Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials

The Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers (한국전기전자재료학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Characterization of Photoinduced Current in Poly-Si Solar Cell by Employing Photoconductive Atomic Force Microscopy (PC-AFM)

  • Heo, Jin-Hee (Materials Characterization and Measurement Group, Korea Institute of Materials Science)
  • Received : 2011.10.02
  • Accepted : 2011.12.27
  • Published : 2012.02.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

In this study, we have attempted to characterize the photovoltaic effect in real-time measurement of photoinduced current in a poly-Si-based solar cell using photoconductive atomic force microscopy (PC-AFM). However, the high contact resistance that originates from the metal-semiconductor Schottky contact disturbs the current flow and makes it difficult to measure the photoinduced current. To solve this problem, a thin metallic film has been coated on the surface of the device, which successfully decreases the contact resistance. In the PC-AFM analysis, we used a metal-coated conducting cantilever tip as the top electrode of the solar cell and light from a halogen lamp was irradiated on the PC-AFM scanning region. As the light intensity becomes stronger, the current value increases up to $200{\mu}A$ at 80 W, as more electrons and hole carriers are generated because of the photovoltaic effect. The ratio of the conducting area at different conditions was calculated, and it showed a behavior similar to that generated by a photoinduced current. On analyzing the PC-AFM measurement results, we have verified the correlation between the light intensity and photoinduced current of the poly-Si-based solar cell in nanometer scale.

Keywords

References

  1. C. Ionescu-Zanetti, A. Mechler, S. A. Carter, R. Lal, "Semiconductive Polymer Blends: Correlating Structure with Transport Properties at the Nanoscale", Adv. Mater. 16, 385 (2004) [DOI: 10.1002/adma.200305747].
  2. Chun-Guey Wu and Su-San Chang, "Nanoscale Measurements of Conducting Domains and Current-Voltage Characteristics of Chemically Deposited Polyaniline Films", J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 825 (2005) [DOI: 10.1021/jp046259b].
  3. A. Kueng, C. Kranz, A. Lugstein, E. Bertagnolli, B. Mizaikoff, "Integrated AFM-SECM in Tapping Mode: Simultaneous Topographical and Electrochemical Imaging of Enzyme Activity", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 42, 3238 (2003) [DOI: 10.1002/ anie.200351111].
  4. Rezek B, Stuchlyk J, Fejfar A and Kocka,"Local characterization of electronic transport in microcrystalline silicon thin films with submicron resolution", Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, p.1475 (1999) [DOI:10.1063/1.123585].
  5. Azulay D, Balberg I, Chu V, Conde J P and Millo,"Current routes in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon", Phys. Rev. B 71, 113304 (2005) [DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.71.113304].
  6. A. Cavallini et al, Microscopy of Semiconducting Materials 2007, p.301-304 (2007) [ISSN:0930-8989].
  7. Behrang H. Hamadani, Suyong Jung, Paul M. Haney, Lee J. Richter and Nikolai B. Zhitenev "Origin of Nanoscale Variations in Photoresponse of an Organic Solar Cell", Nano Lett., 10 (5), p. 1611-1617 (2010) [DOI: 10.1021/nl9040516].
  8. David C. Coffey and David S. Ginger, "Time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy of polymer solar cells", Nature Materials 5, 735-740 (2006) [DOI:10.1038/nmat1712].
  9. S. O. Kasap. "Principles of electrical engineering materials and devices", p366-378(1997)[ISBN:0-256-16173-9].
  10. Jangryeol Ryu and Wooyong Eom, "Semiconductor Engineering", p160-172(2005) [ISBN:89-472-5859-8].
  11. D. Domine, J. Bailat, M. Python, N. Wyrsch and C. Ballif, " Investigation of the Electric-Field Profile in Microcrystalline Silicon p-i-n Solar Cells by Cross-Sectional Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy ", Photovoltaics and thin film electronics Laboratory( PV-LAB)-Conference 2007-007, (2007).
  12. C. Groves, O. G. Reid and D. S. Ginger, "Heterogeneity in Polymer Solar Cells-Local Morphology and Performance in Organic Photovoltaics Studied with Scanning probe Microscopy", Acc. Chem. Res., 43, 612 (2010) [DOI: 10.1021/ar900231q].

Cited by

  1. Scanning probe study on the photovoltaic characteristics of a Si solar cell by using Kelvin force microscopy and photoconductive atomic force microscopy vol.546, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2013.04.076