Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of F doped SnO2 for optimum performance solar cells

Sheel, DW; Yates, HM; Evans, P; Dagkaldiran, U; Gordijn, A; Finger, F; Remes, Z; Vanecek, M

Abstract

The potential of thin film photovoltaic technologies in supporting sustainable energy policies has led to
increasing interest in high performance transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), and in particular doped
SnO2, as electrical contacts for solar cells. We have developed an advanced atmospheric pressure chemical
vapour deposition process, by applying fast experimentation and using a combinatorial chemistry approach
to aid the studies. The deposited films were characterised for crystallinity, morphology (roughness) and
resistance to aid optimisation of material suitable for solar cells. Optical measurements on these samples
showed low absorption losses, less than 1% around 500 nm for 1 pass, which is much lower than those of
industrially available TCOs. Selected samples were then used for manufacturing single amorphous silicon
(a-Si:H) solar cells, which showed high solar energy conversion efficiencies up to 8.2% and high short circuit
currents of 16 mA/cm2. Compared with (commercially available) TCO glasses coated by chemical vapour
deposition, our TCO coatings show excellent performance resulting in a high quantum efficiency yield for a-
Si:H solar cells.

Citation

Sheel, D., Yates, H., Evans, P., Dagkaldiran, U., Gordijn, A., Finger, F., …Vanecek, M. (2009). Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of F doped SnO2 for optimum performance solar cells. Thin Solid Films, 517(10), 3061-3065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2008.11.121

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Oct 21, 2011
• Journal: Thin Solid Films
• Print ISSN: 0040-6090
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 517
• Issue: 10
• Pages: 3061-3065
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2008.11.121
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/:10.1016/j.tsf.2008.11.121