Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

High-temperature laser annealing for thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cell on glass substrate

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thin film polycrystalline silicon films grown on glass substrate were irradiated with an infrared continuous wave laser for defects annealing and/or dopants activation. The samples were uniformly scanned using an attachment with the laser system. Substrate temperature, scan speed and laser power were varied to find suitable laser annealing conditions. The Raman spectroscopy and Suns-V oc analysis were carried out to qualify the films quality after laser annealing. A maximum enhancement of the open circuit voltage V oc of about 100 mV is obtained after laser annealing of as-grown polysilicon structures. A strong correlation was found between the full width half maximum of the Si crystalline peak and V oc. It is interpreted as due to defects annealing as well as to dopants activation in the absorbing silicon layer. The maximum V oc reached is 485 mV after laser treatment and plasma hydrogenation, thanks to defects passivation.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J.F. Michaud, R. Rogel, T. Mohammed-Brahim, M. Sarret, CW argon laser crystallization of silicon films: structural properties. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 352, 998 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. G. Andra, J. Bergmann, F. Falk, Laser crystallized multicrystalline silicon thin films on glass. Thin Solid Films 487, 77 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. T. Noguchi, Effective dopant activation in silicon film using excimer laser annealing for high-performance thin film transistors. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 47(3), 1858 (2008)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. R. Gunawan, M.Y.L. Jung, E.G. Seebauer, R.D. Braatz, Optimal control of rapid thermal annealing in a semiconductor process. J. Process Control 14(4), 423 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. P. Doshi, A. Rohatgi, M. Ropp, Z. Chen, D. Ruby, D.L. Meier, Rapid thermal processing of high-efficiency silicon solar cells with controlled in-situ annealing. Sol. Eng. Mat. Sol. Cells 41–42, 31 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. D. Mathiot, A. Lachiq, A. Slaoui, S. Noël, J.C. Muller, C. Dubois, Phosphorus diffusion from a spin-on doped glass (SOD) source during rapid thermal annealing. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 1(3–4), 231 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M.L. Terry, A. Straub, D. Inns, D. Song, A.G. Aberle, Large open-circuit voltage improvement by rapid thermal annealing of evaporated solid-phase-crystallized thin-film silicon solar cells on glass. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86(17), 1 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. M.L. Terry, D. Inns, A.G. Aberle, Rapid thermal annealing and hydrogen passivation of polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on low-temperature glass. Advances in Opto Electronics 83657 (2007)

  9. G. Aichmayr, D. Toet, M. Mulato, P.V. Santos, A. Spangenberg, R.B. Bergmann, Growth mechanisms in laser crystallization and laser interference crystallization. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 227–230, 921 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. http://www.schott.com/hometech/english/download/brochure_borofloat_e.pdf (accessed on 15/09/2011)

  11. M.J. Keevers, T.L. Young, U. Schubert, M.A. Green, 10% efficient CSG minimodules, in 22nd EPVSEC, Milan, Italy, 3–7 September 2007

    Google Scholar 

  12. M. Wolf, H. Rauschenbach, Series resistance effects on solar cell measurements. Adv. Eng. Conv. 3, 455 (1963)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. R.A. Sinton, A. Cuevas, Contactless determination of current–voltage characteristics and minority-carrier lifetimes in semiconductors from quasi-steady-state photoconductance data. Appl. Phys. Lett. 69(17), 2510 (1996)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. S.M. Sze, K.K. Ng, Physics of Semiconductor Devices (Wiley, New York, 2007), p. 95

    Google Scholar 

  15. D. Madi, P. Prathap, A. Focsa, A. Slaoui, B. Birouk, Effective hydrogenation and surface damage induced by MW-ECR plasma of fine-grained polycrystalline silicon. Appl. Phys. A 99(4), 729 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the European commission under project entitled POLYSIMODE. The authors are thankful to Adrien Merlen for operating the laser system.

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. Schneider

    Present address: Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics, Halle, Germany

  2. J. Dore

    Present address: Suntech R&D Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. InESS-UdS-CNRS, Strasbourg, France

    A. Chowdhury & A. Slaoui

  2. CSG Solar AG, Thalheim, Germany

    J. Schneider & J. Dore

  3. IREPA Laser, Strasbourg, France

    F. Mermet

Authors
  1. A. Chowdhury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Dore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F. Mermet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Slaoui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Chowdhury.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chowdhury, A., Schneider, J., Dore, J. et al. High-temperature laser annealing for thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cell on glass substrate. Appl. Phys. A 107, 653–659 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-012-6811-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-012-6811-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation