A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers

Sopori, B.; Devayajanam, S.; Basnyat, P.

doi:10.1063/1.4944792

Title: A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers

Abstract

The depth of surface damage (or simply, damage) in crystalline silicon wafers, caused by wire sawing of ingots, is determined by performing a series of minority carrier lifetime (MCLT) measurements. Samples are sequentially etched to remove thin layers from each surface and MCLT is measured after each etch step. The thickness-removed (δt) at which the lifetime reaches a peak value corresponds to the damage depth. This technique also allows the damage to be quantified in terms of effective surface recombination velocity (S_eff). To accomplish this, the MCLT data are converted into an S_eff vs δt plot, which represents a quantitative distribution of the degree of damage within the surface layer. We describe a wafer preparation procedure to attain reproducible etching and MCLT measurement results. We also describe important characteristics of an etchant used for controllably removing thin layers from the wafer surfaces. Lastly, some typical results showing changes in the MCLT vs δt plots for different cutting parameters are given.

Authors:

Sopori, B. ^[1]; Devayajanam, S. ^[2]; Basnyat, P. ^[2]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); New Jersey Inst. of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Apr 06 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1248799

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1245685

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5J00-66320
Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748; RSINAK

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Review of Scientific Instruments

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 87; Journal Issue: 4; Related Information: Review of Scientific Instruments; Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; etching; dislocations; electron hole recombination; passivation; slurries; solar cells; charge recombination; semiconductor analysis; photovoltaics; chemical mechanical planarization; polymers; semiconductor device fabrication; capacitive coupling; mechanical stress

Citation Formats


                    Sopori, B., Devayajanam, S., and Basnyat, P. A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.1063/1.4944792.

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                    Sopori, B., Devayajanam, S., & Basnyat, P. A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944792

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                    Sopori, B., Devayajanam, S., and Basnyat, P. Wed .  
"A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944792.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1248799.

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@article{osti_1248799,

  title        = {A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers},

  author       = {Sopori, B. and Devayajanam, S. and Basnyat, P.},

  abstractNote = {The depth of surface damage (or simply, damage) in crystalline silicon wafers, caused by wire sawing of ingots, is determined by performing a series of minority carrier lifetime (MCLT) measurements. Samples are sequentially etched to remove thin layers from each surface and MCLT is measured after each etch step. The thickness-removed (δt) at which the lifetime reaches a peak value corresponds to the damage depth. This technique also allows the damage to be quantified in terms of effective surface recombination velocity (Seff). To accomplish this, the MCLT data are converted into an Seff vs δt plot, which represents a quantitative distribution of the degree of damage within the surface layer. We describe a wafer preparation procedure to attain reproducible etching and MCLT measurement results. We also describe important characteristics of an etchant used for controllably removing thin layers from the wafer surfaces. Lastly, some typical results showing changes in the MCLT vs δt plots for different cutting parameters are given.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.4944792},

  journal      = {Review of Scientific Instruments},

  number       = 4,

  volume       = 87,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Apr 06 00:00:00 EDT 2016},

  month        = {Wed Apr 06 00:00:00 EDT 2016}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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journal, March 2006

Möller, H. J.
physica status solidi (a), Vol. 203, Issue 4
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Liedke, T.; Kuna, M.
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Thin Czochralski silicon solar cells based on diamond wire sawing technology
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Yu, Xuegong; Wang, Peng; Li, Xiaoqiang
Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 98
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Lu, Weike; Pei, Z. J.; Sun, J. G.
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Advanced Engineering Materials, Vol. 6, Issue 7
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Development of refractory ohmic contact materials for gallium arsenide compound semiconductors
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Sopori, B. L.
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Similar Records

Title: A method for determining average damage depth of sawn crystalline silicon wafers

Abstract

Citation Formats

Wafering of silicon crystals journal, March 2006

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journal, September 2011

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journal, January 2007

Rapid nondestructive technique for monitoring polishing damage in semiconductor wafers
journal, November 1980

Basic Mechanisms and Models of Multi-Wire Sawing
journal, July 2004

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journal, January 2002

A New Defect Etch for Polycrystalline Silicon
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