Low cost SnO2:P/SiO2/n-Si (textured) heterojunction solar cells

SnO2:P/SiO2/n-Si (textured) (SPNT) heterojunctions were prepared by chemical vapour deposition of phosphorus-doped tin oxide films onto heated n-Si single crystals with orientation and a resistivity of 0.1 Omega cm. Before the deposition of SnO2:P the wafers were textured and a SiO2 layer was chemically grown onto the n-Si surface. The electrical properties of the SPNTheterojunction were studied by means of current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. The dark I-V characteristics showed that injected current controls the transport mechanism. The presence of interface states was found to play an important role in the electrical properties of the junction. The C-V measurements at a frequency of 1 kHz showed the abrupt nature of a junction with a built-in voltage Vd=0.82 V. A solar cell of active area 2.0 cm2 shows a conversion efficiency of 12.6% under AM1 simulated irradiation.