Fathi, E.Vygranenko, YuriVieira, ManuelaSazonov, A.2013-01-302013-01-302011-08-15FATHI, E.; VYGRANENKO, Y.; VIEIRA, M.; SAZONOV, A. - Boron-doped nanocrystalline silicon thin films for solar cells. Applied Surface Science. ISSN 0169-4332. Vol. 257, n.º 21 (2011) p. 8901-8905.0169-4332http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/2112This article reports on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of boron-doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si: H) thin films. The films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) at a substrate temperature of 150 degrees C. Crystalline volume fraction and dark conductivity of the films were determined as a function of trimethylboron-to-silane flow ratio. Optical constants of doped and undoped nc-Si: H were obtained from transmission and reflection spectra. By employing p(+) nc-Si: H as a window layer combined with a p' a-SiC buffer layer, a-Si: H-based p-p'-i-n solar cells on ZnO:Al-coated glass substrates were fabricated. Device characteristics were obtained from current-voltage and spectral-response measurements. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.engThin solid filmsNanocrystalline siliconPECVDSolar cellsMicrocrystalline siliconAmorphous-siliconRaman-spectroscopySI nanocrystalsP-layerThicknessHydrogenSilaneWindowSeedjournal article