The current characteristics of p—i—n and p+—i—p+ structures based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon at various temperatures and excitation levels
Abstract
An investigation is made of p—i—n and p+—i—p+ structures of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with various contents of monosilane (SiH4) mixed with argon. The short-circuit current (Isc) and open-circuit voltage (Uoc) in dependence on the illumination level at various temperatures of a p—i—n solar cell, as well as the dark space-charge-limited current in the p+—i—p+ structure, are experimentally investigated. It is ascertained that the Isc(Uoc) characteristic contains one exponential region in the case of a lean mixture (4% SiH4), and two exponential regions in the case of a rich mixture (almost 100% SiH4). The mechanism causing the formation of the regions is discussed and the factors of diode non-ideality and dark current density as functions of temperature, the dark conductivity activation energies, the series and incremental resistances of a p—i—n junction, the carrier trapping factor, and the equilibrium concentration of holes in the i-layer of a p+—i—p+ structure are determined. [Russian Text Ignored].