Films minces à base de Si nanostructuré pour des cellules ...

Figure 1.14: Formation of QDs with size dispersion in monolayers and with size control
in multilayers.
tel-00916300, version 1 - 10 Dec 2013
SRSO/Si 3 N 4 or SRSO/SiC MLs. The investigations aiming at exploring the possibile
potentials of these alternative MLs for PV applications are still at their infancy. The
present research scenario concentrates on understanding silicon nitride based MLs,
though parallely a couple of reports on SiC based MLs have also begun to appear
from the past few years [Song 08a]. Focusing on silicon nitride based MLs, congurations
like SRSO/Si 3 N 4 [Di 10], Si-rich-Si 3 N 4 /Si 3 N 4 [So 11] and Si-rich-Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2
[Delachat 09] have been proposed for the purpose and hardly a couple of reports
[Conibeer 10], as of today, are available on the optical and electrical properties of
such materials.
1.6 Purpose and Aim of the thesis:
The motivation of this research work is to extend the CMOS compatible Si technology
to the advanced Third Generation PV concepts that promise a futuristic
world of sustainability. It is remarkable that both the essential parts of a solar
cell- the Sun (Solar energy), and the PV material Silicon, are abundant resources
available in nature. The quantum connement eect in Si has tremendously benetted
the PV research sector, and achieving high eciencies beyond Shockley-Queisser
limit is no longer conned to theoretical studies. In order to fully utilise the inherent
capabilities of the Si QDs in a PV device, a deep understanding of the material properties
and addressing the present challenges is important. Investigating Si QDs in
various congurations and hence novel Si QD based materials with tunable bandgap,
absorption, luminescence and electrical properties are important to approach a step
closer towards device applications.
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