Silicon nanostructures for solar cell applications

Among the numerous applications of Si nanostructures in the microelectronic or photonic domains, one which could be promising concerns the use of such structures as the active layer in pin solar cells. By taking advantage of the quantum confinement of the carriers in Si nanograins whose size is lower than 8 nm, it is expected to improve the solar cell efficiency by increasing the absorption range of the solar spectrum. In this work, we report the fabrication, microstructural and optical properties of Si-rich silicon oxide (SRSO) composite layers and SRSO/SiO2 multilayers fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering process. This process allows monitoring either the Si nanograins size and/or the Si nanograin density through specific deposition parameters such as the hydrogen rate in the plasma, the substrate temperature, the annealing treatment. Their effects on the photoluminescent properties as well as on the absorption coefficient are discussed. The SRSO/SiO2 multilayers absorption is higher with respect to the SRSO composite layer. Such behaviour has been attributed to a better control of the Si nanograin size.