Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell Characterization and Optimization using in Situ and Ex Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

We use in-situ and ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry to characterize the optical, electronic, and structural properties of individual layers and completed silicon heterojunction devices. The combination of in-situ measurements during thin film deposition with ex-situ measurements of completed devices allows us to understand both the growth dynamics of the materials and the effects of each processing step on material properties. In-situ ellipsometry measurements enable us to map out how the optical properties change with deposition conditions, pointing the way towards reducing the absorption loss and increasing device efficiency. We use the measured optical properties and thickness of the i-, n-, and p-layers in optical device modeling to determine how the material properties affect device performance. Our best solar energy conversion efficiencies are 16.9% for a non-textured, single-sided device with an aluminum back surface field contact on a p-type float zone silicon wafer, and 17.8% for a textured double-sided device on a p-type float zone silicon wafer