Dynamic VHF-PECVD Concept Tool with Linear Plasma Sources for Silicon Based Thin Film Solar Cells

Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon solar cells were dynamically deposited with linear plasma sources operated at 81.36 MHz excitation frequency. In this article the results of dynamically deposited solar cells are shown. For amorphous silicon single junction solar cells an initial efficiency of about 9.4 % (~ 7 % stable) was achieved. Microcrystalline silicon solar cells were deposited with 6.35 % initial efficiencies (6.2 % stable). The substrate velocity could be enhanced to 0.5 m/min for amorphous silicon and up to 0.15 m/min for microcrystalline silicon without a significant deterioration of the solar cell properties. The deposition of both a-Si:H and μc-Si:H was very homogeneous with thickness variations less than +/- 5% perpendicular to the movement direction of the substrate. The dimensions of the linear plasma source are 100x500 mm² which allows for the deposition of 300 mm wide substrates with the deposition concept tool used in this work.