Investigation of defect reduction and hydrogen diffusion in Si/SiO₂ multilayer films by hydrogen radical treatment

Abstract In this study, the effect of hydrogen radical (HR) treatment on Si/SiO 2 multilayer (ML) films was investigated, focusing on the reduction of silicon dangling bond (Si-DB) defects and their impact on electrical properties. Electron spin resonance analysis revealed that HR treatment effectively reduced the density of Si-DB defects in Si/SiO 2 ML films. Electrical measurements demonstrated enhanced dark conductivity and reduced activation energy of carriers following HR treatment. These changes were attributed to the reduction in Si-DB defects. Furthermore, the photo-sensitivity of the HR-treated films improved, suggesting that HR treatment is a promising technique for defect reduction and performance enhancement of the solar cells with Si/SiO 2 ML absorbers.