Thermolytic deposition of MoS${}_2$ nanolayer for Si solar cell applications

The thermolytic deposition of MoS${}_2$ nanolayers for use in Si solar cells is investigated for which a thin MoS${}_2$ nanolayer is grown on a crystalline Si substrate by the thermolysis method. The deposited MoS${}_2$ nanolayer and Si substrate are annealed and show a transition from an amorphous to a crystalline phase as the annealing temperature increases. The MoS${}_2$ (002) crystalline peak at 14.04° appears at an annealing temperature of 450 °C. The heterojunction interface of MoS${}_2$/np-Si shows a mixed amorphous and crystalline phase. The Al/MoS${}_2$ has better Ohmic contact compared with Al/Si. The MoS${}_2$ nanolayer is introduced into the cell structure of a SiN${}_x$/a-Si(n)/MoS${}_2$/np-Si cell, the cell shows a photoconversion efficiency of 11.47%. (© 2020 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)