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Crystals
Volume 15
Issue 6
10.3390/cryst15060498
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Electronic Quality Enhancement of Multicrystalline Silicon via SiNx and H2 Plasma Passivation Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications

by
Achref Mannai
1,
Rabia Benabderrahmane Zaghouani
2,
Karim Choubani
3,*,
Mohammed A. Almeshaal
3,
Mohamed Ben Rabha
1 and
Wissem Dimassi
1
1
Laboratoire de Nanomatériaux et Systèmes pour Énergies Renouvelables, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Énergie, Technopôle de Borj-Cédria, BP 95 Hammam-Lif, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
2
Laboratoire de Photovoltaïque, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Énergie, Technopôle de Borj-Cédria, BP 95 Hammam-Lif, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
3
College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Crystals 2025, 15(6), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060498
Submission received: 12 April 2025 / Revised: 21 May 2025 / Accepted: 22 May 2025 / Published: 23 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crystalline Materials for Energy Conversion Applications in Solar Cells)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study explored advancements in photovoltaic technologies by enhancing the electronic quality of multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) through silicon nitride (SiNx) and hydrogen (H2) plasma deposition via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). This innovative approach replaced toxic chemical wet processes with H2 plasma and SiNx. The key parameters of silicon solar cells, including the effective lifetime (τeff), diffusion length (Ldiff), and iron concentration ([Fe]), were analyzed before and after this sustainable solution. The results show significant improvements, particularly in the edge region, which initially exhibited a low τeff and a high iron concentration. After the treatment, the τeff and Ldiff increased to 7 μs and 210 μm, respectively, compared to 2 μs and 70 μm for the untreated mc-Si. Additionally, the [Fe] decreased significantly after the process, dropping from 60 ppt to 10 ppt in most regions. Furthermore, the treatment led to a significant decrease in reflectivity, from 25% to 8% at a wavelength of 500 nm. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the PECVD-SiNx and H2 plasma treatments for improving the optoelectronic performance of mc-Si, making them promising options for high-efficiency photovoltaic devices.
Keywords: multicrystalline silicon; PECVD-SiNx; PV technologies; effective lifetime; diffusion length; iron concentration multicrystalline silicon; PECVD-SiNx; PV technologies; effective lifetime; diffusion length; iron concentration

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Mannai, A.; Zaghouani, R.B.; Choubani, K.; Almeshaal, M.A.; Ben Rabha, M.; Dimassi, W. Electronic Quality Enhancement of Multicrystalline Silicon via SiNx and H2 Plasma Passivation Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications. Crystals 2025, 15, 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060498

AMA Style

Mannai A, Zaghouani RB, Choubani K, Almeshaal MA, Ben Rabha M, Dimassi W. Electronic Quality Enhancement of Multicrystalline Silicon via SiNx and H2 Plasma Passivation Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications. Crystals. 2025; 15(6):498. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060498

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mannai, Achref, Rabia Benabderrahmane Zaghouani, Karim Choubani, Mohammed A. Almeshaal, Mohamed Ben Rabha, and Wissem Dimassi. 2025. "Electronic Quality Enhancement of Multicrystalline Silicon via SiNx and H2 Plasma Passivation Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications" Crystals 15, no. 6: 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060498

APA Style

Mannai, A., Zaghouani, R. B., Choubani, K., Almeshaal, M. A., Ben Rabha, M., & Dimassi, W. (2025). Electronic Quality Enhancement of Multicrystalline Silicon via SiNx and H2 Plasma Passivation Using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Applications. Crystals, 15(6), 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15060498

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