Effects of seeding methods on the fabrication of microcrystalline silicon solar cells using radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Single junction p-i-n μc-Si:H solar cells were prepared in a low-cost, large-area single chamber radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The effects of seeding processes on the growth of μc-Si:H i-layers and performance of μc-Si:H solar cells were investigated. Seeding processes, usually featured by highly hydrogen rich plasma, are effective in inducing the growth of μc-Si:H i-layers. It has been demonstrated that p-layer seeding methods are preferable to i-layer seeding. While performance of μc-Si:H solar cells produced by i-layer seeding methods was usually limited by very low fill factors, μc-Si:H solar cells with good initial and stabilized conversion efficiencies were obtained by p-layer seeding.