Abstract
FTIR spectroscopy is a versatile and non-destructive optical characterization method for many materials, including a-Si:H and nc-Si:H, and structural material properties can be derived with relative ease. The ratio of the FTIR absorption in the hydrogen-silicon stretching modes at 2090 and 2000 cm-1was correlated early in the history of a- Si:H solar cells to light-induced degradation. However, the stretching modes were predominantly attributed to the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to a silicon atom and only recently a more adequate model based on the a-Si:H nanostructure has been established, which accounts for the influence that vacancies and voids have on the material properties. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon stands out from other semiconductors by great tunability in a wide deposition parameter space. This allows for the synthesis of different layers with unique properties, and the IR absorptance spectra have proven to be useful as a tool to select the right materials for the right application: • For the archetypical application as a PV absorber layer, a-Si:H material is optimized for high mass density, low defect density, and a low microstructure factor. The combination of a moderately narrow bandgap with minimized light-induced degradation yields high-efficiency devices [10, 51, 83-87]. • Narrow-bandgap a-Si:H can be used as bottom-cell absorber in multi-junction solar cells, yielding high currents [14]. Alloying with Ge reduces the bandgap further. • Wide-bandgap a-Si:H can be used as top-cell absorber, yielding high voltages [14, 88-93]. Alloying with C or O widens the bandgap further. • Few nanometer thick a-Si:H layers are optimized for the surface passivation of crystalline silicon in heterojunction solar cells, in which case not only low microstructure material performs well, but also more porous a-Si:H can be suitable [16]. • Stress-controlled a-Si:H is required to grow thick a-Si:H for detector applications [94]. • For optical applications, a-Si:H can be used in waveguides [34, 35] and is also useful for programmable applications due to the tunability of the complex optical response [28, 32]. For the latter application, a-Si:H with a somewhat elevated microstructure factor seems to be preferred to realize a larger difference between two switchable values of the refractive index, owing to the more pronounced Staebler-Wronski effect in such a-Si:H material in comparison to the type of a-Si:H that is typically preferred as a PV absorber layer. • Porous a-Si:H can serve as solid matrix or reservoir to embed other materials such as lithium for battery applications [95]. When a-Si:H is utilized in each of these applications, the particular nanostructure, hydrogen content, and the way hydrogen is configured in the material all impact the final material and device functionality.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The World Scientific Reference of Amorphous Marterials |
Subtitle of host publication | Structure, Properties, Modeling and Main Applications : Volume 3 Structure, Properties, and Applications of Tetrahedrally Bonded Thin-Film Amorphous Semiconductors |
Editors | Nikolas J. Podraza, Robert W. Collins |
Publisher | World Scientific |
Chapter | 3 |
Pages | 85-128 |
Number of pages | 44 |
Volume | 3 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-981-121-594-0 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-981-121-555-1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Publication series
Name | Materials and Energy |
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Volume | 15 |
ISSN (Print) | 2335-6596 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2335-660X |
Bibliographical note
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Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.