Contacting a single nanometer-sized pinhole in the interfacial oxide of a poly-silicon on oxide (POLO) solar cell junction

authored by: Paul Bayerl, Nils Folchert, Johannes Bayer, Marvin Dzinnik, Christina Hollemann, Rolf Brendel, Robby Peibst, Rolf J. Haug
Abstract: The electrical current through poly-Si on oxide (POLO) solar cells is mediated by tunneling and by nanometer-sized pinholes in the interfacial oxide. To distinguish the two processes, a POLO junction with a measured pinhole density of 1 × 10⁷ cm⁻² is contacted by different contact areas ranging from 1 μm² to 2.5 × 10⁵ μm², and the temperature-dependent current–voltage curves are measured for the different devices. Model regressions to the measured curves, their temperature dependence, and the quantized value of contact resistances indicate average numbers of pinholes per device corresponding to the expected pinhole density. For the small contacts, the different transport processes can be studied separately, which facilitates further improvements in respect to the present-day POLO junctions. Single-pinhole transport is found for one of the contacts with an area of 1 μm². Random telegraph noise observed for this device in the current–voltage characteristics shows a high sensitivity to single charges.
Organisation(s): Institute of Solid State Physics
Solar Energy Section
Laboratory of Nano and Quantum Engineering
Institute of Electronic Materials and Devices
QuantumFrontiers
External Organisation(s): Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH)
Type: Article
Journal: Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications
Volume: 29
Pages: 936-942
No. of pages: 7
ISSN: 1062-7995
Publication date: 16.07.2021
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Condensed Matter Physics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.3417 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{8006731df1b34715a234ef2f95431f3d,
title = "Contacting a single nanometer-sized pinhole in the interfacial oxide of a poly-silicon on oxide (POLO) solar cell junction",
abstract = "The electrical current through poly-Si on oxide (POLO) solar cells is mediated by tunneling and by nanometer-sized pinholes in the interfacial oxide. To distinguish the two processes, a POLO junction with a measured pinhole density of 1 × 107 cm−2 is contacted by different contact areas ranging from 1 μm2 to 2.5 × 105 μm2, and the temperature-dependent current–voltage curves are measured for the different devices. Model regressions to the measured curves, their temperature dependence, and the quantized value of contact resistances indicate average numbers of pinholes per device corresponding to the expected pinhole density. For the small contacts, the different transport processes can be studied separately, which facilitates further improvements in respect to the present-day POLO junctions. Single-pinhole transport is found for one of the contacts with an area of 1 μm2. Random telegraph noise observed for this device in the current–voltage characteristics shows a high sensitivity to single charges.",
keywords = "pinhole transport, POLO junction, record energy conversion efficiency, silicon solar cell",
author = "Paul Bayerl and Nils Folchert and Johannes Bayer and Marvin Dzinnik and Christina Hollemann and Rolf Brendel and Robby Peibst and Haug, {Rolf J.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Germany (under project 26+ with the number FKZ0325827A), the State of Lower Saxony, Germany (via the Hannover School for Nanotechnology and the School for Contacts in Nanosystems), and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy–EXC 2123 Quantum Frontiers, 390837967. The authors thank Bianca Gehring for performing the TMAH etching and SEM analysis, S{\"o}ren Sch{\"a}fer, Felix Haase, and Jan Kr{\"u}gener for valuable discussions, and Raymond Zienriss, Annika Raugewitz, Hilke Fischer, and Sabine Schmidt for their help with sample processing. We thank Oliver Kerker for helping with the processing. ",
year = "2021",
month = jul,
day = "16",
doi = "10.1002/pip.3417",
language = "English",
volume = "29",
pages = "936--942",
journal = "Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications",
issn = "1062-7995",
publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Ltd",
number = "8",
}