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Structural Properties of a-Si:H Films with Improved Stability against Light Induced Degradation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Gijs van Elzakker ,
Pavel Ŝutta  and
Miro Zeman
Gijs van Elzakker
Affiliation:
gijs@vanelzakker.nl, Delft University of Technology, Electrical Energy Conversion Unit, Delft, Netherlands
Pavel Ŝutta
Affiliation:
sutta@ntc.zcu.cz, University of West Bohemia, NTRC, Plzen, Czech Republic
Miro Zeman
Affiliation:
m.zeman@tudelft.nl, Delft University of Technology, Electrical Energy Conversion Unit, Delft, Netherlands
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Abstract

X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of thin silicon films was carried out using both the symmetric Bragg-Brentano and asymmetric thin-film attachment geometries. The asymmetric configuration allows quantitative phase analysis of the films and reveals that amorphous silicon films deposited from silane diluted with hydrogen have the strongest peak in the XRD patterns located around 27.5 degrees. This peak corresponds to the signal from ordered domains of tetragonal silicon hydride and not from cubic silicon crystallites. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of this peak narrows from 5.1 to 4.8 degrees as the ratio of hydrogen to silane flow (R) increases to 20 and does not change significantly for higher hydrogen dilutions. The amorphous silicon films fabricated at different hydrogen dilution were applied as absorber layers in single-junction solar cells. Degradation experiments confirm a substantial reduction of the degradation when the dilution ratio is increased from R=0 to R=20. The light induced degradation of solar cells with absorber layers prepared at R > 20 is not further reduced by increasing R.

Keywords

amorphousSix-ray diffraction (XRD)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1153: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin Film Silicon Science and Technology–2009 , 2009 , 1153-A18-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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