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Impact of a-Si:H structural properties on the annealing behavior of a-Si:H/c-Si heterostructures used as precursors for high-efficiency solar cells

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Abstract

We analyze the dependence of the interface defect density Dit in amorphous/crystalline (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterostructures on the microscopic properties of the ultrathin (10nm) undoped a-Si:H films. It is shown that the hydrogen bonding configuration, probed by infrared spectroscopy, determines the a-Si:H network disorder, which in turn governs the annealing behavior of these structures upon a short thermal treatment at moderate temperatures (T ≤ 200°C). While the as-deposited Dit seems to be determined by the local structure at the interface, the final state of the annealed samples is determined by the bulk a-Si:H network strain as reflected in the valence band tail slope. Thus it appears valid to treat the equilibrated a-Si:H/c-Si interface as a 2D-layer that has the projected defect properties of the 3D a-Si:H bulk.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Kekuléstr. 5, D-12489, Berlin, Germany

    T. F. Schulze, H. N. Beushausen, C. Leendertz, L. Korte & B. Rech

  2. Materials for Photovoltaics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, D-14109, Berlin, Germany

    A. Dobrich & T. Hannappel

Authors
  1. T. F. Schulze
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  2. H. N. Beushausen
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  3. C. Leendertz
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  4. A. Dobrich
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  5. T. Hannappel
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  6. L. Korte
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  7. B. Rech
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Schulze, T.F., Beushausen, H.N., Leendertz, C. et al. Impact of a-Si:H structural properties on the annealing behavior of a-Si:H/c-Si heterostructures used as precursors for high-efficiency solar cells. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1268, 107 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1268-EE01-07

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1268-EE01-07

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