High performance solar cells with silicon carbon nitride (SiCxNy) antireflection coatings deposited from polymeric solid source

Silicon carbon nitride (SiCxNy) antireflection (AR) coating layer has been coated using a novel silane-free processs and aparatus for a solid source developed at SiXtron Advanced Materials to eliminate the storage and handling of dangerous pyrophoric silane gas. The electrical and optical properties of the new AR coating layer are investigated and compared with those of SiNx films coated with SiH4 gas. As NH3 flow rate increases, carbon content, refractive index, and surface charge density of the film reduces. Screen printed 149 cm² Cz Si solar cells with SiCxNy AR coating layer formed from the new solid source provide a conversion efficiency of 16.9% which is comparable with that of conventional SiNx coated solar cells.