Statistically meaningful data on the chemical state of ironprecipitates in processed multicrystalline silicon usingsynchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy
X-ray fluorescence microscopy (mu-XRF), x-ray beam induced current (XBIC), and x-ray absorption spectromicroscopy (mu-XAS) were performed on fully-processed Bay Six cast multicrystalline silicon and aluminum-gettered AstroPower Silicon-Film(TM) sheet material. Over ten iron precipitates--predominantly of iron silicide--were identified at low lifetime regions in both materials, both at grain boundaries and intragranular defects identified by XBIC. In addition, large (micron-sized) particles containing oxidized iron and other impurities (Ca, Cr, Mn) were found in BaySix material. The smaller iron silicide precipitates were more numerous and spatially distributed than their larger oxidized iron counterparts, and thus deemed more detrimental to minority carrier diffusion length.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Basic EnergySciences. Materials Science and Engineering Division. DE-AC03-76SF00098and W-31-109-ENG-38, National Renewable Energy Laboratory SubcontractAAT-2-31605-03; AG-Solar Project of the Government ofNorthrhein-Westfalia. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy SystemsGermany
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 861506
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL--55329
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Nanometer-scale metal precipitates in multicrystalline silicon solar cells
Microdefects in cast multicrystalline silicon