Single-Crystal Silicon Etching Characteristics Using Excimer Laser Cℓ2 GAS

1983 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Arikado ◽  
M. Sekine ◽  
H. Okano ◽  
Y. Horiike

ABSTRACTSingle-crystal Si etching characteristics using an excimer laser (308 nm, XeCℓ) in the Cℓ2 gas have been studied. In lightly doped n-type and p-type Si, the etch rate of (100) is higher than that of (111), thus the (111) sidewall appears clearly for the irradiation to (100), while both orientations show almost the same etch rates in n+-doped Si. The n-type Si is etched spontaneously even by photo-dissociated Cℓ radicals generated in the gas phase, but no p-type Si etching occurs without direct irradiation. In addition, both types of etch rate-dependence on sheet resistance demonstrate that the number of electrons in the conduction band plays an essential role in the Si etching. This fact supports the field-assisted mechanism in the plasma etching proposed by Winters.

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 892-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Thomas ◽  
C. E. Norman ◽  
S. Varma ◽  
G. Schwartz ◽  
E. M. Absi

A low-cost, high-yield technology for producing single-crystal silicon solar cells at high volumes, and suitable for export to developing countries, is described. The process begins with 100 mm diameter as-sawn single-crystal p-type wafers with one primary flat. Processing steps include etching and surface texturization, gaseous-source diffusion, plasma etching, and contacting via screen printing. The necessary adaptations of such standard processes as diffusion and plasma etching to solar-cell production are detailed. New process developments include a high-throughput surface-texturization technique, and automatic printing and firing of cell contacts.The technology, coupled with automated equipment developed specifically for the purpose, results in solar cells with an average efficiency greater than 12%, a yield exceeding 95%, a tight statistical spread on parameters, and a wide tolerance to starting substrates (including the first 100 mm diameter wafers made in Canada). It is shown that with minor modifications, the present single shift 500 kWp (kilowatt peak) per year capacity technology can be readily expanded to 1 MWp per year, adapted to square and polycrystalline substrates, and efficiencies increased above 13%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weijia Guo ◽  
Senthil Kumar Anantharajan ◽  
Xinquan Zhang ◽  
Hui Deng

Abstract In this study, atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma generated using He/O2/CF4 mixture as feed gas was used to etch the single-crystal silicon (100) wafer and the characteristics of the etched surface were investigated. The wafer morphology and surface elemental composition were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The XPS results reveal that the fluorine element will be deposited on the wafer surface during the etching process when oxygen was not introduced as the feed gas. By detecting the energy and intensity of emitted particles, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to identify the radicals in plasma. The fluorocarbon radicals generated during CF4 plasma ionization can form carbon fluoride polymer, which is considered as one factor to suppress the etching process. The roughness was measured to be changed with the increase in the etching time. The surface appears to be rougher at first when the plasma etching occurred on the subsurface damaged (SSD) layer, and the subsurface cracks would show on the surface after a short-time etching. After the damaged layer was fully removed, etching resulted in the formation of square-opening etching pits. During extended etching, the individual etching pits grew up and coalesced with one another; this coalescence provided an improved surface roughness. This study explains the AP plasma etching mechanism, and the formation of anisotropic surface etching pits at a microscale level for promoting the micromachining process.


1992 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitsuteru Kimura ◽  
Kazuhiro Komatsuzaki

ABSTRACTMicroheater made of heavily Boron doped single crystal Si beam covered with SiO2 film, 1000×300×3 μm, is fabricated on the n type Si substrate by the anisotropic etching technique. As this microheater has an air bridge structure of low resistivity semiconductor material with positive but small temperature coefficient of resistance, a broad heating area up to 800 °C is easily obtained and it has quick response with the thermal time constant t of about 4 ms and has small power consumption. Since this heating area is made of p type layer in the n type substrate,this area can be electrically isolated from the substrate because of the formation of p-n junction.


1990 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Raicu ◽  
M.I. Current ◽  
W.A. Keenan ◽  
D. Mordo ◽  
R. Brennan ◽  
...  

AbstractHighly conductive p+-polysilicon films were fabricated over Si(100) and SiO2 surfaces using high-dose ion implantation and rapid thermal annealing. Resistivities close to that of single crystal silicon were achieved. These films were characterized by a variety of electrical and optical techniques as well as SIMS and cross-section TEM.


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