High-rate atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 for the surface passivation of Si solar cells
Abstract
High-rate spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) enables an industrially relevant deposition of high-quality aluminum oxide (Al2O3) films for the surface passivation of silicon solar cells. We demonstrate a homogeneous surface passivation at a deposition rate of ∼30nm/min on 15.6×15.6cm2 silicon wafers of 10nm thick Al2O3 layers deposited in a novel inline spatial ALD system. The effective surface recombination velocity on n-type Czochralski-grown (Cz) silicon wafers is shown to be virtually independent of injection level. Surface recombination velocities below 2.9cm/s and an extremely low interface state density below 8×1010eV 1cm 2 are achieved. We demonstrate that the novel inline spatial ALD system provides the means to integrate Al2O3 passivation layers into industrial solar cells.
- Publication:
-
Energy Procedia
- Pub Date:
- 2011
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2011EnPro...8..301W
- Keywords:
-
- Silicon;
- Surface passivation;
- Aluminum oxide;
- Spatial ALD ;