SINX-H SIO2 DOUBLE-LAYER PASSIVATION WITH HYDROGEN-RADICAL ANNEALING FOR SOLAR-CELLS/

A SiNx:H/SiO2 double-layer structure as the passivation layer and hydr ogen-radical post annealing were introduced to decrease the surface re combination velocity on crystalline silicon. Effective lifetime was mu ch increased by introducing a SiNx:H/SiO2 double-layer passivation str ucture instead of a SiNx:H or SiO2 single-layer, while the hydrogen ra dical post annealing improves the interface characteristics more effec tively than N-2 annealing. The results of C-V measurement suggest that many positive charges exist in the SiNx:H layer. The combination of f ield effect by these charges and the decrease of SiO2/c-Si interface d efects by hydrogen-radical annealing effectively decrease the surface recombination velocity.