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The excellent field-effect passivation provided by aluminum oxide (Al2O3) on germanium surfaces relies on the high negative fixed charge present in the film. However, in many applications, a neutral or a positive charge would be preferred. Here, we investigate the surface passivation performance and the charge polarity of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposited (PEALD) silicon oxide (SiO2) on Ge. The results show that even a 3 nm thick PEALD SiO2 provides a positive charge density (Qtot, ∼2.6 × 1011 cm−2) and a relatively good surface passivation (maximum surface recombination velocity SRVmax ∼16 cm/s). When the SiO2 thin film is capped with an ALD Al2O3 layer, the surface passivation improves further and a low midgap interface defect density (Dit) of ∼1 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 is achieved. By varying the SiO2 thickness under the Al2O3 capping, it is possible to control the Qtot from virtually neutral (∼2.8 × 1010 cm−2) to moderately positive (∼8.5 × 1011 cm−2) values. Consequently, an excellent SRVmax as low as 1.3 cm/s is obtained using optimized SiO2/Al2O3 layer thicknesses. Finally, the origin of the positive charge as well as the interface defects related to PEALD SiO2 are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In semiconductor manufacturing, black silicon (bSi) has traditionally been considered as a sign of unsuccessful etching. However, after more careful consideration, many of its properties have turned out to be so superior that its integration into devices has become increasingly attractive. In devices where bSi covers the whole wafer surface, such as solar cells, the integration is already rather mature and different bSi fabrication technologies have been studied extensively. Regarding the integration into devices where bSi should cover only small selected areas, existing research focuses on device properties with one specific bSi fabrication method. Here, we fabricate bSi patterns with varying dimensions ranging from millimeters to micrometers using three common bSi fabrication techniques, i.e., plasma etching, metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and femtosecond-laser etching, and study the corresponding fabrication characteristics and resulting material properties. Our results show that plasma etching is the most suitable method in the case of $\mu \text{m}$ -scale devices, while MACE reaches surprisingly almost the same performance. Femtosecond-laser has potential due to its maskless nature and capability for hyperdoping, however, in this study its moderate accuracy, large silicon consumption and spreading of the etching damage outside the bSi region leave room for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence imaging (PLI) technique is conventionally used in silicon (Si) photovoltaics (PV) for device characterization and inline quality control, providing substantial assistance for a wafer-level process monitoring from as-cut wafers to fully fabricated devices. Surprisingly, employing this method has not spread outside PV, and thus, its potential remains largely unknown in other fields. In this case study, a fully processed Si photodetector wafer, consisting of photodiodes with various sizes, has been chosen as an example to explore the potential of PLI beyond PV. First, we show that the standard PLI measurement is able to provide a high-resolution full-wafer luminescence image of the complete devices only within a couple of seconds. The image reveals various types of inhomogeneities present in the devices, such as furnace contamination and other processing-induced defects. The measured data are then converted to an effective lifetime image followed by benchmarking with a conventionally measured recombination lifetime map obtained by microwave-detected photoconductance decay ($\mu $ -PCD), demonstrating further superiority of PLI in terms of the spatial resolution and the measurement time. Finally, correlation with diode leakage current and photoresponse measurements show that PLI is able to provide useful information on the final device performance without a need for traditional electrical contact measurements. While this study has focused on Si photodetectors, the results imply that PLI also has potential in other semiconductor devices for fast wafer-level process monitoring purposes as well as for a single device characterization either before or after wafer dicing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desirable intrinsic properties, namely, narrow bandgap and high carrier mobility, make germanium (Ge) an excellent candidate for various applications, such as radiation detectors, multi-junction solar cells, and field effect transistors. Nevertheless, efficient surface passivation of Ge has been an everlasting challenge. In this work, we tackle this problem by applying thermal atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3), with special focus on the process steps carried out prior to and after dielectric film deposition. Our results show that instead of conventional hydrofluoric acid (HF) dip, hydrochloric acid (HCI) pre-treatment is an essential process step needed to reach surface recombination velocities (SRVs) below 10 cm/s. The main reason for efficient surface passivation is found to be a high dielectric charge that promotes the so-called field-effect passivation. