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Interactions Of Structural Defects With Metallic Impurities In Multicrystalline Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

S. A. McHugo ,
H. Hieslmair ,
E. R. Weber ,
M. D. Rosenblum  and
J. P. Kalejs
S. A. McHugo
Affiliation:
Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
H. Hieslmair
Affiliation:
Dept. of Materials Science and Mineral Eng., University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
E. R. Weber
Affiliation:
Dept. of Materials Science and Mineral Eng., University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
M. D. Rosenblum
Affiliation:
ASE Americas Inc., Billerica, MA 01821
J. P. Kalejs
Affiliation:
ASE Americas Inc., Billerica, MA 01821
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Abstract

Interactions between structural defects and metallic impurities were studied in multicrystalline silicon for solar cell applications. The objective was to gain insight into the relationship between solar cell processing, metallic impurity behavior and the resultant effect on material/device performance. With an intense synchrotron x-ray source, high sensitivity x-ray fluorescence measurements were utilized to determine impurity distributions with a spatial resolution of ≈ lμm. Diffusion length mapping and final solar cell characteristics gauged material/device performance. The materials were tested in both the as-grown state and after full solar cell processing. Iron and nickel metal impurities were located at structural defects in asgrown material, while after solar cell processing, both impurities were still observed in low performance regions. These results indicate that multicrystalline silicon solar cell performance is directly related to metal impurities which are not completely removed during typical processing treatments. A discussion of possible mechanisms for this incomplete removal is presented.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 442: Symposium E – Defects in Electronic Materials II , 1996 , 261
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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