The effects of phosphorus precipitation on the open-circuit voltage in N+/P silicon solar cells

✍ Scribed by P. Ostoja; S. Guerri; P. Negrini; S. Solmi

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Weight: 754 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-6787(84)90114-5

✦ Synopsis

We have found that the emitter recombination current, which limits the open-circuit voltage in silicon solar cells with heavily phosphorus-doped shallow emitters, depends on the junction fabrication procedures. In fact, the physical properties which influence the emitter recombination current include not only the surface recombination velocity (which can be controlled by appropriate surface passivation techniques and optimized front metal coverage factors) but also the bulk emitter lifetime. It is shown that the bulk emitter lifetime depends on the presence of phosphide precipitates, and it is this precipitation phenomenon that causes reduced values of the open-circuit voltage. Junction fabrication procedures which result in the suppression of the precipitation phenomenon and experimental data which demonstrate the importance of this effect are presented and discussed.