Short Communication

Excellent boron emitter passivation for high-efficiency Si wafer solar cells using AlOx/SiNx dielectric stacks deposited in an industrial inline plasma reactor

  1. Shubham Duttagupta1,2,*,
  2. Fen Lin1,
  3. Kishan Devappa Shetty1,
  4. Armin G. Aberle1,2,
  5. Bram Hoex1

Article first published online: 14 FEB 2012

DOI: 10.1002/pip.1259

Issue

Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications

Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications

Volume 21, Issue 4, pages 760–764, June 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Duttagupta, S., Lin, F., Shetty, K. D., Aberle, A. G. and Hoex, B. (2013), Excellent boron emitter passivation for high-efficiency Si wafer solar cells using AlOx/SiNx dielectric stacks deposited in an industrial inline plasma reactor. Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl., 21: 760–764. doi: 10.1002/pip.1259

Author Information

  1. 1

    Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore

  2. 2

    Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore

* Correspondence: Shubham Duttagupta, Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore.
E-mail: shubham.duttagupta@nus.edu.sg

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 MAY 2013
  2. Article first published online: 14 FEB 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 21 NOV 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 22 OCT 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 28 AUG 2011

Funded by

  • National Research Foundation of Singapore. Grant Number: NRF2009EWT-CERP001-056

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Keywords:

  • surface passivation;
  • crystalline silicon;
  • boron emitter;
  • PECVD aluminium oxide;
  • industrial inline PECVD reactor;
  • large-area high-efficiency Si wafer solar cells

ABSTRACT

Excellent passivation of boron emitters is realised using AlOx/SiNx dielectric stacks deposited in an industrial inline plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition reactor. Very low emitter saturation current density (J0e) values of 10 and 45 fA/cm2 are obtained for 180 and 30 Ω/sq planar p+ emitters, respectively. For textured p+ emitters, the J0e was found to be 1.5–2 times higher compared with planar emitters. The required thermal activation of the AlOx films is performed in a standard industrial fast-firing furnace, making the developed passivation stack industrially viable. We also show that an AlOx thickness of 5 nm in the AlOx/SiNx stack is sufficient for obtaining a J0e of 18 fA/cm2 for planar 80 Ω/sq p+ emitters, which corresponds to a 1-sun open-circuit voltage limit of the solar cell of 736 mV at 25 °C. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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