Highly and quickly stabilized p–i–n/p–i–n-type protocrystalline silicon multilayer tandem solar cells

We have developed p–i–n/p–i–n-type protocrystalline silicon (pc-Si:H) multilayer tandem solar cells. The purpose of this work is to make a thin film silicon solar cell with low degradation by combining the virtues of a pc-Si:H multilayer and tandem structure. The usefulness of the pc-Si:H multilayer as a low degradation top and bottom cell was confirmed when we achieved a low degradation ratio of 10.0%. Notably, this tandem cell stabilized rapidly, within 1 h. Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) grains embedded in a pc-Si:H multilayer were detected with the aid of a planer transmission electron microscope. The isolated nc-Si grains may suppress the photocreation of dangling bonds due to non-radiative recombination in an a-Si:H matrix. Because of these embedded nc-Si grains, the pc-Si:H multilayer has a fast and high light-induced metastability.