Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells

S. Bowden; U. K. Das; S. S. Hegedus; R. W. Birkmire

doi:10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651

Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells

S. Bowden, U. K. Das, S. S. Hegedus, R. W. Birkmire

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

4 Scopus citations

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
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
Pages	1295-1298
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Print)	1424400163, 9781424400164
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651
State	Published - Jan 1 2006
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

Publication series

Name	Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4
Volume	2

Other

Other	2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4
Country/Territory	United States
City	Waikoloa, HI
Period	5/7/06 → 5/12/06

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Materials Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651

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Bowden, S., Das, U. K., Hegedus, S. S., & Birkmire, R. W. (2006). Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. In Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4 (pp. 1295-1298). [4059881] (Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4; Vol. 2). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651

Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. / Bowden, S.; Das, U. K.; Hegedus, S. S.; Birkmire, R. W.

Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4. IEEE Computer Society, 2006. p. 1295-1298 4059881 (Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4; Vol. 2).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Bowden, S, Das, UK, Hegedus, SS & Birkmire, RW 2006, Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. in Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4., 4059881, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4, vol. 2, IEEE Computer Society, pp. 1295-1298, 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4, Waikoloa, HI, United States, 5/7/06. https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651

Bowden S, Das UK, Hegedus SS, Birkmire RW. Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. In Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4. IEEE Computer Society. 2006. p. 1295-1298. 4059881. (Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4). https://doi.org/10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279651

Bowden, S. ; Das, U. K. ; Hegedus, S. S. ; Birkmire, R. W. / Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells. Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4. IEEE Computer Society, 2006. pp. 1295-1298 (Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, WCPEC-4).

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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.",

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Carrier lifetime as a developmental and diagnostic tool in silicon heterojunction solar cells

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