Hydrogenation of Si from SiNx(H) films: Characterization of H introduced into the Si

A promising method to introduce H into multicrystalline Si solar cells in order to passivate bulk defects is by the postdeposition annealing of a H-rich, ${\mathrm{SiN}}_x$ surface layer. It has previously been difficult to characterize the small concentration of H that is introduced by this method. Infrared spectroscopy has been used together with marker impurities in the Si to determine the concentration and depth of H introduced into Si from an annealed ${\mathrm{SiN}}_x$ film.