title: Interface modification effect between p-type a-SiC:H and ZnO:Al in p-i-n amorphous silicon solar cells.
abstract: Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) [AZO] is a good candidate to be used as a transparent conducting oxide [TCO]. For solar cells having a hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide [a-SiC:H] or hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a-Si:H] window layer, the use of the AZO as TCO results in a deterioration of fill factor [FF], so fluorine-doped tin oxide (Sn02:F) [FTO] is usually preferred as a TCO. In this study, interface engineering is carried out at the AZO and p-type a-SiC:H interface to obtain a better solar cell performance without loss in the FF. The abrupt potential barrier at the interface of AZO and p-type a-SiC:H is made gradual by inserting a buffer layer. A few-nanometer-thick nanocrystalline silicon buffer layer between the AZO and a-SiC:H enhances the FF from 67% to 73% and the efficiency from 7.30% to 8.18%. Further improvements in the solar cell performance are expected through optimization of cell structures and doping levels.
authors.affiliation: School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 300 Cheoncheon-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, 440-746, South Korea. horizon044@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Seungsin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Jeong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Youn-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sk Md
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Iftiquar
authors.forename: Youngkuk
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jinjoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Junsin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi