Development of p-type amorphous silicon oxide - Nano crystalline silicon double layer and its application in n-i-p type amorphous silicon solar cell

Single junction n-i-p type amorphous silicon solar cell was investigated with various p-type window layers. A high doped silicon oxide (P1) layer was used to extract holes from the active layer while a highly conducting micro-crystalline silicon p-type layer was used as an electrical contact layer with the transparent conducting oxide front electrode. When electrical conductivity of the second (P2) layer was raised (to 1.1 S.cm^-1) the open circuit voltage and short circuit current density of the cells increased. This P2 layer was placed in between P1 and front electrode. Optical band gap of the p-type layers remain close to 2.0 eV. With an optimum fabrication condition of the p-layers, the open circuit voltage and short circuit current density of the cells were found to reach 900 mV and 11 mA/cm² respectively.