Modify the Schottky contact between fluorine-doped tin oxide front electrode and p-a-SiC:H by carbon dioxide plasma treatment. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Tiantian; Zhang, Xiaodan; Ni, Jian; Fang, Jia; Zhang, Dekun; Sun, Jian; Wei, Changchun; Xu, Shengzhi; Wang, Guangcai; Zhao, Ying
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 134(2016)
• Page Start: 375
• Page End: 382
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide plasma -- SnO2:F front electrode -- Interface -- Amorphous silicon solar cell; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2016.04.042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: CO2 plasma treatment is a simple and effective way to modify the interface of p-a-SiC:H/FTO. The behavior of the radicals in COP and the mechanism of the COP treatment on FTO was proposed. Both of the Voc and FF of the a-Si:H solar cells have been improved based on the COP treatment. Abstract: Carbon dioxide plasma (COP) treatment of a fluorine-doped tin oxide (SnO2 :F, FTO) front electrode was used for the fabrication of p–i–n hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. The oxygen and carbon monoxide radicals in COP play important roles of de-doping and doping effects on the surface of FTO, respectively. Through changing the COP treatment time, the de-doping and doping effects could alter the number of oxygen vacancies for both the bulk and the surface of FTO, resulting in an increase in the work function ( WF ) and a decrease in the Schottky barrier at the p-a-SiC:H/FTO interface. Due to an increase in the WF from 4.16 eV to 4.34 eV after 95 s treatment, the open circuit voltage ( Voc ) of the a-Si:H solar cells increased from 915 mV to 965 mV and the fill factor ( FF ) increased from 67.7% to 74.4%. Although the short-circuit current density ( Jsc ) decreased from 11.76 mA/cm 2 to 10.36 mA/cm 2 after 95 s COP treatment due to the weakness of Burstein–Moss (BM) shift and the recombination at FTO surface, the conversion efficiency of the a-Si:H solar cell was enhanced by 12.24% after 45 s COP treatment, accompanied by improving the Voc and FF with almost constant Jsc .