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Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Volume 269, 112799, 2024. Hydrogen passivation from dielectrics plays a pivotal role in enhancing the performance of silicon solar cells. In our latest work, we demonstrate how controlling carrier populations through charge-assisted field effect passivation can influence interface chemistry. The chemical passivation of Si-SiO2-SiNx interfaces is determined by the electric field's polarity and strength. Achieving optimal processing requires managing surface electric fields, the chemical interface, hydrogenation, and charge migration. 
 

Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2300037, 2023. Here we use ion-charged oxide nanolayers to enhance the passivation of silicon surfaces via the field effect mechanism. We provide first report of enhanced passivation from rubidium and caesium ion-charged oxide nanolayers. The charge state and formation energy of ion-charged silicon dioxide are calculated from first principles. Optimal ionic charge concentration of ≈1.5e12 q cm−2 leads to a recombination velocity and current density as low as 2.8 cm s−1, forecast to provide efficiency improvements as high as 0.7% absolute.