Surface and bulk light scattering in microcrystalline silicon for solar cells

We present here an overview of the light scattering influence on the absorp tion coefficient spectra alpha(E) measured by constant photocurrent method (CPM) and/or by photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). We compare resu lts of numerical simulation with the measured CPM and PDS spectra and verif y our theory by polishing the as-grown nanotextured layers. We show that th e experimentally observed apparent absorption coefficient can overestimate the true alpha(E) by a factor of 10. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.