ABSTRACT
Some researchers in the photovoltaic (PV) research arena predicted a rapid transition from wafer or ribbon-based silicon modules to thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si)-based modules. Research attempts to better the performance of a-Si:H and/or nanocrystalline-Si:H-based solar cells currently focus on two primary factors that increase the cost of a-Si-based PV modules: low stabilized solar cell/module efficiency and low deposition rates requiring significant investment into capital-intensive vacuum deposition equipment. Continuous progress in the performance of a-Si:H-based solar cells has been made by improving the quality of the materials and cell structures. The reversible changes that occur between the annealed, initial, and the ‘light soaked’, degraded, states have become one of the most often investigated phenomena in a-Si:H-based material and solar cells. In order to achieve further cost reduction for a-Si:H-based PV modules, it is highly desirable to increase their stabilized performance and simultaneously increase their deposition rates.
