scholarly journals Minority Carrier Lifetime Measurements for Contactless Oxidation Process Characterization and Furnace Profiling

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Bscheid ◽  
Christian R. Engst ◽  
Ignaz Eisele ◽  
Christoph Kutter
Keyword(s):  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Oxidation Process ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
High Resistivity ◽  
Process Time ◽  
Lifetime Measurements ◽  
Effective Lifetime ◽  
Process Characterization ◽  
The Impact

Contactless minority carrier lifetime (lifetime) measurements by means of microwave detected photoconductivity are employed for oxidation process characterization and furnace profiling. Characterization is performed on oxidized float zone substrates with high resistivity and outstanding bulk quality, suggesting that the measured effective lifetime is strongly dominated by interface recombination and therefore reflects the oxide quality. The applied approach requires neither test structures nor time consuming measurements and is therefore of particular interest if high throughput is required. The method is used to investigate the impact of oxidation furnace leakage as well as to analyze the oxidation homogeneity across a horizontal oxidation furnace. For comparison, capacitance-voltage measurements are conducted to characterize the oxide properties. It is found that any type of furnace leakage, which induces fixed oxide charges as well as interface states, has a heavy impact on the measured effective lifetime, especially on the shape of generation rate dependent lifetime curves. Furthermore, a distinct lifetime decrease towards the tube door of the oxidation furnace could be observed. The latter is even detectable in an ideal oxidation process, generating high quality oxides. Besides plain equipment characterization, the presented approach is suitable to optimize the oxidation process itself regarding different parameters like temperature, gas flow, pressure, or process time.

Evaluation of Surface Passivation Layers for Bulk Lifetime Estimation of High Resistivity Silicon for Radiation Detectors

2007 ◽  
Vol 131-133 ◽  
pp. 431-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Rafí ◽  
L. Cardona-Safont ◽  
M. Zabala ◽  
C. Boulord ◽  
F. Campabadal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Surface Passivation ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Radiation Detectors ◽  
High Resistivity ◽  
Lifetime Estimation ◽  
Passivation Layers ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

In order to identify an appropriate low-temperature surface passivation that could be used for bulk lifetime estimation of high resistivity (HR) (> 1 k·cm) silicon for radiation detectors, different passivating layers were evaluated on n-type and p-type standard Czochralski (CZ), HR magnetic CZ and HR float zone (FZ) substrates. Minority carrier lifetime measurements were performed by means of a μW-PCD set-up. The results show that SiNx PECVD layers deposited at low temperatures (≤ 250°C) may be used to evaluate the impact of different processing steps and treatments on the substrate characteristics for radiation detectors. First results are obtained about a preliminary thermal treatment experiment to evaluate the thermal stability of the passivating layers, as well as the potential impact of the generation of thermal donors on minority carrier lifetime.

Carrier Lifetime Measurements by Photoconductance at Low Temperature on Passivated Crystalline Silicon Wafers

2013 ◽  
Vol 1536 ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Courtois ◽  
Bastien Bruneau ◽  
Igor P. Sobkowicz ◽  
Antoine Salomon ◽  
Pere Roca i Cabarrocas
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Electron Mobility ◽  
Carrier Density ◽  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Crystalline Silicon ◽  
Silicon Wafers ◽  
Doping Density ◽  
Lifetime Measurements ◽  
Effective Lifetime

ABSTRACTWe propose an implementation of the PCD technique to minority carrier effective lifetime assessment in crystalline silicon at 77K. We focus here on (n)-type, FZ, polished wafers passivated by a-Si:H deposited by PECVD at 200°C. The samples were immersed into liquid N2 contained in a beaker placed on a Sinton lifetime tester. Prior to be converted into lifetimes, data were corrected for the height shift induced by the beaker. One issue lied in obtaining the sum of carrier mobilities at 77K. From dark conductance measurements performed on the lifetime tester, we extracted an electron mobility of 1.1x104 cm².V-1.s-1 at 77K, the doping density being independently calculated in order to account for the freezing effect of dopants. This way, we could obtain lifetime curves with respect to the carrier density. Effective lifetimes obtained at 77K proved to be significantly lower than at RT and not to depend upon the doping of the a-Si:H layers. We were also able to experimentally verify the expected rise in the implied Voc, which, on symmetrically passivated wafers, went up from 0.72V at RT to 1.04V at 77K under 1 sun equivalent illumination.

