Barrier performance of ITO film on textured Si substrate

摘要

Indium tin oxide (ITO) film is the most widely used as front electrodes in solar cells with a copper metallization scheme. No work has focused on the barrier properties of the ITO layer on the textured silicon for solar cells. In this work, a thin indium tin oxide barrier layer and copper metal layer were deposited on textured (001) silicon by a sputtering. The stacks present Cu/ ITO/Si. The structures of Cu/ITO/Si characterized by scanning transmission electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and powder X-ray diffraction. The results show that the stacks of Cu/ITO/Si can be preserved up to 600 °C. The 35-nm thickness ITO layer was found to be a diffusion barrier against Cu up to 600 °C. The copper thin films were agglomerated and formed the particle at a temperature of 700 °C. The failure of Cu/ITO/Si can be attributed to agglomerate copper thin films and breakdown of ITO thin films at a temperature of 700 °C.