A study on high frequency-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon nitride films for crystalline silicon solar cells

Abstract

SiNx:H films have been widely used for anti-reflection coatings and passivation for crystalline silicon solar cells. In this study, SiNx:H films were deposited using high frequency (13.56 MHz) direct plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and the optical and passivation properties were investigated. The radio frequency power, the spacing between the showerhead and wafer, the NH 3 /SiH 4 ratio, the total gas flow, and the N 2 gas flow were changed over certain ranges for the film deposition. The thickness uniformity, the refractive index, and the minority carrier lifetime were then measured in order to study the properties of the film. The optimal deposition conditions for application to crystalline Si solar cells are determined from the results of this study. © 2011 KIEEME. All rights reserved.