Research on high-bandgap materials and amorphous silicon-based solar cells. Annual technical report, 15 May 1995--15 May 1996

We have developed a technique based on electroabsorption measurements for obtaining quantitative estimates of the built-in potential in a-Si:H based heterostructure solar cells incorporating microcrystalline or a-SiC:Hp layers. This heterostructure problem has been a major limitation in application of the electroabsorption technique. The new technique only utilizes measurements from a particular solar cell, and is thus a significant improvement on earlier techniques requiring measurements on auxiliary films. Using this new electroabsorption technique, we confirmed previous estimates of V{sub bi} {approx} 1.0 V in a-Si:H solar cells with {open_quotes}conventional{close_quotes} intrinsic layers and either microcrystalline or a-SiC:Hp layers. Interestingly, our first measurements on high V{sub oc} cells grown with {open_quotes}high hydrogen dilution{close_quotes} intrinsic layers yield a much larger value for V{sub bi} {approx} 1.3 V. We speculate that these results are evidence for a significant interface dipole at the p/i heterostructure interface. Although we believe that interface dipoles rationalize several previously unexplained effects on a-Si:H based cells, they are not currently included in models for the operation of a-Si:H based solar cells