Properties and structure of <i>a</i>-SiC:H for high-efficiency <i>a</i>-Si solar cell

Abstract

A series of experimental investigations on optical and optoelectronic properties of methane- and ethylene-based a-SiC:H films has been made. The chemical bonding structure of two kinds of a- SiC:H films has also been explored from infrared (IR) absorption structural analysis. An experimental verification for the wide gap window material in the amorphous silicon solar cell is shown on methane- and ethylene-based a-SiC:H. The methane-based a-SiC:H film shows one or two orders of magnitude larger photoconductivity recovery effect of doping than the ethylene- based one. IR absorption analysis shows that the methane-based a-SiC:H film is recognized as a rather ideal amorphous SiC alloy as compared with the ethylene-based one. It has been found through these investigations that the methane-based a-SiC:H film is superior to the ethylene- based one as a window material. Utilizing the methane-based a-SiC:H, an 8% efficiency barrier has been broken through with an a-SiC:H/a-Si:H heterojunction structure.