Passivation of Silicon Surfaces by Treatment in Water at 110°C. Issue 1770 (1st June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nakamura, Tomohiko; Sameshima, Toshiyuki; Hasumi, Masahiko; Mizuno, Tomohisa
• Editors: Hekmatshoar, B.; Collins, R.; Holman, Z.; Stradins, P.; Terakawa, A.
• Is Part Of: MRS proceedings. Issue 1770(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-06-01
• Subjects: passivation, -- Si, -- thin film; Electrical engineering -- Congresses; Physics -- Congresses; Materials -- Research -- Congresses; Materials science -- Congresses; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1557/opl.2015.551
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-9172

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We report effective passivation of silicon surfaces by heating single crystalline silicon substrates in liquid water at 110°C for 1 h. High values of photo-induced effective minority carrier lifetime τeff in the range from 1.9x10 -4 to 1.8x10 -3 s were obtained for the n-type samples with resistivity in the range from 1.7 to 18.1 Ωcm. τeff ranged from 8.3x10 -4 to 3.1x10 -3 s and from 1.2x10 -4 to 6.0x10 -4 s over the area of 4 inch sized 17.0 Ωcm n- and 15.0 Ωcm p-type samples, respectively. The heat treatment in liquid water at 110°C for 1 h resulted in low surface recombination velocities ranging from 7 to 34 cm/s and from 49 to 250 cm/s for those 4 inch sized n- and p-type samples, respectively. The thickness of the passivation layer was estimated to be approximate only 0.7 nm. Metal-insulator-semiconductor type solar cell was demonstrated with Al and Au metal formation on the passivated surface. Rectified current voltage and solar cell characteristics were observed. Open circuit voltage of 0.47 V was obtained under AM 1.5 light illumination at 100 mW/cm 2 .