Title :
Hydrogen plasma durability of SnO2:F films for use in a-Si solar cells
Author :
Sato, Kazuo ; Adachi, Kunihiko ; Hayashi, Yasuo ; Mizuhashi, M.
Author_Institution :
Asahi Glass Res. Lab., Yokohama, Japan
Abstract :
The hydrogen plasma durability of textured SnO2:F films was investigated at 220 degrees C. It was found that during the initial stage of exposure, TCO films with a carrier concentration less than 4*1020 cm-3 show a decrease in resistivity. A Hall-effect measurement revealed that the decrease in resistivity was due mostly to a mobility increase. This increase could be explained by the reduction of potential barrier height due to the proton passivation of grain boundaries. The results suggest that SnO2:F films with low carrier concentration pretreated by hydrogen plasma can possess the conflicting properties of low absorption and low resistivity.
Keywords :
amorphous semiconductors; carrier mobility; elemental semiconductors; fluorine; hydrogen; plasma-wall interactions; silicon; solar cells; tin compounds; 220 degC; H plasma; H2 plasma durability; Hall-effect measurement; amorphous Si solar cells; carrier concentration; grain boundary proton passivation; mobility increase; potential barrier height reduction; resistivity; semiconductors; textured SnO2:F films; Absorption; Conductivity; Grain boundaries; Hydrogen; Optical films; Optical reflection; Passivation; Photovoltaic cells; Plasma properties; Plasma temperature; Protons; Solids; Surface cracks; Temperature dependence;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1988., Conference Record of the Twentieth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Las Vegas, NV, USA
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.1988.105701
