The doping of amorphous silicon for solar cells

Schottky barrier diodes of gold on n-type amorphous silicon give photovoltages dependent on the silicon doping. The best voltages require an undoped layer of silicon for the junction region and approximately 100 nm of heavily doped silicon adjacent to the ohmic substrate contact. There is virtually no carrier collection outside the space charge region, as is shown by the long-wave photocurrent spectral response, and a drift field is desirable. High substrate temperatures during silicon deposition increase the long-wave wave response of these cells but give poorer diodes. © 1979.