Abstract
Minority carrier lifetime measurements were used to optimize processes for amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. A blue filter highlights surface lifetime and is used to determine the interaction between the front and rear depositions. On n-type substrates, depositing the front p-type layer first led to contamination of the rear surface such that a subsequent n-type deposition on the rear intended as a back surface field had no passivating quality and giving cells with low opencircuit voltages only 580 mV. Switching the order of deposition and depositing the rear n-layer first, improved the quality of the rear passivation and subsequently increased open circuit voltages to over 620 mV; without intrinsic buffer layers. Depositions of intrinsic material resulted in lifetimes of 2.4 ms, and wafer cleaning was found to have a significant impact on measured lifetime. Finally, immersion in hydrofluoric acid was found to be the easiest way to measure substrate lifetime above 1 ms.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4 |
| Pages | 1295-1298 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Volume | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4 - Waikoloa, HI, United States Duration: May 7 2006 → May 12 2006 |
Other
| Other | 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| City | Waikoloa, HI |
| Period | 5/7/06 → 5/12/06 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Materials Chemistry
Cite this
Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. / Bowden, Stuart; Das, U. K.; Hegedus, S. S.; Birkmire, R. W.
Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4. Vol. 2 2007. p. 1295-1298 4059881.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
}
TY - GEN
T1 - Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells
AU - Bowden, Stuart
AU - Das, U. K.
AU - Hegedus, S. S.
AU - Birkmire, R. W.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Minority carrier lifetime measurements were used to optimize processes for amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. A blue filter highlights surface lifetime and is used to determine the interaction between the front and rear depositions. On n-type substrates, depositing the front p-type layer first led to contamination of the rear surface such that a subsequent n-type deposition on the rear intended as a back surface field had no passivating quality and giving cells with low opencircuit voltages only 580 mV. Switching the order of deposition and depositing the rear n-layer first, improved the quality of the rear passivation and subsequently increased open circuit voltages to over 620 mV; without intrinsic buffer layers. Depositions of intrinsic material resulted in lifetimes of 2.4 ms, and wafer cleaning was found to have a significant impact on measured lifetime. Finally, immersion in hydrofluoric acid was found to be the easiest way to measure substrate lifetime above 1 ms.
AB - Minority carrier lifetime measurements were used to optimize processes for amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. A blue filter highlights surface lifetime and is used to determine the interaction between the front and rear depositions. On n-type substrates, depositing the front p-type layer first led to contamination of the rear surface such that a subsequent n-type deposition on the rear intended as a back surface field had no passivating quality and giving cells with low opencircuit voltages only 580 mV. Switching the order of deposition and depositing the rear n-layer first, improved the quality of the rear passivation and subsequently increased open circuit voltages to over 620 mV; without intrinsic buffer layers. Depositions of intrinsic material resulted in lifetimes of 2.4 ms, and wafer cleaning was found to have a significant impact on measured lifetime. Finally, immersion in hydrofluoric acid was found to be the easiest way to measure substrate lifetime above 1 ms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=41749083935&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=41749083935&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651
DO - 10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651
M3 - Conference contribution
SN - 1424400163
SN - 9781424400164
VL - 2
SP - 1295
EP - 1298
BT - Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4
ER -