Development of Partial Pressure Gauge for Silane-Hydrogen Gas Mixtures Used for Production of Thin Film Silicon Solar Cell Materials

Abstract

A partial pressure gauge was developed with a quartz sensor to measure partial pressures of silane and hydrogen gases in gas mixtures, which are used as the sources of thin film silicon solar cells. The partial pressures were derived from the dependencies on viscosity and molecular weight of these mixtures, which can be measured using the quartz sensor. The partial pressure gauge developed based on this principle measured partial pressures of silane and hydrogen in gas mixtures for 133-1,333 Pa and 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100vol.% silane with resolution of 0.01vol.% for gas mixtures including over 20% silane partial pressures, which are typical preparation conditions for thin film silicon solar cell materials. This pressure gauge can be used in practical application to measure the partial pressures of silane and hydrogen in mixtures.