Hydrogenated Silicon Nitride SiNx:H Deposited by Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Photovoltaics

Françoise F. Massines (1) , José Silva (2, 1) , Jean-François Lelièvre (1) , Rémy Bazinette (3, 1) , Julien Vallade (4, 1) , Paul Lecouvreur (1) , Sylvain Pouliquen (5, 1)

1 PROMES - Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire
2 Instituto Dom Luiz
3 SIAME - Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur Appliquées à la Mécanique et au génie Electrique
4 Département de Génie des Mines, de la Métallurgie et des Matériaux
5 CRCD - Centre de Recherche Claude Delorme [Jouy-en-Josas]

Dense hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiNx:H) layers for photovoltaics are made by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (AP-PECVD). The dependence of morphology, chemical, optical and passivation properties of the thin films on the plasma reactor configuration, the mode of homogeneous DBD (glow, Townsend, RF, nano pulsed) and the SiH4/NH3 gas flow ratio are investigated. Avoiding gas recirculation, improving thin film homogeneity through the electrode length and the plasma modulation appear as key points. Silicon solar cells made with AP-PECVD SiN antireflective coating have the same efficiency as standard low pressure

Mots clés: antireflective and passivation coating; atmospheric pressure discharges; dielectric barrier discharge (DBD); silicon nitride; solar cells

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Françoise F. Massines, José Silva, Jean-François Lelièvre, Rémy Bazinette, Julien Vallade, et al.. Hydrogenated Silicon Nitride SiNx:H Deposited by Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Photovoltaics. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2016, 13 (1), p. 170-180. ⟨10.1002/ppap.201500182⟩. ⟨hal-01311830⟩