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the post-deposition anneal temperature, time, and ambient play a role in passivating Ge-dangling bonds, but surprisingly, good surface passivation (SRV below 26 cm/s) is obtained even without any post-deposition annealing. The results pave the way for high-performance n-type Ge optoelectronic devices that could use induced junctions via negatively charged Al2O3 layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific breakthroughs in silicon surface passivation have enabled commercial high-efficiency photovoltaic devices making use of the black silicon nanostructure. In this study, the authors report on factors that influence the passivation stability of black silicon realized with industrially viable spatial atomic layer deposited (SALD) aluminum oxide (AlOx) under damp heat exposure and light soaking. Damp heat exposure conditions are 85 °C and 85% relative humidity, and light soaking is performed with 0.6 sun illumination at 75 °C. It is demonstrated that reasonably thick (20 nm) passivation films are required for both black and planar surfaces in order to provide stable surface passivation over a period of 1000 h under both testing conditions. Both surface textures degrade at similar rates with 5 and 2 nm thick films. The degradation mechanism under damp heat exposure is found to be different from that in light soaking. During damp heat exposure, the fixed charge density of AlOx is reduced, which decreases the amount of field-effect passivation. Degradation under light soaking, on the other hand, is likely to be related to interface defects between silicon and the passivating film. Finally, a thin chemically grown SiOx layer at the interface between the AlOx film and the silicon surface is shown to significantly increase the passivation stability under both light soaking and damp heat exposure. The results of this study provide valuable insights into surface passivation degradation mechanisms on nanostructured silicon surfaces and pave the way for the industrial production of highly stable black silicon devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Light and elevated temperature induced degradation (LeTID) is currently a severe issue in crystalline silicon photovoltaics, which has led to numerous efforts to both understand the mechanism and to mitigate it. Here we show that a low-temperature dark anneal performed as the last step in typical solar cell processing influences greatly LeTID characteristics, both the strength of the degradation and the degradation kinetics. While a relatively short anneal in the temperature range of 200–240 °C can be detrimental to LeTID by doubling the degradation intensity, an optimized anneal at 300 °C shows the opposite trend providing an efficient means to eliminate LeTID. Furthermore, we show that the simulated recombination activity of metal precipitation and dissolution during the dark anneal correlates with the experiments, suggesting a possible explanation for the LeTID mechanism. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Dark anneal influences greatly LeTID intensity as well as the degradation kinetics. • Optimized anneal at 300 °C provides an efficient means to eliminate LeTID. • Short anneal in the temperature range of 200–240 °C is detrimental to LeTID. • Simulated recombination activity of metal precipitation and dissolution during dark anneal correlates well with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-efficiency solar cell designs such as the passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) raise the quality requirements for silicon substrates, favoring monocrystalline materials. Seed-cast quasi-monocrystalline silicon (qm-Si) is a promising alternative for Czochralski (Cz) Si with potential benefits of lower cost and reduced energy footprint. However, the purity and crystalline quality of qm-Si is not on par with Cz-Si, which can cause efficiency losses for example in the form of light-induced degradation (LID). In this contribution, we study the LID phenomena that can be present in qm-Si PERC solar cells, and compare them to the Cz-Si PERC. Degradation and regeneration are analyzed especially from the viewpoint of Cu impurity, which has until very recently been omitted as a source of LID for this device type. Subsequently, differences in LID behavior between qm-Si and Cz-Si are investigated considering the density of dislocations in the bulk. The results imply that slurry-based wafer slicing may introduce contamination that is capable of causing considerable LID in PERC devices fabricated of Si with inherently high defect density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-mono silicon (QM-Si) attracts interest as a substrate material for silicon device processing with the promise to yield single-crystalline silicon quality with multicrystalline silicon cost. A significant barrier to widespread implementation of QM-Si is ingot edge-contamination caused by the seed material and crucible walls during crystal growth. This work aims to recover the scrap material in QM-Si manufacturing with a process easily adaptable to semiconductor device manufacturing. A phosphorus diffusion process at 870 °C for 60 min significantly improves the electronic quality of a QM-Si wafer cut from a contaminated edge brick. The harmonic minority carrier recombination lifetime of the wafer, a key predictor of ultimate device performance, experiences a tenfold increase from 17 to 178 μs, which makes the scrap QM-Si material usable for device fabrication. Local areas with suboptimal (<50 μs) lifetimes remaining can be further improved by a high temperature anneal before the phosphorus diffusion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We have studied experimentally the effect of different initial iron contamination levels on the electrical device properties of p-type Czochralski-silicon solar cells. By systematically varying phosphorus diffusion gettering (PDG) parameters, we demonstrate a strong correlation between the open-circuit voltage ( Voc) and the gettering efficiency. Similar correlation is also obtained for the short-circuit current ( Jsc), but phosphorus dependency somewhat complicates the interpretation: the higher the phosphorus content not only the better the gettering efficiency but also the stronger the emitter recombination. With initial bulk iron concentration as high as 2 × 1014 cm−3, conversion efficiencies comparable with non-contaminated cells were obtained, which demonstrates the enormous potential of PDG. The results also clearly reveal the importance of well-designed PDG: to achieve best results, the gettering parameters used for high purity silicon should be chosen differently as compared with for a material with high impurity content. Finally we discuss the possibility of achieving efficient gettering without deteriorating the emitter performance by combining a selective emitter with a PDG