It is shown that this spread of x ‐values can be explained by calculating the average composition taking into account temperature and anneal time dependent size and shape of the precipitates and the limitations and probing volumes of the various characterization techniques. Hereby it is assumed that the oxygen‐rich (SiO₂?) core of the precipitates is surrounded by a 2 nm thin SiO layer as revealed by recent electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses. For plate‐like precipitates thinner than and for octahedral precipitates smaller than 6 nm, x ≈ 1. For larger precipitates, the central part of the precipitate consists of SiO_x with x close to 2 and the precipitate has an average x between 1 and 1.3 for plate‐like and up to 1.9 for octahedral precipitates. The predicted x ‐values for different precipitate sizes and morphologies, are compared with published experimental data. SiO_x precipitate nucleation and initial growth should be simulated assuming x = 1 and Fourier transform infrared spectra of precipitates assuming a mixture of SiO₂ and amorphous Si. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

High mobility In2O3:H transparent conductive oxides prepared by atomic layer deposition and solid phase crystallization

The preparation of high‐quality In₂O₃:H, as transparent conductive oxide (TCO), is demonstrated at low temperatures. Amorphous In₂O₃:H films were deposited by atomic layer deposition at 100 °C, after which they underwent solid phase crystallization by a short anneal at 200 °C. TEM analysis has shown that this approach can yield films with a lateral grain size of a few hundred nm, resulting in electron mobility values as high as 138 cm²/V s at a device‐relevant carrier density of 1.8 × 10²⁰ cm^–3. Due to the extremely high electron mobility, the crystallized films simultaneously exhibit a very low resistivity (0.27 mΩ cm) and a negligible free carrier absorption. In conjunction with the low temperature processing, this renders these films ideal candidates for front TCO layers in for example silicon heterojunction solar cells and other sensitive optoelectronic applications. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

量子受限效应和对称性效应对硅光子晶体禁带的影响

光子晶体不仅可以用来调控自发辐射, 还可以用来控制光的传输和局域. 采用平面波展开法进行模拟计算, 分析硅背景下的二维正方、三角晶格光子晶体散射基元的形状和空间取向对光子禁带的影响. 计算结果表明: 对称性和量子受限效应之间的竞争是导致光子晶体禁带宽度发生变化的原因.     

非晶硅太阳电池结构模拟设计

为了从理论上分析提高非晶硅太阳能电池的转化效率,运用微电子和光子结构分析一维器件模拟程序模拟非晶硅太阳电池a-SiC∶H/a-Si∶H/a-Si∶H结构,分析比较了不同前端接触透明导电层的功函数ФITO、禁带宽度、本征层厚度、掺杂浓度、缺陷态密度等因素对太阳电池性能的影响.模拟得到,在功函数达到5.1 eV,禁带宽度1.8 eV,本征层厚度265 nm等最优化条件下,非晶硅太阳能电池转化效率达到9.855%,比一般非晶硅太阳能电池转化效率高近2%.     

氢稀释对纳米晶硅薄膜晶化特性的影响及薄膜生长机理

以SiH₄与H₂作为前驱气体,采用射频等离子增强化学气相沉积技术制备了纳米晶硅薄膜.利用Raman散射和红外吸收光谱等技术,对不同氢稀释比条件下薄膜的微观结构和键合特性进行了研究.结果表明,随着氢稀释比增加,薄膜的晶化率明显提高,而氢稀释比过高时,薄膜晶化率呈现减少趋势.红外吸收光谱分析表明,纳米晶硅薄膜中氢的键合模式与薄膜的晶化特性密切相关.随着氢稀释比增加,薄膜中整体氢含量和SiH₂键合密度明显减少,而在高氢稀释比条件下,氢稀释比增加导致薄膜中SiH₂键合密度和整体氢含量增加.     

通信波段硅基气孔光子晶体的带隙特性及其物理模型研究

用平面波展开法对硅背景下的通信波段不同晶格类型和气孔形状光子晶体的能带结构进行数值计算与分析,提出了相应的物理模型.结果表明:利用光子受限效应和晶格对称性效应可以有效地调控光子带隙.随光子晶体填充率的增加,其约束光子的能力增强,光子带隙在一定范围内展宽且其中心频率蓝移;带隙随晶格对称性增加而变宽.对基元形状和旋转角度的研究发现,光子带隙随基元旋转角度变化具有周期性和对称性,表现出各向异性,由此优化出对应的不同晶格的最佳谐振腔型结构.     

AlN插入层对硅衬底GaN薄膜生长的影响

利用金属有机化合物气相外延沉积技术在2inch(5.08cm)Si(111)图形衬底上生长了GaN外延薄膜,在Al组分渐变AlGaN缓冲层与GaN成核层之间引入了AlN插入层,研究了AlN插入层对GaN薄膜生长的影响。结果表明,随着AlN插入层厚度的增加,GaN外延膜(002)面与(102)面X射线衍射摇摆曲线半峰全宽明显变小,晶体质量变好,同时外延膜在放置过程中所产生的裂纹密度逐渐减小直至不产生裂纹。原因在于AlN插入层的厚度对GaN成核层的生长模式有明显影响,较厚的AlN插入层使GaN成核层倾向于岛状生长,造成后续生长的nGaN外延膜具有更多的侧向外延成分,从而降低了GaN外延膜中的位错密度,减少了GaN外延膜中的残余张应力。同时还提出了一种利用荧光显微镜观察黄带发光形貌来表征GaN成核层形貌和生长模式的新方法。     

金刚石线锯切割多晶硅片表面特性与酸刻蚀制绒问题

为解决金刚石切割多晶硅片与常规HF-HNO3-H2O混合酸湿法制绒技术不兼容的问题,对金刚石切割多晶硅片的表面特性和大幅度提高混合酸溶液中HF的比例进行了刻蚀制绒实验.结果表明,金刚石线切割多晶硅片表面存在约33%的光滑条带区域,其余为与砂浆切割硅片表面相近的粗糙崩坑区域;这些光滑区域使得金刚石切割多晶硅片表面光反射率比砂浆切割多晶硅片高3%~4%;而且光滑区域在富HNO3和富HF的HF-HNO3-H2O混合酸溶液中均较难于腐蚀,使其刻蚀制绒后反射率比砂浆切割多晶硅片低1%~2%,制绒后的金刚石切割多晶硅片反射率比制绒后的砂浆切割多晶硅片高4%~6%,不能满足太阳电池生产要求.富HNO3和富HF两种酸刻蚀体系,均不能解决金刚石切割多晶硅片的制绒问题.