Explorative studies of novel silicon surface passivation materials: Considerations and lessons learned

Despite the existence of several highly effective and well-characterized passivating materials for crystalline silicon surfaces, the topic of surface passivation and the investigation of new passivating materials remain of considerable interest for silicon photovoltaics research. However, the questi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Solar energy materials and solar cells Vol. 188; pp. 182 - 189
Main Authors:	Black, L.E., van de Loo, B.W.H., Macco, B., Melskens, J., Berghuis, W.J.H., Kessels, W.M.M.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15-12-2018 Elsevier BV
Subjects:	Atomic layer deposition (ALD) Atomic layer epitaxy Film thickness Niobium oxides Oxides Passivating contacts Passivity Photovoltaic cells Photovoltaics Silicon Solar cells Surface passivation Titanium oxides Zinc oxide Solar cells Passivating contacts Silicon Surface passivation Atomic layer deposition (ALD)
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Summary:	Despite the existence of several highly effective and well-characterized passivating materials for crystalline silicon surfaces, the topic of surface passivation and the investigation of new passivating materials remain of considerable interest for silicon photovoltaics research. However, the question of whether and under what circumstances a particular material will provide effective surface passivation remains difficult to answer. In this work, we provide an overview of recent insights relating to this question, drawing from our own work on novel passivation materials including MoOx, Nb2O5, TiOx, ZnO, and POx, and illustrated with experimental results. Factors that strongly influence the passivation performance include the use of pre-grown interfacial oxides, the film thickness, the annealing conditions, and the presence of capping layers. The impact of these factors on the surface passivation can vary widely from material to material. Therefore, all of these factors should be taken into account when investigating potential new surface passivation materials. •A pre-grown surface oxide can be very beneficial for silicon surface passivation.•Film thickness can influence surface passivation in unexpected ways.•The optimal annealing treatment depends strongly on the passivation material.•Capping layers can improve surface passivation in particular cases.
ISSN:	0927-0248 1879-3398
DOI:	10.1016/j.solmat.2018.07.003