ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE DEFECTS IN SOLAR CELLSBASED ON AMORPHOUS SILICON/CRYSTALLINE SILICON HETEROJUNCTION AFTER IRRADIATION BY HEAVY Xe IONS

Ladislav Harmatha – Miroslav Mikolášek – Ľubica Stuchlíkvá – Arpád Kósa –
Milan Žiška – Ladislav Hrubčín – Vladimir A. Skuratov

   The contribution is focused on the diagnostics of structures with a heterojunction between amorphous and crystalline silicon prepared by HIT (Heterojunction with an Intrinsic Thin layer) technology. The samples were irradiated by Xe ions with energy 167 MeV and doses from 5×10⁸cm^-2 to 5×10¹⁰cm^-2. Radiation defects induced in the bulk of Si and at the hydrogenated amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) interface were identified by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS). Radiation induced A-centre traps, boron vacancy traps and different types of divacancies with a high value of activation energy were observed. With an increased fluence of heavy ions the nature and density of the radiation induced defects was changed.

Keywords: silicon HIT solar cell, amorphous-crystalline silicon heterostructure, DLTS measurement, high-energy heavy Xe ions irradiation, radiation hardness

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