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Structural studies of n-type nc-Si–QD thin films for nc-Si solar cells
- Source :
- Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. 111:115-122
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2017.
-
Abstract
- A wide optical gap nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) dielectric material is a basic requirement at the n -type window layer of nc-Si solar cells in thin film n-i-p structure on glass substrates. Taking advantage of the high atomic-H density inherent to the planar inductively coupled low-pressure (SiH 4 + CH 4 )-plasma, development of an analogous material in P-doped nc-Si–QD/a-SiC:H network has been tried. Incorporation of C in the Si-network extracted from the CH 4 widens the optical band gap; however, at enhanced PH 3 -dilution of the plasma spontaneous miniaturization of the nc-Si–QDs below the dimension of Bohr radius (∼4.5 nm) further enhances the band gap by virtue of the quantum size effect. At increased flow rate of PH 3 , dopant induced continuous amorphization of the intrinsic crystalline network is counterbalanced by the further crystallization promoted by the supplementary atomic-H extracted from PH 3 (1% in H 2 ) in the plasma, eventually holding a moderately high degree of crystallinity. The n -type wide band gap (∼1.93 eV) window layer with nc-Si–QDs in adequate volume fraction (∼52%) could furthermore be instrumental as an effective seed layer for advancing sequential crystallization in the i -layer of nc-Si solar cells with n-i-p structure in superstrate configuration.
- Subjects :
- 010302 applied physics
Materials science
Dopant
business.industry
Band gap
Analytical chemistry
Nanocrystalline silicon
Wide-bandgap semiconductor
02 engineering and technology
General Chemistry
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Condensed Matter Physics
01 natural sciences
law.invention
Crystallinity
Optics
law
0103 physical sciences
Solar cell
General Materials Science
Crystallization
Thin film
0210 nano-technology
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00223697
- Volume :
- 111
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........09edf4ed7899de2d3c3931419a7a702f