Recombination-Free Reactive Ion Etch For High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells

Keywords

High efficiency Interdigitated back contact (IBC) silicon solar cells; Lifetime degradation; Photoconductance decay (PCD); Photoconductance decay PCD; Plasma radiation damage; Recombination-free Reactive Ion Etch (RIE)

Abstract

Carrier lifetime degradation of reactive ion etch-processed silicon samples are investigated. Two types of carrier recombination: reversible and irreversible degradations induced by reactive ion etching (RIE) are identified. Irreversible carrier recombination is due to surface damage created by the RIE process that propagates a few microns deep into the silicon substrate. Reversible carrier recombination, on the other hand, is found to be caused by radiation damage when RIE etches only into the silicon oxide, and nitrogen annealing can restore the degraded carrier lifetime. A recombination-free RIE process is then developed in combination with a passivation stack consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers. This improved RIE process is applied to the development of high efficiency silicon solar cells resulting in a conversion efficiency exceeding 24%.

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Publication Title

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Volume

172

Number of Pages

55-58

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2017.07.008

Socpus ID

85024892067 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85024892067

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