• Schulze, T.F.; Korte, L.; Rech, B.: Impact of a-Si:H hydrogen depth profiles on passivation properties in a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunctions. Thin Solid Films 520 (2012), p. 4439-4444

10.1016/j.tsf.2012.02.020

Abstract:
We explore the (near-)interface structure of amorphous/crystalline silicon (a-{Si:H/c-Si)} heterojunctions as employed in high-efficiency heterojunction solar cells. We make use of secondary-ion-mass-spectroscopy profiles and minority carrier lifetime measurements taken on undoped deuterated amorphous silicon [(i)a-{Si:D]} layers deposited on c-Si from deuterated silane at identical conditions as the hydrogenated layers we have analyzed previously [T. F. Schulze et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96 (2010) 252102]. We briefly discuss the implications of the local interface structure for the c-Si surface passivation as well as for the heterojunction band offsets, and identify a route towards optimization of (i)a-{Si:H} layers as passivating buffers in a-{Si:H/c-Si} high-efficiency heterojunction solar cells.