Sponge-like Si-SiO2 nanocomposite as photovoltaic absorber: Synthesis by solid vs. liquid state decomposition of SiOx

Absorber layers consisting of nanostructured Si are candidates to improve the efficiency of thin film Si solar cells. Si-SiO2 nanocomposites with sponge-like Si embedded in SiO2 are promising materials due to a widened band gap and a maintained electrical interconnectivity. These structures can be formed upon isothermal or rapid thermal annealing of SiOx films (x<1), which leads to phase separation into a percolated network of Si nanowires embedded in SiO2, tentatively accompanied by crystallization of the Si. SiOx layers have been grown by ion beam sputter deposition as well as by reactive magnetron sputtering. Phase separation into Si-SiO2 nanocomposites has been achieved by classical thermal oven treatment, which has been compared to a very rapid thermal processing by scanning a diode laser line source. Compositional and structural characterization has been performed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, energy filtered transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The two sputter techniques of SiOx lead to distinct nanostructures during the classical thermal treatment throughout a phase separation in the solid state. In contrast, the decomposition with laser treatment occurs in the liquid state.