Si Nanosponge Embedded in Silica - A More Efficient Thin-film PV Cell Semiconductor?

Nanostructured thin-film PV materials are expected to become more and more important due to their high competitiveness in cost reduction. Assemblies composed of quantum dots and/or wires have been reported in which quantum confinement is used as a design parameter. However, there are still problems related to the low-cost fabrication of such structures, and, in case of quantum dots embedded in a dielectric matrix, to charge carrier separation. Here, we present Si nanosponge embedded in silica as a new nanostructured active PV cell material which could overcome such problems. The Si nanosponge has typical feature sizes of 2…4 nm. This is much smaller than the ~100nm of electrochemically etched porous Si, which was studied intensively several years ago. Thus, the nanosponge shows a band gap widening by quantum confinement which allows band gap engineering for optimum adjustment to the solar spectrum. Furthermore, the Si sponge/SiO2 matrix interface is electrically passive which lowers losses. And, the Si sponge is electrically percolated, resulting in an efficient charge carrier separation. Si nanosponge is expected to replace easily a-Si in thin-film PV cell production lines. The PECVD equipment will be used to deposit SiOx instead of a-Si. The Si nanosponge is formed by thermally activated spinodal decomposition of SiOx. The large glass panels of thin-film PV cells allow a low thermal budget only, therefore scanned laser processing with ms dwell times has to be used. EFTEM images of Si nanosponge formed by co-sputtering of SiOx followed by rapid thermal processing are in full agreement with atomistic simulations of the spinodal decomposition process. Electrical and optical properties measured so far are in agreement with the expectations. Studies on the morphology of sponges form by very rapid thermal processing are under way.