Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells

Meyer, Abigail R.; Taylor, P. Craig; Venuti, Michael B.; Eley, Serena; LaSalvia, Vincenzo; Nemeth, William; Page, Matthew R.; Young, David L.; Stradins, Paul; Agarwal, Sumit

doi:10.1039/d1ee01788h

Title: Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells

Abstract

Boron-doped Czochralski (Cz) Si is the most commonly used semiconductor in the fabrication of solar cells. The minority carrier lifetime of boron-doped Cz Si decreases upon exposure to light due to B–O-related defects, which reduce the performance of ~10⁹ solar modules worldwide. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we have identified the spin-active paramagnetic signatures of this phenomenon and gained insights into its microscopic mechanism. We found a distinct defect signature, which diminished when the degraded sample was annealed. The second signature, a broad magnetic field spectrum, due to the unionized B acceptors, was present in the annealed state but vanished upon light exposure. These observations show that, on degradation, nearly all the ~10¹⁶ cm^–3 B atoms in Cz Si complexed with interstitial O atoms, whereas only ~10¹² cm^–3 of these complexes created defects that were recombination-active. The formation rate of these recombination-active defects correlated with the decay of the minority carrier lifetime. Furthermore, the line shape parameters linked these defects to both B and O impurities in Cz Si.

Authors:

^[1]; Taylor, P. Craig ^[2];

^[2];

^[3]; Nemeth, William ^[3]; Page, Matthew R. ^[3];

^[3];

^[1]

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Aug 13 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1821415

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1817242

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-79622
Journal ID: ISSN 1754-5692; MainId:35843;UUID:3ee8736e-932d-4d80-b29f-4c55b0806c64;MainAdminID:62876

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; SETP DE-EE0008171; SETP DE-EE0008984

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Energy & Environmental Science

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 2021; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 1754-5692

Publisher:: Royal Society of Chemistry

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; boron doped; Cz Si; Czochralski; electron paramagnetic resonance; EPR; LID; light induced degradation; photovoltaic; PV

Citation Formats


                    Meyer, Abigail R., Taylor, P. Craig, Venuti, Michael B., Eley, Serena, LaSalvia, Vincenzo, Nemeth, William, Page, Matthew R., Young, David L., Stradins, Paul, and Agarwal, Sumit. Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells.  United States: N. p., 2021. 
Web.  doi:10.1039/d1ee01788h.

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                    Meyer, Abigail R., Taylor, P. Craig, Venuti, Michael B., Eley, Serena, LaSalvia, Vincenzo, Nemeth, William, Page, Matthew R., Young, David L., Stradins, Paul, & Agarwal, Sumit. Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ee01788h

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                    Meyer, Abigail R., Taylor, P. Craig, Venuti, Michael B., Eley, Serena, LaSalvia, Vincenzo, Nemeth, William, Page, Matthew R., Young, David L., Stradins, Paul, and Agarwal, Sumit. Fri .  
"Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ee01788h.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1821415.

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@article{osti_1821415,

  title        = {Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells},

  author       = {Meyer, Abigail R. and Taylor, P. Craig and Venuti, Michael B. and Eley, Serena and LaSalvia, Vincenzo and Nemeth, William and Page, Matthew R. and Young, David L. and Stradins, Paul and Agarwal, Sumit},

  abstractNote = {Boron-doped Czochralski (Cz) Si is the most commonly used semiconductor in the fabrication of solar cells. The minority carrier lifetime of boron-doped Cz Si decreases upon exposure to light due to B–O-related defects, which reduce the performance of ~109 solar modules worldwide. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we have identified the spin-active paramagnetic signatures of this phenomenon and gained insights into its microscopic mechanism. We found a distinct defect signature, which diminished when the degraded sample was annealed. The second signature, a broad magnetic field spectrum, due to the unionized B acceptors, was present in the annealed state but vanished upon light exposure. These observations show that, on degradation, nearly all the ~1016 cm–3 B atoms in Cz Si complexed with interstitial O atoms, whereas only ~1012 cm–3 of these complexes created defects that were recombination-active. The formation rate of these recombination-active defects correlated with the decay of the minority carrier lifetime. Furthermore, the line shape parameters linked these defects to both B and O impurities in Cz Si.},

  doi          = {10.1039/d1ee01788h},

  journal      = {Energy & Environmental Science},

  number       = 14,

  volume       = 2021,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Aug 13 00:00:00 EDT 2021},

  month        = {Fri Aug 13 00:00:00 EDT 2021}

}

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Title: Atomic structure of light-induced efficiency-degrading defects in boron-doped Czochralski silicon solar cells

