Electrical and Recombination Properties of Copper‐Silicide Precipitates in Silicon

Istratov, A. A.; Hedemann, H.; Seibt, M.; Vyvenko, O. F.; Schröter, W.; Heiser, T.; Flink, C.; Hieslmair, H.; Weber, E. R.

doi:10.1149/1.1838889

Cited by 107 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Such extended defects introduce a continuous band of energy states in the upper half of the bandgap, from E c À 0:15 eV to E c À ð0:4…0:5Þ eV 37,38 with an estimated electron capture cross-section r n ¼ 3 Â 10 À16 cm 2 . 39 Macdonald et al showed through LS methods that the impact of this distributed energy band can be approximated via two non-interacting SRH defects with energy levels located at E c À 0:15 eV and E c À 0:58 eV, which approximately correspond to the extremes of the aforementioned energy band.…”

Section: Comparison With Literature Data and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recombination activity of light-activated copper defects in p-type silicon studied by injection- and temperature-dependent lifetime spectroscopy

Inglese

Lindroos

Vahlman

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Physics

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The presence of copper contamination is known to cause strong light-induced degradation (Cu-LID) in silicon. In this paper, we parametrize the recombination activity of light-activated copper defects in terms of Shockley—Read—Hall recombination statistics through injection- and temperature dependent lifetime spectroscopy (TDLS) performed on deliberately contaminated float zone silicon wafers. We obtain an accurate fit of the experimental data via two non-interacting energy levels, i.e., a deep recombination center featuring an energy level at Ec−Et=0.48−0.62 eV with a moderate donor-like capture asymmetry (k=1.7−2.6) and an additional shallow energy state located at Ec−Et=0.1−0.2 eV, which mostly affects the carrier lifetime only at high-injection conditions. Besides confirming these defect parameters, TDLS measurements also indicate a power-law temperature dependence of the capture cross sections associated with the deep energy state. Eventually, we compare these results with the available literature data, and we find that the formation of copper precipitates is the probable root cause behind Cu-LID.

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Section: Comparison With Literature Data and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recombination activity of light-activated copper defects in p-type silicon studied by injection- and temperature-dependent lifetime spectroscopy

Inglese

Lindroos

Vahlman

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Physics

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“…It has been observed recently by transmission electron microscopy that the gettering of Cu in n-type Si is accompanied by the formation of copper-silicide precipitates [10]. The enhanced Cu precipitation in n-type Si was explained by the formation of precipitates that are negatively charged or neutral in n-Si, hence attracting interstitial Cu i + , but positively charged in p-Si [19,10]. We would like to point out that acceptor-like substitutional Cu S n− should form efficient nucleation centers for the precipitation of Cu i + atoms.…”

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confidence: 99%

Lattice location of implanted Cu in highly doped Si

Wahl

Vantomme

Langouche

et al. 2000

Applied Physics Letters

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We report on the lattice location of ion-implanted 67 Cu in p + -and n + -Si using the emission channeling technique.Following room-temperature implantation, the majority of Cu was found on near-substitutional sites in both p + -and n + -Si. Annealing in the temperature range 200-600°C resulted in changes of near-substitutional Cu to random sites in p + -Si, while in n + -Si all of the near-substitutional Cu was converted to ideal substitutional lattice sites. The activation energy for dissociation is estimated to be 1.7-2.0 eV for near-substitutional Cu in p + -Si and 2.9(2) eV for ideal substitutional Cu in n + -Si.Cu and the other 3d transition metals Fe, Ni and Co may severely harm the performance of Si-based electronic circuits [1,2], acting as deep centers which reduce the lifetime of charge carriers and increase junction leakage. In order to remove the transition metals from the active regions of devices, various gettering procedures have been developed. Among these are the so-called intrinsic or internal gettering by O-related precipitates [3], gettering at implantation damage sites [4][5][6] or within voids [7,8], segregation gettering in heavily n +

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“…In mc-Si, copper can precipitate homogeneously in the silicon lattice or heterogeneously at grain boundaries, stacking faults, and dislocations. 35 Homogeneous precipitation requires a quasi-Fermi level above E c -0.2 eV, 36 which is not achieved at these copper levels 15 during slow air cooling 21 after oxidation or Cu in-diffusion. Therefore, copper is expected to precipitate heterogeneously at extended defects in mc-Si.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preventing light-induced degradation in multicrystalline silicon

Lindroos

Boulfrad

Yli-Koski

et al. 2014

Journal of Applied Physics

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Multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) is currently dominating the silicon solar cell market due to low ingot costs, but its efficiency is limited by transition metals, extended defects, and light-induced degradation (LID). LID is traditionally associated with a boron-oxygen complex, but the origin of the degradation in the top of the commercial mc-Si brick is revealed to be interstitial copper. We demonstrate that both a large negative corona charge and an aluminum oxide thin film with a built-in negative charge decrease the interstitial copper concentration in the bulk, preventing LID in mc-Si.

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Electrical and Recombination Properties of Copper‐Silicide Precipitates in Silicon

Cited by 107 publications

References 11 publications

Recombination activity of light-activated copper defects in p-type silicon studied by injection- and temperature-dependent lifetime spectroscopy

Recombination activity of light-activated copper defects in p-type silicon studied by injection- and temperature-dependent lifetime spectroscopy

Lattice location of implanted Cu in highly doped Si

Preventing light-induced degradation in multicrystalline silicon

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