TCO Contacts on Poly-Si Layers: High and Low Temperature Approaches to Maintain Passivation and Contact Properties

Polysilicon (poly-Si) based passivating contacts are promising to improve silicon solar cells conversion efficiency. Thin poly-Si layers usually feature high sheet resistances compared to conventional diffused junctions. Therefore the use of Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO) has to be considered to improve lateral conductivity while maintaining good optical and surface passivation properties. Standard sputtered Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) can alter the poly-Si passivation properties. In this work different TCO-based contacts have been investigated (various materials and deposition techniques) in order to contact phosphorus-doped poly-Si layers (n(+) poly-Si). The TCO-deposited samples experienced both low and high temperature annealing steps. Implied open circuit voltage above 730 mV and contact resistivity below 50 m Omega.cm(2) at the TCO/n(+) poly-Si interface have been obtained for both high and low temperature approaches. Thus such novel structures are very promising to contact poly-Si layers.