Publication

Humid environment stability of LPCVD ZnO: B used as transparent electrodes in thin film silicon solar cells

Christophe Ballif, Sylvie Faÿ, Stefan Meyer
2011
Working Papers

Abstract

The stability in humid environment of low pressure chemical vapor deposited boron doped zinc oxide (LPCVD ZnO:B) used as transparent conductive oxide in thin film silicon solar cells is investigated. Damp heat treatment (exposition to humid and hot atmosphere) induces a degradation of the electrical properties of unprotected LPCVD ZnO:B layers. By combining analyses of the electrical and optical properties of the films, we are able to attribute this behavior to an increase of electron grain boundary scattering. This is in contrast to the intragrain scattering mechanisms, which are not affected by damp heat exposure. The ZnO stability is enhanced for heavily doped films due to easier tunneling through potential barrier at grain boundaries.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/bf193516-1216-4d8c-8e80-ebb2ad22337d

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Christophe Ballif, Sylvie Faÿ, Stefan Meyer
2011
Working Papers

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/bf193516-1216-4d8c-8e80-ebb2ad22337d

About this result

Related concepts (22)

Thin-film solar cell

Thin-film solar cells are made by depositing one or more thin layers (thin films or TFs) of photovoltaic material onto a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. Thin-film solar cells are typically a few nanometers (nm) to a few microns (μm) thick–much thinner than the wafers used in conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells, which can be up to 200 μm thick. Thin-film solar cells are commercially used in several technologies, including cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous thin-film silicon (a-Si, TF-Si).

Polycrystalline silicon

Polycrystalline silicon, or multicrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon, poly-Si, or mc-Si, is a high purity, polycrystalline form of silicon, used as a raw material by the solar photovoltaic and electronics industry. Polysilicon is produced from metallurgical grade silicon by a chemical purification process, called the Siemens process. This process involves distillation of volatile silicon compounds, and their decomposition into silicon at high temperatures. An emerging, alternative process of refinement uses a fluidized bed reactor.

Transparent conducting film

Transparent conducting films (TCFs) are thin films of optically transparent and electrically conductive material. They are an important component in a number of electronic devices including liquid-crystal displays, OLEDs, touchscreens and photovoltaics. While indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most widely used, alternatives include wider-spectrum transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), conductive polymers, metal grids and random metallic networks, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, nanowire meshes and ultra thin metal films.

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