Title: Efficient passivation of n-type and p-type silicon surface defects by hydrogen sulfide gas reaction

Journal Article · · Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [5];  [4];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States); University of Delaware
  2. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
  3. Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
  4. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
  5. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
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An efficient surface defect passivation is observed by reacting clean Si in a dilute hydrogen sulfide-argon gas mixture (< 5% H2S in Ar) for both n-type and p-type Si wafers with planar and textured surfaces. Surface recombination velocities of 1.5 and 8 cm/s are achieved on n-type and p-type Si wafers, respectively, at an optimum reaction temperature of 550oC that are comparable to the best surface passivation quality used in high efficiency Si solar cells. Surface chemical analysis using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that sulfur is primarily bonded in a sulfide environment, and synchrotron-based soft x-ray emission spectroscopy of the adsorbed sulfur atoms suggests the formation of S-Si bonds. Furthermore, the sulfur surface passivation layer is unstable in air, attributed to surface oxide formation and a simultaneous decrease of sulfide bonds. However, the passivation can be stabilized by a low-temperature (300oC) deposited amorphous silicon nitride (a-Si:NX:H) capping layer.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; EE0008554
OSTI ID:
1814830
Journal Information:
Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 46 Vol. 33; ISSN 0953-8984
Publisher:
IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Jafari, Sahar; Hirsch, Jens; Lausch, Dominik
  • 15th International Conference on Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems (CPV-15), AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5123853
conference January 2019
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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
hydrogen sulfide reaction
photoelectron spectroscopy
silicon
surface passivation