treatment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have carried out experiments on both boron diffusion gettering (BDG) and phosphorus diffusion gettering (PDG) in n-type multicrystalline silicon. We have focused our research on the highly contaminated edge areas of the silicon ingot often referred to as the red zone. Due to poor carrier lifetime attributed to these areas, they induce a significant material loss in solar cell manufacturing. In our experiments, the red zone was found to disappear after a specific BDG treatment and a lifetime improvement from 5μs up to 670μs was achieved. Outside the red zone, lifetimes even up to 850μs were measured after gettering. Against the common hypothesis, we found higher dopant in-diffusion temperature beneficial both for the red zone and the good grains making BDG more efficient than PDG. To explain the results we suggest that high temperature leads to more complete dissolution of metal precipitates, which enhances the diffusion gettering to the emitter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In addition to boron and oxygen, copper is also known to cause light-induced degradation (LID) in silicon. We have demonstrated previously that LID can be prevented by depositing negative corona charge onto the wafer surfaces. Positively charged interstitial copper ions are proposed to diffuse to the negatively charged surface and consequently empty the bulk of copper. In this study, copper out-diffusion was confirmed by chemical analysis of the near surface region of negatively/positively charged silicon wafer. Furthermore, LID was permanently removed by etching the copper-rich surface layer after negative charge deposition. These results demonstrate that (i) copper can be effectively removed from the bulk by negative charge, (ii) under illumination copper forms a recombination active defect in the bulk of the wafer causing severe light induced degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, gallium-doped Czochralski (Cz) silicon has constituted a solar cell bulk material free of light-induced degradation. However, we measure light-induced degradation in gallium-doped Cz silicon in the presence of copper impurities. The measured degradation depends on the copper concentration and the material resistivity. Gallium-doped Cz silicon is found to be less sensitive to copper impurities than boron-doped Cz silicon, emphasizing the role of boron in the formation of copper-related light-induced degradation. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 10% and 30% of commercial cast silicon ingots is discarded due to contamination caused by the casting process. A significant contaminant in the scrap volume is metal precipitates, which are difficult to getter effectively and degrade minority charge carrier lifetime, hence limiting solar cell efficiency potential. We show here that the unusable red zone can be restored in high-performance multicrystalline silicon wafers. Adding a high temperature dissolution anneal prior to phosphorus diffusion dissolves the metal precipitates within the wafer bulk, and leaves the metal point defects in a mobile state to be readily gettered by phosphorus diffusion gettering during the solar cell process. The efficiency of the dissolution gettering treatment increases with increasing temperature, with a temperature of 1150 °C eliminating the very low lifetime region of the wafers completely. Additionally, we find that the red zone does not re-emerge after a 60 min oxidation anneal at 900 °C, confirming that the achieved benefit is tolerant to any high temperature processing following the phosphorus diffusion gettering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that n-type black silicon can be passivated efficiently using Atomic Layer Deposited (ALD) Al 2 O 3 , reaching maximum surface recombination velocities below 7 cm/s. We show that the low surface recombination velocity results from a higher sensitivity of the nanostructures to surface charge and from the absence of surface damage after black silicon etching. The surface recombination velocity is shown to be inversely proportional to the fourth power of the negative charge in contrast to the quadratic dependence observed in planar surfaces. This effect compensates the impact of the increased surface area in the nanostructures and extends the potential of black silicon for instance to n-type Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-induced degradation (LID) can occur in crystalline silicon (Si) due to increased recombination in the bulk or at the surfaces. As an example, copper (Cu) is a contaminant that reportedly causes LID in the bulk of Si under illumination. In this article, we show that Cu contamination can also increase recombination at the surface under illumination using surface saturation current density (J 0) analysis. More specifically, in the presence of Cu we observed that J 0 increased from 14 fA/cm2 to 330 fA/cm2 in SiO 2 passivated Float Zone (FZ) Si, and from 11 fA/cm2 to 200 fA/cm2 in corresponding Czochralski (Cz) Si after illumination under an LED lamp (0.6 Suns, 80 °C). In reference samples without Cu contamination, the J 0 was unaffected. These results demonstrate that a significant increase in surface recombination is possible without the presence of hydrogen. Furthermore, hydrogen was not seen to affect the Cu-induced surface degradation as similar experiments made with hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiN x :H) did not show further increase in J 0. However, the timescale of the observed degradation was relatively fast (hours) indicating that Cu-induced surface degradation is a separate phenomenon from the earlier reported surface-related degradation. • Cu contamination leads to increased surface recombination in Si under light soaking. • The phenomenon occurs in FZ and Cz Si with both SiO 2 and SiN x :H passivation. • Surface saturation current density J 0 remained at 10–15 fA/cm2 in uncontaminated Si. • J 0 increased to 330 fA/cm2 in FZ Si and to 200 fA/cm2 in Cz Si during light soaking. • An increase in interfacial defect density was observed in Cu-contaminated samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]