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Title: Influence of hydrogen effusion from hydrogenated silicon nitride layers on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon

Abstract

The degradation effect boron doped and oxygen-rich crystalline silicon materials suffer from under illumination can be neutralized in hydrogenated silicon by the application of a regeneration process consisting of a combination of slightly elevated temperature and carrier injection. In this paper, the influence of variations in short high temperature steps on the kinetics of the regeneration process is investigated. It is found that hotter and longer firing steps allowing an effective hydrogenation from a hydrogen-rich silicon nitride passivation layer result in an acceleration of the regeneration process. Additionally, a fast cool down from high temperature to around 550 °C seems to be crucial for a fast regeneration process. It is suggested that high cooling rates suppress hydrogen effusion from the silicon bulk in a temperature range where the hydrogenated passivation layer cannot release hydrogen in considerable amounts. Thus, the hydrogen content of the silicon bulk after the complete high temperature step can be increased resulting in a faster regeneration process. Hence, the data presented here back up the theory that the regeneration process might be a hydrogen passivation of boron-oxygen related defects.

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22258754
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 114; Journal Issue: 19; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; BORON; COOLING; DOPED MATERIALS; HYDROGEN; HYDROGENATION; ILLUMINANCE; LAYERS; OXYGEN; REGENERATION; SILICON; SILICON NITRIDES

Citation Formats

Wilking, S., E-mail: Svenja.Wilking@uni-konstanz.de, Ebert, S., Herguth, A., and Hahn, G. Influence of hydrogen effusion from hydrogenated silicon nitride layers on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4833243.
Wilking, S., E-mail: Svenja.Wilking@uni-konstanz.de, Ebert, S., Herguth, A., & Hahn, G. Influence of hydrogen effusion from hydrogenated silicon nitride layers on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4833243
Wilking, S., E-mail: Svenja.Wilking@uni-konstanz.de, Ebert, S., Herguth, A., and Hahn, G. 2013. "Influence of hydrogen effusion from hydrogenated silicon nitride layers on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4833243.
@article{osti_22258754,
title = {Influence of hydrogen effusion from hydrogenated silicon nitride layers on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon},
author = {Wilking, S., E-mail: Svenja.Wilking@uni-konstanz.de and Ebert, S. and Herguth, A. and Hahn, G.},
abstractNote = {The degradation effect boron doped and oxygen-rich crystalline silicon materials suffer from under illumination can be neutralized in hydrogenated silicon by the application of a regeneration process consisting of a combination of slightly elevated temperature and carrier injection. In this paper, the influence of variations in short high temperature steps on the kinetics of the regeneration process is investigated. It is found that hotter and longer firing steps allowing an effective hydrogenation from a hydrogen-rich silicon nitride passivation layer result in an acceleration of the regeneration process. Additionally, a fast cool down from high temperature to around 550 °C seems to be crucial for a fast regeneration process. It is suggested that high cooling rates suppress hydrogen effusion from the silicon bulk in a temperature range where the hydrogenated passivation layer cannot release hydrogen in considerable amounts. Thus, the hydrogen content of the silicon bulk after the complete high temperature step can be increased resulting in a faster regeneration process. Hence, the data presented here back up the theory that the regeneration process might be a hydrogen passivation of boron-oxygen related defects.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4833243},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22258754}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 19,
volume = 114,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Thu Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}