Very low surface recombination velocities <6 and <11cm/s were obtained for SiOx/a-SiNx:H stacks synthesized by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on low resistivity n- and p-type c-Si, respectively. The stacks induced a constant effective lifetime under low illumination, comparable to Al2O3 on p-type Si. Compared to single layer a-SiNx:H, a lower positive fixed charge density was revealed by second-harmonic generation measurements, while field-effect passivation was absent for a reference stack comprising thermally grown SiO2. The results indicate that hydrogenation of interface states played a key role in the passivation and remained effective up to annealing temperatures >800°C.

1.
C.
Leguijt
,
P.
Lolgen
,
J. A.
Eikelboom
,
A. W.
Weeber
,
F. M.
Schuurmans
,
W. C.
Sinke
,
P. F. A.
Alkemade
,
P. M.
Sarro
,
C. H. M.
Marte
, and
L. A.
Verhoef
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
40
,
297
(
1996
).
2.
J.
Schmidt
and
A.
Cuevas
,
J. Appl. Phys.
85
,
3626
(
1999
).
3.
M. J.
Kerr
and
A.
Cuevas
,
Semicond. Sci. Technol.
17
,
166
(
2002
).
4.
S.
De Wolf
,
G.
Agostinelli
,
G.
Beaucarne
, and
P.
Vitanov
,
J. Appl. Phys.
97
,
063303
(
2005
).
5.
S.
Dauwe
,
L.
Mittelstädt
,
A.
Metz
, and
R.
Hezel
,
Prog. Photovoltaics
10
,
271
(
2002
).
6.
W. L.
Warren
,
J.
Kanicki
,
J.
Robertson
,
E. H.
Poindexter
, and
P. J.
McWhorter
,
J. Appl. Phys.
74
,
4034
(
1993
).
7.
S. E.
Curry
,
P. M.
Lenahan
,
D. T.
Krick
,
J.
Kanicki
, and
C. T.
Kirk
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
56
,
1359
(
1990
).
8.
H.
Mäckel
and
R.
Lüdemann
,
J. Appl. Phys.
92
,
2602
(
2002
).
9.
M.
Hofmann
,
S.
Janz
,
C.
Schmidt
,
S.
Kambor
,
D.
Suwito
,
N.
Kohn
,
J.
Rentsch
,
R.
Preu
, and
S. W.
Glunz
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
93
,
1074
(
2009
).
10.
S. W.
Glunz
,
Adv. OptoElectron.
2007
,
1
(
2007
).
11.
J.
Schmidt
,
M. J.
Kerr
, and
A.
Cuevas
,
Semicond. Sci. Technol.
16
,
164
(
2001
).
12.
S.
Narasimha
and
A.
Rohatgi
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
72
,
1872
(
1998
).
13.
Y.
Larionova
,
V.
Mertens
,
N. -P.
Harder
, and
R.
Brendel
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
96
,
032105
(
2010
).
14.
B.
Hoex
,
J. J. H.
Gielis
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
J. Appl. Phys.
104
,
113703
(
2008
).
15.
J.
Schmidt
,
A.
Merkle
,
R.
Brendel
,
B.
Hoex
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
Prog. Photovoltaics
16
,
461
(
2008
).
16.
G.
Dingemans
,
N. M.
Terlinden
,
D.
Pierreux
,
H. B.
Profijt
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
Electrochem. Solid-State Lett.
14
,
H1
(
2011
).
17.
G.
Dingemans
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
Phys. Status Solidi (RRL)
5
,
22
(
2011
).
18.
G.
Dingemans
,
W.
Beyer
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
97
,
152106
(
2010
).
19.
S.
Steingrube
,
P. P.
Altermatt
,
D. S.
Steingrube
,
J.
Schmidt
, and
R.
Brendel
,
J. Appl. Phys.
108
,
014506
(
2010
).
20.
N. M.
Terlinden
,
G.
Dingemans
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
96
,
112101
(
2010
).
21.
J. J. H.
Gielis
,
B.
Hoex
,
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
, and
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
J. Appl. Phys.
104
,
073701
(
2008
).
22.
M.
Wrana
,
M.
Schmidt
, and
D.
Bräunig
,
Semicond. Sci. Technol.
12
,
369
(
1997
).
23.
H. F. W.
Dekkers
,
G.
Beaucarne
,
M.
Hiller
,
H.
Charifi
, and
A.
Slaoui
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
89
,
211914
(
2006
).
24.
W.
Beyer
and
H. F. W.
Dekkers
,
Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin-Film Silicon Science and Technology
,
MRS Symposia Proceedings
No. 910 (
Materials Research Society
,
Pittsburgh
,
2006
).
25.
J.
Hong
,
W. M. M.
Kessels
,
W. J.
Soppe
,
A. W.
Weeber
,
W. M.
Arnoldbik
, and
M. C. M.
van de Sanden
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B
21
,
2123
(
2003
).
You do not currently have access to this content.