Needs of the amorphous silicon program with respect to stabilized module performance

Abstract

Amorphous silicon technology offers an avenue for low-cost thin film photovoltaic applications. The performance of amorphous silicon-based solar cells is limited by light-induced degradation. Inadequate description of the electronic phenomena in these materials and devices hampers resolution of this problem. We are posing questions which should stimulate researchers to develop better descriptions for device performance and better microscopic models for defect sites. The issue of Staebler-Wronski degradation should not be addressed separately from initial performance, but research should focus on material and device properties in the stabilized state. The main focus of a-Si:H research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy will be improvement of stabilized performance, which we anticipate to accomplish through focused development of optimized multijunction device structures, combined with an improved understanding of materials.