High Temperature Silicon Nitride for Improved Silicon Photovoltaics

The performance of many silicon photovoltaic devices is compromised by the need for a simple, inexpensive manufacturing process. The use of novel materials can overcome this limitation. This project aims to investigate the fundamental properties of a particularly promising material, silicon nitride deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition, and to apply the results of these investigations to the fabrication of silicon photovoltaic decives. By exploiting the unique properties of this material, significant improvements will be made to the device properties and the manufacturing processes.