Investigation of modified p-n junctions in CSG solar cells

In this paper a method for studying p‐n junctions is described. Different electron and ion beam charactersiation methods are introduced to determine the p‐n‐junction position using two different examples from Crystalline Silicon on Glass (CSG) thin film technology. In a first example lateral and cross section electron beam induced current (EBIC) measurements revealed that oxygen rich columnar growth at textured substrates disturbs strongly the p‐n junction. In a second example diffusion from glass specimen is identified by TOF‐SIMS to influencing the electrical and structural characteristics of the thin Si layer are responsible for the modified p‐n junction. A model describing the formation of both defect structures is introduced. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)