Abstract

Citation Formats

Electronically activated boron-oxygen-related recombination centers in crystalline silicon journal, January 2006

Direct detection of carrier traps in Si solar cells after light-induced degradation: Direct detection of carrier traps in Si solar cells after light-induced degradation journal, December 2014

The Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC): From conception to mass production journal, December 2015

Paramagnetic Resonance Absorption from Acceptors in Silicon journal, October 1960

Defects in Semiconductors: Some Fatal, Some Vital journal, August 1998

Influence of bound hydrogen states on BO-regeneration kinetics and consequences for high-speed regeneration processes journal, December 2014

Boron–Oxygen Complex Responsible for Light‐Induced Degradation in Silicon Photovoltaic Cells: A New Insight into the Problem journal, July 2019

Multiple pathways for permanent deactivation of boron-oxygen defects in p-type silicon journal, December 2017

Structure and transformation of the metastable boron- and oxygen-related defect center in crystalline silicon journal, January 2004

Spin-dependent recombination in Czochralski silicon containing oxide precipitates journal, January 2012

Si 29 Hyperfine Structure of the E ′ α Center in Amorphous Silicon Dioxide journal, September 2006

Oxygen precipitation in silicon journal, May 1995

Influence of hydrogen on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon journal, May 2013

Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Due to Boron–Oxygen Defects journal, January 2017

Advances in surface passivation of c-Si solar cells journal, October 2012

ESR from boron in silicon at zero and small external stress. II. Linewidth and crystal defects journal, November 1978

Identification of the mechanism responsible for the boron oxygen light induced degradation in silicon photovoltaic cells journal, May 2019

Electron spin resonance centers associated with oxygen precipitates in Czochralski silicon crystals journal, August 2000

Improvement of the SRH bulk lifetime upon formation of n-type POLO junctions for 25% efficient Si solar cells journal, December 2017

Lifetime-degrading boron-oxygen centres in p-type and n-type compensated silicon journal, September 2011

ESR From boron in silicon at zero and small external stress I. Line positions and line structure journal, March 1978

Review of light-induced degradation in crystalline silicon solar cells journal, April 2016

Electronically activated boron-oxygen-related recombination centers in crystalline silicon
journal, January 2006

Direct detection of carrier traps in Si solar cells after light-induced degradation: Direct detection of carrier traps in Si solar cells after light-induced degradation
journal, December 2014

The Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC): From conception to mass production
journal, December 2015

Paramagnetic Resonance Absorption from Acceptors in Silicon
journal, October 1960

Defects in Semiconductors: Some Fatal, Some Vital
journal, August 1998

Influence of bound hydrogen states on BO-regeneration kinetics and consequences for high-speed regeneration processes
journal, December 2014

Boron–Oxygen Complex Responsible for Light‐Induced Degradation in Silicon Photovoltaic Cells: A New Insight into the Problem
journal, July 2019

Multiple pathways for permanent deactivation of boron-oxygen defects in p-type silicon
journal, December 2017

Structure and transformation of the metastable boron- and oxygen-related defect center in crystalline silicon
journal, January 2004

Spin-dependent recombination in Czochralski silicon containing oxide precipitates
journal, January 2012

${}^{29}{Si}$ Hyperfine Structure of the $E^{'}_{α}$ Center in Amorphous Silicon Dioxide
journal, September 2006

Oxygen precipitation in silicon
journal, May 1995

Influence of hydrogen on the regeneration of boron-oxygen related defects in crystalline silicon
journal, May 2013

Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Due to Boron–Oxygen Defects
journal, January 2017

Advances in surface passivation of c-Si solar cells
journal, October 2012

ESR from boron in silicon at zero and small external stress. II. Linewidth and crystal defects
journal, November 1978

Identification of the mechanism responsible for the boron oxygen light induced degradation in silicon photovoltaic cells
journal, May 2019

Electron spin resonance centers associated with oxygen precipitates in Czochralski silicon crystals
journal, August 2000

Improvement of the SRH bulk lifetime upon formation of n-type POLO junctions for 25% efficient Si solar cells
journal, December 2017

Lifetime-degrading boron-oxygen centres in p-type and n-type compensated silicon
journal, September 2011

ESR From boron in silicon at zero and small external stress I. Line positions and line structure
journal, March 1978

Review of light-induced degradation in crystalline silicon solar cells
journal, April 2016