Investigating subsurface damages in semiconductor–insulator–semiconductor solar cells with THz spectroscopy. Issue 5 (30th December 2016) - Blumröder, Ulrike
Abstract: The influence of near‐surface crystal damage on carrier dynamics in silicon has been investigated with optical‐pump THz‐probe and THz emission studies. The surface damage is caused by a plasma process used for the fabrication of the ultrathin insulator within semiconductor–insulator–semiconductor (SIS) solar cells. The ion bombardment during the plasma process introduces a highly damaged subsurface region. Furthermore, the integration of positive interface charges leads to the formation of a depletion region that can be detected via the emitted THz radiation. The results are compared with classic I – U ‐characterization demonstrating that THz spectroscopy can be used as a supplementary tool for the investigation of process‐induced surface damages.