Improved thermally stable surface and bulk passivation of PECVD SiN/sub x/:H using N/sub 2/ and SiH/sub 4/

Author

Weeber, A.W. ; Rieffe, H.C. ; Goris, M.J.A.A. ; Hong, J. ; Kessels, W.M.M. ; van de Sanden, M.C.M. ; Soppe, W.J.

Author_Institution

ECN Solar Energy, Petten, Netherlands

Volume

2

fYear

2003

fDate

18-18 May 2003

Firstpage

1131

Abstract

Excellent and thermally stable surface passivation of SiN/sub x/:H grown using N/sub 2/ and SiH/sub 4/ as precursor gases has been obtained with microwave PECVD. The thermal stability of the surface passivation is even better than that for layers deposited with NH/sub 3/ and SiH/sub 4/. Additionally, we found that the bulk passivating properties of SiN/sub x/:H deposited with N/sub 2/+SiH/sub 4/ are as good as that of the standard SiN/sub x/:H deposited with NH/sub 3/+SiH/sub 4/. Absorption at shorter wavelengths in SiN/sub x/:H layers deposited with N/sub 2/+SiH/sub 4/ is somewhat higher. Solar cell efficiencies are comparable for both nitrides.

Keywords

absorption coefficients; extinction coefficients; hydrogen; passivation; plasma CVD; refractive index; semiconductor growth; semiconductor thin films; silicon compounds; solar cells; thermal stability; wide band gap semiconductors; SiN:H; absorption coefficient; bulk passivating properties; extinction coefficient; microwave PECVD; refractive index; solar cell efficiencies; thermal stability; thermally stable surface passivation;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2003. Proceedings of 3rd World Conference on

Conference_Location

Osaka, Japan

Print_ISBN

4-9901816-0-3

Type

conf

Filename

1306114