APPARENT GETTERING OF THE STAEBLER-WRONSKI EFFECT IN AMORPHOUS-SILICON SOLAR-CELLS

Citation
Rei. Schropp et al., APPARENT GETTERING OF THE STAEBLER-WRONSKI EFFECT IN AMORPHOUS-SILICON SOLAR-CELLS, Solar energy materials and solar cells, 34(1-4), 1994, pp. 455-463
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Energy & Fuels","Material Science
ISSN journal
09270248
Volume
34
Issue
1-4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
455 - 463
Database
ISI
SICI code
0927-0248(1994)34:1-4<455:AGOTSE>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
The stability behaviour of intrinsic amorphous silicon materials incor porated in a p(+)-i-n(+) solar cell structure is considerably differen t from that observed by electrical characterization methods in individ ual thin films. This is due to the fundamental difference in Fermi-lev el position in a single layer compared to the situation occurring in d evices. We have employed the differences in the re-equilibration behav iour that have been observed in various intrinsic materials when the F ermi-level is shifted towards the valence band edge, in order to desig n a cell with a new profiled i-layer which would possess an improved e lectric field distribution after light soaking compared to cells with a constant i-layer. The contribution of the interface region to the st abilized conversion efficiency is greatly improved, whereas the first 50 nm of the cell structure remains unchanged. Thus, it appears that t he Staebler-Wronski effect is gettered away from the junction, much li ke the impurity gettering concept in crystalline solar cells.