Electronic Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces Using Spatial‐Atomic‐Layer‐Deposited HfO2 Films and HfO2/SiNx Stacks

verfasst von: Jan Schmidt, Michael Winter, Floor Souren, Jons Bolding, Hindrik de Vries
Abstract: Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD) is applied to the electronic passivation of moderately doped (~10^16 cm^–3) p-type crystalline silicon surfaces by thin layers of hafnium oxide (HfO2). For 10 nm thick HfO2 layers annealed at 400°C, an effective surface recombination velocity Seff of 4 cm/s is achieved, which is below what has been reported before on moderately doped p-type silicon. The one-sun implied open-circuit voltage amounts to iVoc = 727 mV. After firing at 700°C peak temperature in a conveyor belt furnace, as applied in the production of solar cells, still a good level of surface passivation with an Seff of 21 cm/s is attained. Reducing the HfO2 thickness to 1 nm, the passivation virtually vanishes after firing (i.e., Seff > 1000 cm/s). However, by adding a capping layer of plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposited hydrogen-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) onto the 1 nm HfO2, a substantially improved firing stability is attained, as demonstrated by Seff values as low as 30 cm/s after firing, which is attributed to the hydrogenation of interface states. The presented study demonstrates that SALD-deposited HfO2 layers and HfO2/SiNx stacks have the potential to evolve into an attractive surface passivation scheme for future solar cells.
Organisationseinheit(en): Institut für Festkörperphysik
Abt. Solarenergie
Externe Organisation(en): Institut für Solarenergieforschung GmbH (ISFH)
Typ: Artikel
Journal: physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters
Band: 19
ISSN: 1862-6254
Publikationsdatum: 30.01.2025
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Physik der kondensierten Materie, Allgemeine Materialwissenschaften
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung: SDG 7 – Erschwingliche und saubere Energie
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.1002/pssr.202400255 (Zugang: Offen)

BibTeX

@article{1f7e6a7c0a194ca29d17d87fe7ab1446,
title = "Electronic Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces Using Spatial‐Atomic‐Layer‐Deposited HfO2 Films and HfO2/SiNx Stacks",
abstract = "Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (SALD) is applied to the electronic passivation of moderately doped (~10^16 cm^–3) p-type crystalline silicon surfaces by thin layers of hafnium oxide (HfO2). For 10 nm thick HfO2 layers annealed at 400°C, an effective surface recombination velocity Seff of 4 cm/s is achieved, which is below what has been reported before on moderately doped p-type silicon. The one-sun implied open-circuit voltage amounts to iVoc = 727 mV. After firing at 700°C peak temperature in a conveyor belt furnace, as applied in the production of solar cells, still a good level of surface passivation with an Seff of 21 cm/s is attained. Reducing the HfO2 thickness to 1 nm, the passivation virtually vanishes after firing (i.e., Seff > 1000 cm/s). However, by adding a capping layer of plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposited hydrogen-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) onto the 1 nm HfO2, a substantially improved firing stability is attained, as demonstrated by Seff values as low as 30 cm/s after firing, which is attributed to the hydrogenation of interface states. The presented study demonstrates that SALD-deposited HfO2 layers and HfO2/SiNx stacks have the potential to evolve into an attractive surface passivation scheme for future solar cells.",
keywords = "carrier lifetimes, crystalline silicon, firing stability, hafnium oxide, silicon nitride capping layers, solar cells, surface passivation",
author = "Jan Schmidt and Michael Winter and Floor Souren and Jons Bolding and Vries, {Hindrik de}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s). physica status solidi (RRL) Rapid Research Letters published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.",
year = "2025",
month = jan,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1002/pssr.202400255",
language = "English",
volume = "19",
journal = "physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters",
issn = "1862-6254",
publisher = "Wiley-VCH Verlag",
number = "2",
}