Details
Original language | English |
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Journal | physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters |
Volume | 2024 |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 7 Oct 2024 |
Abstract
Keywords
- carrier lifetimes, crystalline silicon, firing stability, hafnium oxide, silicon nitride capping layers, solar cells, surface passivation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science(all)
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 2024, 07.10.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Electronic Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces Using Spatial‐Atomic‐Layer‐Deposited HfO2 Films and HfO2/SiNx Stacks
AU - Schmidt, Jan
AU - Winter, Michael
AU - Souren, Floor
AU - Bolding, Jons
AU - Vries, Hindrik de
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). physica status solidi (RRL) Rapid Research Letters published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
PY - 2024/10/7
Y1 - 2024/10/7
N2 - Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD) is applied to the electronic passivation of moderately doped (~10^16 cm^–3) p-type crystalline silicon surfaces by thin layers of hafnium oxide (HfO2). For 10 nm thick HfO2 layers annealed at 400°C, an effective surface recombination velocity Seff of 4 cm/s is achieved, which is below what has been reported before on moderately doped p-type silicon. The one-sun implied open-circuit voltage amounts to iVoc = 727 mV. After firing at 700°C peak temperature in a conveyor belt furnace, as applied in the production of solar cells, still a good level of surface passivation with an Seff of 21 cm/s is attained. Reducing the HfO2 thickness to 1 nm, the passivation virtually vanishes after firing (i.e., Seff > 1000 cm/s). However, by adding a capping layer of plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposited hydrogen-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) onto the 1 nm HfO2, a substantially improved firing stability is attained, as demonstrated by Seff values as low as 30 cm/s after firing, which is attributed to the hydrogenation of interface states. The presented study demonstrates that SALD-deposited HfO2 layers and HfO2/SiNx stacks have the potential to evolve into an attractive surface passivation scheme for future solar cells.
AB - Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD) is applied to the electronic passivation of moderately doped (~10^16 cm^–3) p-type crystalline silicon surfaces by thin layers of hafnium oxide (HfO2). For 10 nm thick HfO2 layers annealed at 400°C, an effective surface recombination velocity Seff of 4 cm/s is achieved, which is below what has been reported before on moderately doped p-type silicon. The one-sun implied open-circuit voltage amounts to iVoc = 727 mV. After firing at 700°C peak temperature in a conveyor belt furnace, as applied in the production of solar cells, still a good level of surface passivation with an Seff of 21 cm/s is attained. Reducing the HfO2 thickness to 1 nm, the passivation virtually vanishes after firing (i.e., Seff > 1000 cm/s). However, by adding a capping layer of plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposited hydrogen-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) onto the 1 nm HfO2, a substantially improved firing stability is attained, as demonstrated by Seff values as low as 30 cm/s after firing, which is attributed to the hydrogenation of interface states. The presented study demonstrates that SALD-deposited HfO2 layers and HfO2/SiNx stacks have the potential to evolve into an attractive surface passivation scheme for future solar cells.
KW - carrier lifetimes
KW - crystalline silicon
KW - firing stability
KW - hafnium oxide
KW - silicon nitride capping layers
KW - solar cells
KW - surface passivation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205532125&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/pssr.202400255
DO - 10.1002/pssr.202400255
M3 - Article
VL - 2024
JO - physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters
JF - physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters
SN - 1862-6254
ER -