Versatility of Nanocrystalline Silicon Films: from Thin-Film to Perovskite/c-Si Tandem Solar Cell Applications

Doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline (nc-Si:H) and silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) materials grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition have favourable optoelectronic properties originated from their two-phase structure. This unique combination of qualities, initially, led to the development of thin-film Si solar cells allowing the fabrication of multijunction devices by tailoring the material bandgap. Furthermore, nanocrystalline silicon films can offer a better carrier transport and field-effect passivation than amorphous Si layers could do, and this can improve the carrier selectivity in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. The reduced parasitic absorption, due to the lower absorption coefficient of nc-SiOx:H films in the relevant spectral range, leads to potential gain in short circuit current. In this work, we report on development and applications of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc-SiOx:H) from material to device level. We address the potential benefits and the challenges for a successful integration in SHJ solar cells. Finally, we prove that nc-SiOx:H demonstrated clear advantages for maximizing the infrared response of c-Si bottom cells in combination with perovskite top cells.