Passivating metal/silicon contacts combine low carrier recombination with low contact resistivities, enabled by a low gap state density at their interface. Such contacts find applications in high-efficiency solar cells. We perform first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to investigate the surface defect and metal-induced gap state density of silicon in close contact with metals (Al and Ag). We confirm that surface hydrogenation fully removes surface-defect gap states of (111)-oriented silicon surfaces. However, the metal-induced gap state density increases significantly when metals are closer than 0.5 nm to such surfaces. These results highlight the importance of the tunneling-film thickness in achieving effective passivating-contact formation.
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18 February 2019
Research Article|
February 19 2019
Metal-induced gap states in passivating metal/silicon contacts
Muhammad Sajjad;
Muhammad Sajjad
1
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE)
, Building 5, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Xinbo Yang;
Xinbo Yang
1
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE)
, Building 5, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Pietro Altermatt
;
Pietro Altermatt
2
Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., State Key Laboratory for Photovoltaic Science and Technology (SKL)
, No. 2 Trina Road, Trina PV Industrial Park, Xinbei District, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province 213031, China
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Nirpendra Singh;
Nirpendra Singh
1
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE)
, Building 5, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Udo Schwingenschlögl;
Udo Schwingenschlögl
1
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE)
, Building 5, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Stefaan De Wolf
Stefaan De Wolf
a)
1
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE)
, Building 5, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: stefaan.dewolf@kaust.edu.sa
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: stefaan.dewolf@kaust.edu.sa
Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 071601 (2019)
Article history
Received:
October 15 2018
Accepted:
February 02 2019
Citation
Muhammad Sajjad, Xinbo Yang, Pietro Altermatt, Nirpendra Singh, Udo Schwingenschlögl, Stefaan De Wolf; Metal-induced gap states in passivating metal/silicon contacts. Appl. Phys. Lett. 18 February 2019; 114 (7): 071601. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5066423
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