Electronic and Structural Properties of N-Type Microcrystalline Silicon Oxide (Mc-Siox:H) Films for Applications in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

The growth of n-type μc-SiOx:H layers in the thickness range of up to 700 nm is investigated. We show that the electrical and structural properties of μc-SiOx:H are thickness dependent but to a weaker extend in comparison with n-type μc-Si:H. μc-SiOx:H layers with low dark conductivity in the order of 10-11 S/cm, measured in the planar direction, can be successfully used as n-layers in amorphous silicon solar cells, resulting in an improved cell performance due to reduced parasitic absorption in the n-type layer. The results suggest anisotropic electrical transport in μc-SiOx:H materials, supported by an observation of elongated crystalline regions in high resolution TEM microscopy.