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Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Made with Modified Very-High-Frequency Glow Discharge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Baojie Yan ,
Kenneth Lord ,
Jeffrey Yang ,
Subhendu Guha ,
Jozef Smeets  and
Jean-Marie Jacquet
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084, U.S.A.
Kenneth Lord
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084, U.S.A.
Jeffrey Yang
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084, U.S.A.
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corp., 1100 West Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084, U.S.A.
Jozef Smeets
Affiliation:
N. V. Bekaert S. A., Bekaertstraat, 2, B-8550 Zwevegem, Belgium
Jean-Marie Jacquet
Affiliation:
N. V. Bekaert S. A., Bekaertstraat, 2, B-8550 Zwevegem, Belgium
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Abstract

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells are made using modified veryhigh-frequency (MVHF) glow discharge at deposition rates ∼3-5 Å/s. We find that the solar cells made under certain conditions show degradation in air without intentional light soaking. The short-circuit current drops significantly within a few days after deposition, and then stabilizes. We believe that post-deposition oxygen diffusion along the grain boundaries or cracks is the origin of the ambient degradation. By optimizing the deposition conditions, we have found a plasma regime in which the μc-Si:H solar cells do not show such ambient degradation. The best a-Si:H/μc-Si:H double-junction solar cell has an initial active-area efficiency of 10.9% and is stable against the ambient degradation. The stability data of the solar cells after light soaking are also presented.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 715: Symposium A – Amorphous and Heterogeneous Silicon-Based Films-2002 , 2002 , A26.4
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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