N-type microcrystalline silicon oxide thin films (n-<svg style="vertical-align:-2.29482pt;width:9.6374998px;" id="M1" height="9.6750002" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 9.6374998 9.6750002" width="9.6374998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,9.675)"> <g transform="translate(72,-64.26)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,66.6)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">𝜇</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>c-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M2" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>:H) have been deposited by VHF-PECVD (40 MHz) with reactant gas mixtures of <svg style="vertical-align:-3.13504pt;width:27.799999px;" id="M3" height="14.6" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 27.799999 14.6" width="27.799999" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.6)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.32)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.5)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">C</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="8.2394772" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-54.68,60.37)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">2</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>/<svg style="vertical-align:-3.13504pt;width:30.5375px;" id="M4" height="14.7125" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 30.5375 14.7125" width="30.5375" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.7125)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.23)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">H</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">4</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg> and <svg style="vertical-align:-3.13504pt;width:17.5px;" id="M5" height="14.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 17.5 14.375" width="17.5" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.375)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.5)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.67)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">H</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-62.92,60.55)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">2</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>. N-<svg style="vertical-align:-2.29482pt;width:9.6374998px;" id="M6" height="9.6750002" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 9.6374998 9.6750002" width="9.6374998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,9.675)"> <g transform="translate(72,-64.26)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,66.6)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">𝜇</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>c-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M7" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg> thin films exhibiting low refractive index value (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.25793pt;width:67.974998px;" id="M8" height="14.75" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 67.974998 14.75" width="67.974998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.75)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.2)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.5)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">n</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-65.7,60.37)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">6</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="4.3759999" y="0">0</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="8.7519999" y="0">0</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-51.11,60.37)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">n</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="4.3759999" y="0">m</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-35.96,63.5)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">∼</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="12.040389" y="0">2</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>), and medium/high conductivity (<svg style="vertical-align:-2.64594pt;width:44.387501px;" id="M9" height="17.275" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 44.387501 17.275" width="44.387501" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,17.275)"> <g transform="translate(72,-58.18)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,60.86)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">≧</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="12.027886" y="0">1</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="18.279387" y="0">0</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-47.41,66.03)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">−</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="5.99512" y="0">9</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg> S/cm) are suitable to be used as an “<i >n-type reflector</i>” in micromorph tandem solar cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show that microstructures of n-<svg style="vertical-align:-2.29482pt;width:9.6374998px;" id="M10" height="9.6750002" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 9.6374998 9.6750002" width="9.6374998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,9.675)"> <g transform="translate(72,-64.26)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,66.6)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">𝜇</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>c-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M11" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>:H thin films contain nanocrystalline Si particles, which are randomly embedded in the a-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M12" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg> matrix. This specific microstructure provides n-<svg style="vertical-align:-2.29482pt;width:9.6374998px;" id="M13" height="9.6750002" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 9.6374998 9.6750002" width="9.6374998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,9.675)"> <g transform="translate(72,-64.26)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,66.6)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">𝜇</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>c-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M14" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>:H thin films excellent optoelectronic properties; therefore, n-<svg style="vertical-align:-2.29482pt;width:9.6374998px;" id="M15" height="9.6750002" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 9.6374998 9.6750002" width="9.6374998" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,9.675)"> <g transform="translate(72,-64.26)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,66.6)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">𝜇</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>c-<svg style="vertical-align:-3.21404pt;width:31.0875px;" id="M16" height="14.8" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 31.0875 14.8" width="31.0875" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(1.25,0,0,-1.25,0,14.8)"> <g transform="translate(72,-60.16)"> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-71.95,63.41)"> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="0" y="0">S</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="6.9516678" y="0">i</tspan> <tspan style="font-size: 12.50px; " x="10.427502" y="0">O</tspan> </text> <text transform="matrix(1,0,0,-1,-52.5,60.28)"> <tspan style="font-size: 8.75px; " x="0" y="0">𝑥</tspan> </text> </g> </g> </svg>:H thin films are appropriate candidates for “<i >n-type reflector</i>” structures in Si tandem solar cells.