Microcrystalline silicon from very high frequency plasma deposition and hot-wire CVD for 'micromorph' tandem solar cells

The authors have grown microcrystalline silicon from a glow discharge at very high frequencies of 55 MHz and 170 MHz with high hydrogen dilution, and also, at more than 10 times higher growth rates, similar films by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. Both kinds of materials have extensively been characterized and compared in terms of structural, optical and electronic properties, which greatly improve by deposition in a multi- instead of a single-chamber system. Incorporation of these different materials into p-i-n solar cells results in open circuit voltages of about 400 mV as long as the doped layers are microcrystalline and rise to more than 870 mV if amorphous p- and n-layers are used. Quantum efficiencies and fill factors are still poor but leave room for further improvement, as clearly demonstrated by a remarkable reverse bias quantum efficiency gain.