EFFECT OF CONTACT BARRIER HEIGHTS ON A-SI-H P-I-N DETECTOR AND SOLAR-CELL PERFORMANCE

The transport-simulation computer program AMPS has been used to examine the role of contact barrier heights in determining the performance of a-Si:H p-i-n homojunction detector and solar-cell devices. Current-voltage performance, with and without illumination present, is considered. It is determined that for p and n layers that are sufficiently thick and sufficiently doped, the reverse bias currents, both in the dark and under illumination, do not depend or depend only weakly on the barrier heights of the contacts to the doped layers. However, these contact barrier heights can strongly influence both the dark and illuminated currents in forward bias. Thus, it is determined that the quality of the contacts to the doped layers does not affect the performance of a-Si:H p-i-n detector structures, but it can strongly influence the performance of a-Si:H p-i-n solar-cell structures.