title: Measuring the lifetime of silicon nanocrystal solar cell photo-carriers by using Kelvin probe force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
abstract: We report the first measurements of photo-carrier lifetimes in silicon nanocrystal-based third generation solar cells by Kelvin force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under modulated frequency light illumination. A high concentration of active defects at the interface between the nanocrystals and silicon oxide matrix may be passivated by annealing under hydrogen. We found that the carrier lifetime, τ, is τ = 7 × 10(-5) s and τ = 3.5 × 10(-5) s within 10% accuracy for the hydrogen passivated and non-passivated nanocrystals, respectively. We used an exponential model to confirm the experimental potential measurements and to estimate photo-carrier lifetimes.
authors.affiliation: CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 GRENOBLE Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borowik
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lepage
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariolle
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Renault