Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T21:30:17.629Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Deposition of Device Quality μc-Si Films and Solar Cells at High Rates by HWCVD in a W Filament Regime where W/Si Formation is Minimal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

E. Iwaniczko
Affiliation:
NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
A.H. Mahan
Affiliation:
NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
B. Yan
Affiliation:
United Solar Systems Corporation, 1100 W. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
L.N. Gedvilas
Affiliation:
NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
D.L. Williamson
Affiliation:
Colo. School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
B.P. Nelson
Affiliation:
NREL, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401
Get access

Abstract

μc-Si has traditionally been deposited by Hot Wire CVD at a low filament temperature. At these temperatures, silicides rapidly form on the filament surface, leading in the case of a tungsten filament to both film reproducibility and filament lifetime issues. By depositing films consecutively using identical deposition parameters, these issues are chronicled for a filament temperature of ∼ 1750°C. Upon increasing the filament temperature to ∼ 1825-1850°C, these reproducibility and lifetime issues disappear and, by lowering both the substrate temperature and chamber pressure, device quality μc-Si is deposited at high deposition rates in a filament regime where tungsten silicide formation is minimal. Both single junction and tandem solar cells are fabricated using this material, confirming the validity of this approach.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Roschek, T., Repmann, T., Kluth, O., Muller, J., Rech, B., and Wagner, H., Mater. Res. Soc. 715 (2002) A26.5.Google Scholar
2. Klein, S., Finger, F., Carius, R., Rech, B., Houben, L., Luysberg, M., and Stutzmann, M.: Mater. Res. Soc. 715 (2002) A26.2.Google Scholar
3. Schropp, R.E.I., Werf, C.H.M. Van Der, Veen, M.K. van, Veenendaal, P.A.T.T. van, Zambrano, R. Jimenez, Hartman, Z., Loffler, J., and Rath, J.K.: Mater. Res. Soc. 664 (2001) A15.6.Google Scholar
4. Schropp, R.E.I., Xu, Y., Iwaniczko, E., Zaharias, G.A., and Mahan, A.H.: Mater. Res. Soc. 715, (2002) A26.3.Google Scholar
5.See section 1 of the proceedings of the ‘1st International Conference on Cat-CVD (Hot-Wire CVD) Process’, published in Thin Solid Films 395 (2001).Google Scholar
6. Doyle, J., Robertson, R., Lin, G.H., He, M.Z., and Gallagher, A.C., J. Appl. Phys. 64 (1988) 3215.Google Scholar
7. Veenendaal, P.A.T.T. van, Gijzeman, O.L.J., Rath, J.K., and Schropp, R.E.I., Thin Solid Films 395 (2001) 194.Google Scholar
8. Mahan, A.H., Mason, A., Nelson, B.P., and Gallagher, A.C., Mater. Res. Soc. 609, (2000) A6.6.Google Scholar
9. Wang, Q, Iwaniczko, E., Xu, Y., Nelson, B.P., Mahan, A.H., Crandall, R.S., and Branz, H.M., Twenty-Eighth IEEE PV Specialists Conference (2000) 717720.Google Scholar
10. Zaharias, G.A., Mahan, A.H., Schropp, R.E.I., Xu, Y., Williamson, D.L., Al-Jassim, M.M., Romero, M.J., and Gedvilas, L.M., Mater. Res. Soc. 715 (2002) A26.2.Google Scholar
11. Rath, J.K, Tichelaar, F.D., Meiling, H., and Schropp, R.E.I., Mater. Res. Soc. 507 (1998) 879.Google Scholar
12. Mahan, A. H., private communication.Google Scholar
13. Iwaniczko, E., Xu, Y., Schropp, R.E.I., Wang, Q., and Mahan, A.H., NREL/CP-520-30476 (2002) 67.Google Scholar
14. Meier, J., Torres, P., Platz, R., Dubail, S., Kroll, U., Selvan, J.A. Anna, Vaucher, N. Pellaton, Hof, Ch., Fischer, D., Keppner, H., Shah, A., Ufert, K.-D., Giannoules, P., and Koehler, J., Mater. Res. Soc. 420 (1996) 3.Google Scholar