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  Calnan, S.; David, C.; Neumann, A.; Papathanasiou, N.; Schlatmann, R.; Rech, B.: Modification of light scattering properties of boron doped zinc oxide grown by Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition using wet chemical etching. In: 35th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC 2010) : Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 20 - 25 June 2010Piscataway, NJ: IEEE, 2010. - ISBN 978-1-424-45890-5, p. 1474-1478

Abstract:
The best light scattering properties for ZnO:B films grown by Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD) require low doping in the precursors and films. Such films must be thicker than 2 μ m to achieve sheet resistances ≤ 20 Ω/sq, suitable for thin film silicon solar cells. In this study, ZnO:B films, grown by LPCVD with different doping levels, were etched using several solutions so as to modify their surface morphology in a quick and simple way. The haze ratio, at 800 nm, of the films increased from values below 10 % to about 20 % after etching. Observation of the SEM micrographs confirmed that the film surface had been modified by the etching process. Highly doped films could be etched to achieve a high haze while keeping the sheet resistance below 15 Ω /sq. Tandem junctions consisting of amorphous silicon p-i-n and micro-crystalline silicon p-i-n solar cells grown on etched highly doped ZnO:B films exhibited higher open circuit voltage than those on a natively textured lower doped films. Further optimization of both the etching process and the starting ZnO:B material is expected to lead to higher solar cell efficiency. These results show that the optimum thickness of ZnO:B front contacts in thin film silicon can be reduced, potentially cutting production time and material costs.