Efficient passivation of solar cells by silicon nitride

Abstract In this study we investigated the deposition parameters of a PECVD silicon nitride (SiN) film leading to an efficient passivation of multicrystalline silicon solar cells. The parameters investigated were the temperature, the power and the refractive index through the gas process flow rate ratio SiH 4 /NH 3 . Using a symmetrical structure SiN/Si/SiN and Quasi-Steady-State Photo-Conductance (QSSPC) characterization we found that 380 °C and 4500 W are the optimal temperature and optimal power, respectively. The optimal refractive index was determined using a method which encompasses optical and electrical properties of SiN films deposited on multicrystalline silicon solar cells. This method, based on the calculation of the short circuit current densities, revealed that the optimal refractive index is 1.9.