Synthesis and Characterization of Fe, Cu, and Cr Doped ZnO Nanocrystallite Films and the Effects on Passivation of Silicon Surface

Passivation in silicon solar cells is a crucial technique used to improve their efficiency and performance. Passivation involves the treatment of the silicon surface to reduce the recombination of electron-hole pairs, thereby increasing the effective lifetime of the charge carriers and ultimately enhancing the cell's efficiency. Both pure and M-doped (M: Fe, Cu, and Cr) ZnO nanostructured films were synthesized using co-precipitation and spin coating processes. Structural analyses confirmed the presence of hexagonal wurtzite structures in all the films. Morphological analysis has unveiled a notable nanostructured surface, offering benefits in reducing optical losses. Measurements of reflectivity and lifetime for doped ZnO on Si surfaces showed improvements in both metrics. The photocurrent density measurements demonstrated clear performance differences, ranging from 2.5 mu A/cm(2) for pure ZnO to 25, 8, and 19 mu A/cm(2) for Fe, Cu, and Cr-doped materials, respectively. By advancing our knowledge of the potential of transition metal-doped ZnO nanostructured films for effective passivation in silicon solar cells, this work helps to promote the development of next-generation photovoltaic technology.