Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime

Kivambe, Maulid M.; Powell, Douglas M.; Castellanos, Sergio; Jensen, Mallory Ann; Morishige, Ashley E.; Lai, Barry; Hao, Ruiying; Ravi, T. S.; Buonassisi, Tonio

doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2017.11.016

Title: Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime

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Abstract

We investigate the types and origins of structural defects in thin (<100 μm) kerfless epitaxial single crystal silicon grown on top of reorganized porous silicon layers. Although the structural defect density is low (has average defect density < 10⁴ cm^-2), localized areas with a defect density > 10⁵ cm^-2 are observed. Cross-sectional and systematic plan-view defect etching and microscopy reveals that the majority of stacking faults and dislocations originate at the interface between the porous silicon layer and the epitaxial wafer. Localised dislocation clusters are observed in regions of collapsed/deformed porous silicon and at decorated stacking faults. In localized regions of high extended defect density, increased minority-carrier recombination activity is observed. Evidence for impurity segregation to the extended defects (internal gettering), which is known to exacerbate carrier recombination is demonstrated. In conclusion, the impact of the defects on material performance and substrate re-use is also discussed.

Authors:

Kivambe, Maulid M. ^[1]; Powell, Douglas M. ^[1]; Castellanos, Sergio ^[1]; Jensen, Mallory Ann ^[1]; Morishige, Ashley E. ^[1]; Lai, Barry ^[2]; Hao, Ruiying ^[3]; Ravi, T. S. ^[3]; Buonassisi, Tonio ^[1]

Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Crystal Solar Inc., Santa Clara, CA (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP)

OSTI Identifier:: 1436471

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1576613

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; EE0005314

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Crystal Growth

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 483; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-0248

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; Chemical vapor deposition processes; Epitaxial silicon; Impurities; Line defects; Photovoltaics; Semiconducting silicon

Citation Formats


                    Kivambe, Maulid M., Powell, Douglas M., Castellanos, Sergio, Jensen, Mallory Ann, Morishige, Ashley E., Lai, Barry, Hao, Ruiying, Ravi, T. S., and Buonassisi, Tonio. Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2017.11.016.

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                    Kivambe, Maulid M., Powell, Douglas M., Castellanos, Sergio, Jensen, Mallory Ann, Morishige, Ashley E., Lai, Barry, Hao, Ruiying, Ravi, T. S., & Buonassisi, Tonio. Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2017.11.016

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                    Kivambe, Maulid M., Powell, Douglas M., Castellanos, Sergio, Jensen, Mallory Ann, Morishige, Ashley E., Lai, Barry, Hao, Ruiying, Ravi, T. S., and Buonassisi, Tonio. Tue .  
"Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2017.11.016.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1436471.

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@article{osti_1436471,

  title        = {Characterization of high-quality kerfless epitaxial silicon for solar cells: Defect sources and impact on minority-carrier lifetime},

  author       = {Kivambe, Maulid M. and Powell, Douglas M. and Castellanos, Sergio and Jensen, Mallory Ann and Morishige, Ashley E. and Lai, Barry and Hao, Ruiying and Ravi, T. S. and Buonassisi, Tonio},

  abstractNote = {We investigate the types and origins of structural defects in thin (<100 μm) kerfless epitaxial single crystal silicon grown on top of reorganized porous silicon layers. Although the structural defect density is low (has average defect density < 104 cm-2), localized areas with a defect density > 105 cm-2 are observed. Cross-sectional and systematic plan-view defect etching and microscopy reveals that the majority of stacking faults and dislocations originate at the interface between the porous silicon layer and the epitaxial wafer. Localised dislocation clusters are observed in regions of collapsed/deformed porous silicon and at decorated stacking faults. In localized regions of high extended defect density, increased minority-carrier recombination activity is observed. Evidence for impurity segregation to the extended defects (internal gettering), which is known to exacerbate carrier recombination is demonstrated. In conclusion, the impact of the defects on material performance and substrate re-use is also discussed.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2017.11.016},

  journal      = {Journal of Crystal Growth},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 483,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2017},

  month        = {Tue Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2017}

}

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