The Anti-Reflection Effect of Microcrystalline Silicon Carbide Window Layers in High Efficiency Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells

Stoichiometric microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H) thin films prepared by Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition (HWCVD) at low substrate temperature (< 300 °C) have been successfully applied in microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin film solar cells as the window layers. These cells have the configuration of n-i-p and get illuminated from n-side. The influence of the μc-SiC:H window layer thickness on the cell performance is investigated to optimize the performance of the window layer. It is demonstrated that μc-SiC:H window layers show not only high transparency but also an anti-reflection effect in μc-Si:H thin film solar cells