Ultrahigh-Rate Deposition of Amorphous Silicon Films by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Using atmospheric pressure plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD), extremely high-rate deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films for photovoltaic layers of thin film solar cells were performed. Relationship between each deposition parameter and the film properties was studied. Optimizing the input power, photoconductivity of the film because almost constant and greater than 10-5Ω-1cm-1 in the range of deposition rate from 24 to 336 nm/s. Based on the results, the a-Si:H films were applied to the i-layers of p-i-n single junction solar cells. As a result, a normalized efficiency of approximately 85% was obtained for the a-Si:H solar cell of which i-layer was prepared at the very high deposition rate of 128.1 nm/s.