Passivation of grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon
Preferential diffusion of various gases down the grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon is shown to promote significant changes in the density of defect states in these regions. A plasma of monatomic hydrogen provides a significant reduction in both the state density and the accompanying grain-boundary potential barrier while plasmas of oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur hexafluoride are shown to increase this density of states. Boundaries passivated with hydrogen have as much as a factor of 1000 larger transconductance after treatment. Hydrogenated barriers are stable over long periods at 375 /sup 0/C and essentially indefinitely at 23 /sup 0/C. The results have important implications for the development of low-cost thin-film silicon photovoltaic devices.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185
- OSTI ID:
- 6213786
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 34:5; ISSN APPLA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360602* -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
ATOMS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DATA
DIFFUSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
FILMS
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GASES
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN
INFORMATION
MICROSTRUCTURE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
PASSIVATION
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PLASMA
POLYCRYSTALS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR FLUORIDES