|
Title:
|
|
Electron energy-loss spectroscopy of boron-doped layers in amorphous thin film silicon solar cells
|
|
|
|
Author(s):
|
Duchamp, M.; Boothroyd, C.B.; Moreno, M.S.; Aken, B.B. van; Soppe, W.J.; Dunin-Borkowski, R.E.
|
|
|
|
Published by:
|
Publication date:
|
|
ECN
Solar Energy
|
7-3-2013
|
|
|
|
ECN report number:
|
Document type:
|
|
ECN-W--13-005
|
Article (scientific)
|
|
|
|
Number of pages:
|
|
|
9
|
|
Published in: Journal of Applied Physics (American Institute of Physics), , 2013, Vol.113, p.093513-.
Abstract:
Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to study p-doped layers in n-i-p amorphous thin
film Si solar cells grown on steel foil substrates. For a solar cell in which an intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated Si (a-Si-H) layer is sandwiched between 10-nm-thick n-doped and p-doped a-Si:H layers, we assess whether core-loss EELS can be used to quantify the B concentration. We compare the shape of the measured B K edge with real space ab initio multiple scattering calculations and show that it is possible to separate the weak B K edge peak from the much stronger Si L edge fine structure by using log-normal fitting functions. The measured B concentration is compared with values obtained from secondary ion mass spectrometry, as well as with EELS results obtained from test samples that contain 200-nm-thick a-Si:H layers co-doped with B and C. We also assess whether changes in volume plasmon energy can be related to the B concentration and/or to the density of the material and whether variations of the volume plasmon line-width can be correlated with differences in the scattering of valence electrons in differently doped a-Si:H layers.
More Information:
Back to List