Effect of Three Different Masks Configuration on the Electrical Characteristics of Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-S:H) thin films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 13.56 MHz plasma excitation frequency and DC sputtering PVD on 1x1 cm2 Asahi Glass substrate covered by SnO2:F TCO, using three different Mask configuration and the same recipe. The electrical properties were investigated. The “PIN-Simple Metal mask + Electrode Tin welding mask” configuration, which is prepared by deposing the P,I and N layers on an Asahi Glass coated with SnO2:F TCO, then placing the metal mask only for the PVD deposition of the Aluminum back contact, to use a special Tin welding prepared manually by an ultrasonic welding pen at the end, significantly improves the efficiency, the FF and the Isc, to find a best cell electrical parameters of Isc(mA) 14,36 mA for the Isc, 0,846 V for the VOC, 64.56 % for the FF and 7.84 % for the efficiency which allows us to find an attractive solution for reducing contact resistance without laser scribing.