Electron channeling and EBIC studies of edge-supported pulling silicon sheets
The dominant grain structure in edge-supported pulling silicon sheets has been studied by electron channeling in a scanning electron microscope. For unseeded polycrystalline silicon sheets in which equilibrium grain structures have been attained, it was found that the dominant grain structure is long, narrow grains with surface normals less than twenty degrees off the (011) direction. The plane that is parallel to the growth direction and perpendicular to the surfaces for most of these grains is very close to (111). The electronic quality of the grains, determined by electron-beam-induced current measurements, has been correlated with crystallographic orientations determined by electron channeling. It was observed that grains with this kind of grain structure tend to have better electronic quality, i.e., less electrically active intragrain defects, than the random grains. These findings are consistent with past experience that larger grained polycrystalline silicon sheets and higher efficiency solar cells can be obtained with seeded growth using seed orientations similar to the afore mentioned dominant grain structure.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Electric Conversion Research Division, Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO
- OSTI ID:
- 6284713
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Electron Devices; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Electron Devices; (United States) Vol. ED-31:5; ISSN IETDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Electron channeling and EBIC studies of polycrystalline silicon sheets
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Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
CHANNELING
CRYSTAL DOPING
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON CHANNELING
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
GRAIN ORIENTATION
GRAIN SIZE
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORIENTATION
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SIZE
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT