Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Efficiency-limiting defects in silicon solar cell material

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The precipitation rate of intentionally introduced iron during low-temperature heating is studied among a variety of single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon solar cell materials. A correlation exists between the iron precipitation rate and the carrier recombination rate in dislocation-free as-grown material, suggesting that diffusion-length-limiting defects in as-grown material are structural defects which accelerate iron precipitation. Phosphorous diffusion gettering was found to be particularly ineffective at improving diffusion length after intentional iron contamination in materials with high iron precipitation rates. We propose that intragranular structural defects in solar cell silicon greatly enhance transition metal precipitation during cooling from the melt and become highly recombination-active when decorated with these impurities. The defects then greatly impair diffusion length improvement during phosphorus gettering and limit carrier lifetimes in as-grown material.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M.A. Green,Semicond. Sci. Technol. 8, 1 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. F.V. Wald,Solar Energy Mater. 23, 175 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. MRS Bulletin 18 (1993).

  4. S. Narayanan, S.R. Wenham and M.A. Green,IEEE Trans. Electron Dev. 37, 382 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. W. Shockley and J.W.T. Read,Phys. Rev. 87, 835 (1952).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. R. N. Hall,Phys. Rev. 87, 387 (1952).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. V. Higgs and M. Kittler,Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 2085 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Kittler, W. Seifert and V. Higgs,Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 137, 327 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. R. Gleichmann, B. Cunningham and D. Ast,J. Appl. Phys. 58, 223 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. D. P. Singh and P. S. Basak.Indian J. Pure and Appl. Phys. 29, 717 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. T. Abe, T. Samizo and S. Maruyama,Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 5, 458 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. A.J.R. De Kock,Appl. Phys. Lett. 16, 100 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. P.M. Petroff and A.J.R. De Kock,J. Cryst. Growth 30, 117 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. A.J.R. De Kock,Defects in Semiconductors, eds. J. Narayan and T.Y. Tan (Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1981), p. 309.

    Google Scholar 

  15. T.F. Ciszek,J. Electrochem. Soc. 120, 94 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. X. Zong, Y. Chen, H. Cao, X. Gu and J. Zheng,Chin. J. Semicond. 3, 413 (1982).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. T. Yamauchi, Y. Tsumori, T. Nakashizu, H. Esaka, S. Takao and S. Shinoyama,Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 2, Lett. 31, L439 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. T.H. Wang, T.F. Ciszek and T. Schuyler,Solar Cells 24, 135 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. S.A. McHugo and W.D. Sawyer,Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 2519 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. D. Gilles, E.R. Weber and S. Hahn,Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 196 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. D. Gilles, E.R. Weber and S. Hahn,Semiconductor Silicon 90, 697 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  22. F.S. Ham,J. Phys. Chem. Solids 6, 335 (1958).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. J. Bailey and E.R. Weber,Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 137, 515 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. S.K. Pang, A. Rohatgi, B. L. Sopori and G. Fiegl,J. Electrochem. Soc. 137, 1977 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. S.K. Pang and A. Rohatgi,Appl. Phys. Lett. 59, 195 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. H. Lemke,Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 64, 215 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. L.C. Kimerling and J.L. Benton,Physica 116B, 297 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  28. L. Jastrzebski, W. Henley and C. J. Nuese,Solid State Technol. 35, 27 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. J. Lagowski, P. Edelman, M. Dexter and W. Henley,Semicond. Sci. Technol. 7, A185 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. E.R. Weber,Appl. Phys. A 30, 1 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  31. J.P. Kalejs, L. Jastrzebski, L. Lagowski, W. Henley, D. Schielein, S.G. Balster and D.K. Schroder,Proc. 12th European PV SEC, Amsterdam, 1994. Independent confirmation by the authors.

  32. ASTM Annual Book of Standards, 10.05, 191 (1989).

  33. T. Higuchi, E. Gaylord, G.A. Rozgonyi and E. Shimura,Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 1850 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. T. Munakata and I. Tanasawa,J. Cryst. Growth 106, 566 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. J.P. Kalejs and B. Chalmers,J. Cryst. Growth 79, 487 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. J.P. Kalejs and LA. Ladd,Appl. Phys. Lett. 45, 540 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. R. Gleichmann, J.P. Kalejs and D.G. Ast,Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 36, 181 (1985).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Q. Sun, K.H. Yao, J. Lagowski and H.C. Gatos,J. Appl. Phys. 67, 4313 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. R. Murphy and B.L. Sopori,Mater. Res. Soc. Spring Mtg., 1995, Symp. B, San Francisco, CA, 1995.

  40. P. Sana, A. Rohatgi, J.P. Kalejs and R.O. Bell,Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 97 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Mineral Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 94720, Berkeley, CA

    Jeff Bailey, Scott A. Mc Hugo, Henry Hieslmair & Eicke R. Weber

Authors
  1. Jeff Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Scott A. Mc Hugo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henry Hieslmair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Eicke R. Weber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bailey, J., Mc Hugo, S.A., Hieslmair, H. et al. Efficiency-limiting defects in silicon solar cell material. J. Electron. Mater. 25, 1417–1421 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02655376

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02655376

Key words

Search

Navigation