Effect of titanium, copper and iron on silicon solar cells

Abstract

The effect of Ti, Cu and Fe on silicon solar cells has been investigated. Ti severely degrades cell performance above a concentration of 10 11 cm −3. The presence of 2 × 10 14 cm −3 Ti results in a 63% loss in cell performance and more than an order of magnitude reduction in carrier lifetime. Ti gives rise to two deep levels in Si at Ev + 0.30 eV and Ec − 0.27 eV. Copper, at concentrations below 10 16 cm −3, has negligible effect on cell performance and carrier lifetime. Above 10 16 cm −3 copper occasionally produces a 10–15% loss in cell performance with a noticeable increase in junction excess current. No recombination centers were found due to Cu, instead considerable precipitation in the starting material was observed. Fe begins to hurt the cell performance above a concentration of 2 × 10 14 cm −3. Iron at 1.7 × 10 15 cm −3 results in 46% loss in cell efficiency and about an order of magnitude reduction in lifetime. Fe induces a deep level in silicon at Ev + 0.4 eV. The active center density, for both Ti and Fe, is only a very small fraction of the total impurity content in the starting silicon wafer.