The impact of SiO₂/SiN_{\rm x} stack thickness on laser doping of silicon solar cell

Laser doping of semiconductors has been the subject of intense research over the past decades. Previous work indicates that the use of SiO ₂/SiN _{\rm x} stacks instead of a single dielectric film as the anti-reflection coating and passivation layer results in laser doped lines with superior properties. In this paper, the impact of the SiN_{\rm x} layer thickness in the SiO ₂/SiN_{\rm x} stacks on the properties of laser doped lines is investigated through resistance measurements of the laser doped line and the silicon-metal contact and the doping profile near the edge of the dielectric window, the latter being an important factor in determining the likelihood of high recombination or even shunting from the subsequent metallization process. Fundamentally, a problem of exposed and undoped silicon near the dielectric window is identified for most of the investigated parameter range. However, optimization of the laser parameters and dielectric film conditions is shown to be capable of preventing or at least minimizing this problem. The results indicate that for the used laser system, samples with thick dielectric stack processed using a low pulse energy and pulse distance yield the most favorable properties, such as low line resistance and low contact resistivity. Under these conditions, the laser doped regions laterally extend underneath the dielectric films, thus reducing the likelihood of high surface recombination.