A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells
The recombination of electric charge carriers at the surface of semiconductors is a major limiting factor in the efficiency of optoelectronic devices, in particular, solar cells. The reduction of such recombination, commonly referred to as surface passivation, is achieved by the combined effect of a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing
2014
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| _version_ | 1797088111471099904 |
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| author | Bonilla Osorio, RS Wilshaw, P |
| author_facet | Bonilla Osorio, RS Wilshaw, P |
| author_sort | Bonilla Osorio, RS |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The recombination of electric charge carriers at the surface of semiconductors is a major limiting factor in the efficiency of optoelectronic devices, in particular, solar cells. The reduction of such recombination, commonly referred to as surface passivation, is achieved by the combined effect of a reduction in the trap states present at the surface via a chemical component, and the reduction in the charge carriers available for a recombination process, via a field effect component. Here, we propose a technique to field effect passivate silicon surfaces using the electric field effect provided by alkali ions present in a capping oxide. This technique is shown to reduce surface recombination in a controlled manner, and to be highly stable. Surface recombination velocities in the range of 6–15 cm/s are demonstrated for 1 Ω cm n-type float zone silicon using this technique, and they are observed to be constant for over 300 days, without the use of any additional surface chemical treatment. A model of trapping-mediated ionic injection is used to describe the system, and activation energies of 1.8–2 eV are deduced for de-trapping of sodium and potassium alkali ionic species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:45:14Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:abd6227e-85e4-456a-aac1-4d8980e22fed |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:45:14Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:abd6227e-85e4-456a-aac1-4d8980e22fed2022-03-27T03:24:38ZA technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cellsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:abd6227e-85e4-456a-aac1-4d8980e22fedEnglishSymplectic ElementsAIP Publishing2014Bonilla Osorio, RS Wilshaw, PThe recombination of electric charge carriers at the surface of semiconductors is a major limiting factor in the efficiency of optoelectronic devices, in particular, solar cells. The reduction of such recombination, commonly referred to as surface passivation, is achieved by the combined effect of a reduction in the trap states present at the surface via a chemical component, and the reduction in the charge carriers available for a recombination process, via a field effect component. Here, we propose a technique to field effect passivate silicon surfaces using the electric field effect provided by alkali ions present in a capping oxide. This technique is shown to reduce surface recombination in a controlled manner, and to be highly stable. Surface recombination velocities in the range of 6–15 cm/s are demonstrated for 1 Ω cm n-type float zone silicon using this technique, and they are observed to be constant for over 300 days, without the use of any additional surface chemical treatment. A model of trapping-mediated ionic injection is used to describe the system, and activation energies of 1.8–2 eV are deduced for de-trapping of sodium and potassium alkali ionic species. |
| spellingShingle | Bonilla Osorio, RS Wilshaw, P A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title | A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title_full | A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title_fullStr | A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title_short | A technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
| title_sort | technique for field effect surface passivation for silicon solar cells |
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