skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments

Abstract

Thin layers of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are well known for the excellent passivation of p-type c-Si surfaces including highly doped p{sup +} emitters, due to a high density of fixed negative charges. Recent results indicate that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} can also provide a good passivation of certain phosphorus-diffused n{sup +} c-Si surfaces. In this work, we studied the recombination at Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} passivated n{sup +} surfaces theoretically with device simulations and experimentally for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} deposited with atomic layer deposition. The simulation results indicate that there is a certain surface doping concentration, where the recombination is maximal due to depletion or weak inversion of the charge carriers at the c-Si/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface. This pronounced maximum was also observed experimentally for n{sup +} surfaces passivated either with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single layers or stacks of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capped by SiN{sub x}, when activated with a low temperature anneal (425 °C). In contrast, for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiN{sub x} stacks activated with a short high-temperature firing process (800 °C) a significant lower surface recombination was observed for most n{sup +} diffusion profiles without such a pronounced maximum. Based on experimentally determined interface properties and simulation results, we attribute this superior passivationmore » quality after firing to a better chemical surface passivation, quantified by a lower interface defect density, in combination with a lower density of negative fixed charges. These experimental results reveal that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiN{sub x} stacks can provide not only excellent passivation on p{sup +} surfaces but also on n{sup +} surfaces for a wide range of surface doping concentrations when activated with short high-temperature treatments.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Heidenhofstrasse 2, 79110 Freiburg (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22399151
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 116; Journal Issue: 24; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; ALUMINIUM OXIDES; CHARGE CARRIERS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; CONCENTRATION RATIO; DENSITY; DIFFUSION; DOPED MATERIALS; INTERFACES; PASSIVATION; PHOSPHORUS; PHOSPHORUS IONS; P-TYPE CONDUCTORS; RECOMBINATION; SILICON; SURFACES; THIN FILMS

Citation Formats

Richter, Armin, Benick, Jan, Kimmerle, Achim, Hermle, Martin, and Glunz, Stefan W. Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4903988.
Richter, Armin, Benick, Jan, Kimmerle, Achim, Hermle, Martin, & Glunz, Stefan W. Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903988
Richter, Armin, Benick, Jan, Kimmerle, Achim, Hermle, Martin, and Glunz, Stefan W. 2014. "Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903988.
@article{osti_22399151,
title = {Passivation of phosphorus diffused silicon surfaces with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}: Influence of surface doping concentration and thermal activation treatments},
author = {Richter, Armin and Benick, Jan and Kimmerle, Achim and Hermle, Martin and Glunz, Stefan W.},
abstractNote = {Thin layers of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are well known for the excellent passivation of p-type c-Si surfaces including highly doped p{sup +} emitters, due to a high density of fixed negative charges. Recent results indicate that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} can also provide a good passivation of certain phosphorus-diffused n{sup +} c-Si surfaces. In this work, we studied the recombination at Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} passivated n{sup +} surfaces theoretically with device simulations and experimentally for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} deposited with atomic layer deposition. The simulation results indicate that there is a certain surface doping concentration, where the recombination is maximal due to depletion or weak inversion of the charge carriers at the c-Si/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface. This pronounced maximum was also observed experimentally for n{sup +} surfaces passivated either with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single layers or stacks of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capped by SiN{sub x}, when activated with a low temperature anneal (425 °C). In contrast, for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiN{sub x} stacks activated with a short high-temperature firing process (800 °C) a significant lower surface recombination was observed for most n{sup +} diffusion profiles without such a pronounced maximum. Based on experimentally determined interface properties and simulation results, we attribute this superior passivation quality after firing to a better chemical surface passivation, quantified by a lower interface defect density, in combination with a lower density of negative fixed charges. These experimental results reveal that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiN{sub x} stacks can provide not only excellent passivation on p{sup +} surfaces but also on n{sup +} surfaces for a wide range of surface doping concentrations when activated with short high-temperature treatments.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4903988},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22399151}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 24,
volume = 116,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Sun Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}