Fabrication of Textured Rough SnO2:F Films on Glass Using TiO2 Film as a Buffer Layer

This study proposes an alternative method for preparing SnO2:F films with a pyramid-like surface morphology that are suitable for the transparent electrodes used in amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells. By introducing a TiO2 film as a buffer layer, the crystallographic orientation of the SnO2:F films was changed from random to a (200) plane, and the surface topography of the SnO2:F film transformed from rod-like to pyramid-like; hence, textured, rough SnO2:F films were obtained. An appropriately textured rough surface improves light-trapping and enhances the photocurrent in amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells. The textured SnO2:F films were used as the front electrode in a 1-cm2 single-junction amorphous silicon solar cell yielding an initial efficiency of 9.3%. Light-trapping in the textured SnO2:F films led to a photo-generated current higher than that generated in smooth films.