In this work, the impact of hydrogen plasma treatment on the electrical and electronic quality of multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) was systematically investigated using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD). Hydrogen radicals generated in the plasma effectively passivate dangling bonds, reducing electrically active defects and enhancing material quality. Optimized PE-CVD conditions were applied to promote efficient hydrogen incorporation and surface modification. Optical characterization, including reflectivity measurements and FT-IR spectroscopy, confirms the formation of Si–H bonds and a significant reduction in surface reflectivity of up to 66% at 600 nm. Electrical and optoelectronic analyses reveal pronounced improvements in carrier lifetime and diffusion length, increased by 200% and 79%, respectively. In addition, dark current–voltage (I–V) measurements show a 32% decrease in series resistance and a 51% increase in shunt resistance, indicating enhanced charge transport and suppressed leakage currents. These macroscopic electrical improvements are supported by light beam-induced current (LBIC) measurements, which demonstrate a 14% increase in grain boundary current, confirming effective hydrogen passivation and reduced recombination. Overall, hydrogen plasma PE-CVD treatment is shown to significantly improve the electronic quality and photovoltaic performance of mc-Si solar cells.
Haj et al. (Tue,) studied this question.