Atomic layer deposition of aluminum oxide on crystalline silicon

In the present dissertation, Florian Werner investigates the application of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3) dielectric layers to silicon solar cells. Highlights of his thesis include:

- A novel spatial ALD process, which is compatible with industry demands.
- A comprehensive model of the c-Si/Al2O3 interface, which describes the chemical composition of the deposited film and electron-hole recombination at the interface.
- An improved parameterization of intrinsic lifetimes in silicon, which accounts for Coulomb-enhanced Auger and radiative recombination.
- An Al2O3-induced hole inversion layer (IL) as hole-collecting emitter in IL solar cells made on n-type silicon, allowing efficiencies above 26%.