Nanocrystalline silicon: A material for thin film solar cells with better stability

Nanocrystalline silicon thin films have been deposited under different conditions by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The variation of light induced degradation of photoconductivity with crystalline volume fraction, grain size, microstructural defect, bonded hydrogen content and defect density have been studied in detail. Degradation of photoconductivity mainly depends on crystallinity, grain size and defect density. Degradation of photoconductivity does not directly depend upon the bonded hydrogen content. Materials with high crystallinity and low degradation do not produce best quality solar cells but absorber layers with moderate crystallinity with slightly lower stability produce better quality solar cells with around 2.8% light induced degradation of efficiency.