Solar Cells

Silane (SiH₄)

• Source of Silicon: Silane is a key precursor for depositing silicon-containing films, including amorphous silicon (a-Si) and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si), which form the active layers of solar cells.

Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)

• Silicon Oxide Formation: N₂O is used to introduce oxygen during the Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) process, creating silicon oxide (SiOx) layers.
• Passivation: These SiOx layers serve as passivation layers, reducing charge carrier recombination at the silicon surface and enhancing solar cell efficiency.

Boron Trichloride (BCl₃)

• Doping Source: BCl₃ is increasingly preferred over other boron sources like boron tribromide (BBr₃) for forming p-type silicon emitters.
• Cleaner Process: It is used in boron diffusion processes to create the doped p-layer, with the chlorine in BCl₃ helping to keep process equipment cleaner.

Phosphine (PH₃)

• Phosphorus Doping: Phosphine is a source of phosphorus atoms, which are used to dope silicon layers to n-type.
• n-Type Layers: This doping is essential for creating the n-type regions in the solar cell’s structure.

Ammonia (NH₃)

• Perovskite Defect Healing: In perovskite solar cells, NH₃ is used in a post-healing process to repair defects within the perovskite film, leading to higher efficiency.
• Energy Storage: Beyond solar cell fabrication, ammonia is also being considered as a carbon-free chemical energy carrier for solar energy storage.

Hydrogen (H₂)

• Film Property Control: As a gas in the PECVD process, hydrogen is vital for influencing the structural and optical properties of the deposited films.
• Defect Reduction: It plays a role in reducing defects within the deposited films, further improving solar cell performance.