Correlation of Fe-Rich Defect Centre and Minority Carrier Lifetime in p-Type Multicrystalline Silicon

2013 ◽  
Vol 440 ◽  
pp. 82-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jahangir Alam ◽  
Mohammad Ziaur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Multicrystalline Silicon ◽  
Recombination Lifetime ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Carrier Recombination ◽  
Negative Role ◽  
P Type ◽  
The Impact

A comparative study has been made to analyze the impact of interstitial iron in minority carrier lifetime of multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si). It is shown that iron plays a negative role and is considered very detrimental for minority carrier recombination lifetime. The analytical results of this study are aligned with the spatially resolved imaging analysis of iron rich mc-Si.

Casting Single Crystal Silicon: Novel Defect Profiles from BP Solar's Mono2 TM Wafers

2007 ◽  
Vol 131-133 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Stoddard ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Ian Witting ◽  
Magnus C. Wagener ◽  
Yongkook Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Crystal Growth ◽  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Single Crystal Silicon ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Crystal Silicon ◽  
Growth Method ◽  
Screen Print ◽  
The Impact

A novel crystal growth method has been developed for the production of ingots, bricks and wafers for solar cells. Monocrystallinity is achievable over large volumes with minimal dislocation incorporation. The resulting defect types, densities and interactions are described both microscopically for wafers and macroscopically for the ingot, looking closely at the impact of the defects on minority carrier lifetime. Solar cells of 156 cm2 size have been produced ranging up to 17% in efficiency using industrial screen print processes.

Effect of Combined Oxygenation and Gettering on Minority Carrier Lifetime in High-Resistivity FZ Silicon

2004 ◽  
Vol 151 (10) ◽  
pp. G652 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lozano ◽  
M. Ullán ◽  
C. Martı́nez ◽  
L. Fonseca ◽  
J. M. Rafı́ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
High Resistivity

Minority Carrier Lifetime Measurements by Photoinduced Carrier Microwave Absorption Method

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (3S) ◽  
pp. 03CA02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Sameshima ◽  
Tomokazu Nagao ◽  
Shinya Yoshidomi ◽  
Kazuya Kogure ◽  
Masahiko Hasumi
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Absorption ◽  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Absorption Method ◽  
Lifetime Measurements

Minority Carrier Lifetime Measurements in Specific Epitaxial 4H-SiC Layers by the Microwave Photoconductivity Decay

2009 ◽  
Vol 615-617 ◽  
pp. 295-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Ottaviani ◽  
Olivier Palais ◽  
Damien Barakel ◽  
Marcel Pasquinelli
Keyword(s):  
Absorption Spectra ◽  
Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Optical Excitation ◽  
Minority Carrier Lifetime ◽  
Lifetime Measurements ◽  
Recombination Processes ◽  
Photoconductivity Decay ◽  
P Type ◽  
Non Destructive

We report on measurements of the minority carrier lifetime for different epitaxial 4H-SiC layers by using the microwave photoconductivity decay (µ-PCD) method. This is a non-contacting, non-destructive method very useful for the monitoring of recombination processes in semiconductor material. Distinct samples have been analyzed, giving different lifetime values. Transmittance and absorption spectra have also been carried out. The n-type layers, giving rise to a specific absorption peak near 470 nm, are not sensitive to optical excitation for the used wavelengths, as opposite to p-type layers whose lifetime values depend on thickness and doping.

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