Current transport in ion-implanted MIS solar cells

Ion-implantation decreases the dark saturation current by virtue of increase in barrier height for thermionic emission at the metal semiconductor contact and decrease in the thermal generation of minority carriers in the implanted layer. The current transport is analyzed by considering the transmission velocity at the contact and the drift and diffusion of minority carriers in the implanted layer. The computed result shows quantitatively how ion-implantation can suppress the thermionic emission and minimize the dark saturation current. Ion-implantation also makes the structure insensitive to surface conditions of the semiconductor.