Impact of the end of range damage from low energy Ge preamorphizing implants on the thermal stability of shallow boron profiles Diffusion of B in Ge is studied in the temperature range 800-900°C using implantation doping and B doped epitaxial Ge layers. Concentration profiles before and after furnace annealing were obtained using high resolution secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Diffusion coefficients were calculated by fitting the annealed profiles using TSUPREM. We obtained diffusivity values which are at least two orders of magnitude lower than the lowest values previously reported in the literature. Using our values an activation energy of 4.65͑±0.3͒ eV is calculated. Present experimental results suggest that interstitial mediated mechanism should be considered for B diffusion in Ge in accordance with recent theoretical calculations. Annealed SIMS profiles also suggest that B solid solubility in Ge is ϳ2 ϫ 10 18 cm −3 at 875°C which agrees with literature values.

This article investigates limitations to the open circuit voltage of n-type amorphous silicon/p-type crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. The analysis of quantum efficiency and temperature dependent current/voltage characteristics identifies the dominant recombination mechanism. Depending on the electronic quality of the crystalline silicon absorber, either recombination in the neutral bulk or recombination in the space charge region prevails; recombination at the heterointerface is not relevant. Although interface recombination does not limit the open circuit voltage, recombination of photogenerated charge carriers at the heterointerface or in the amorphous silicon emitter diminishes the short circuit current of the solar cells.

A new physical model based on two dimensional simulations for high quality laser re-crystallised poly-Si thin film transistors is presented. It has been shown that to adequately explain the improved subthreshold slope and the lack of saturation of the output characteristics in these transistors, it is essential to distribute the density of defect states between traps in the grains alongside traps localised at grain boundaries. A double exponential density of states has been extracted for thin film transistors (TFTs) annealed at different excimer laser energies, using the field effect conductance method. By splitting the density of states between grain traps and grain boundary traps good fits to the output characteristics have been achieved. Lack of saturation is shown to be due to decrease in potential barrier at grain boundaries with increase in drain bias. At high gate voltages, however, evidence of a self-heating effect similar to that observed in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors is apparent.

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