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Lifetime Measurements of Stain Etched and Passivated Porous Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ricardo Guerrero-Lemus
Affiliation:
Dept. Física Básica, Universidad de La Laguna, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38204 La Laguna, S/C Tenerife, SPAIN.
Fathi A. Ben-Hander
Affiliation:
Dept. Física Aplicada C-XII, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, SPAIN.
Cristoffer Ballif
Affiliation:
Laboratory- and Service centre, Institut für Solare Energie systeme, Fraunhofer Institut, Haydnstr. 19, 45884 Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Ali Kenanoglu
Affiliation:
Laboratory- and Service centre, Institut für Solare Energie systeme, Fraunhofer Institut, Haydnstr. 19, 45884 Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Dietmar Borchert
Affiliation:
Laboratory- and Service centre, Institut für Solare Energie systeme, Fraunhofer Institut, Haydnstr. 19, 45884 Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Cecilio Hernández-Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Dept. Física Básica, Universidad de La Laguna, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38204 La Laguna, S/C Tenerife, SPAIN.
Tomás Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Dept. Tecnología Electrónica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Complutense s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, SPAIN.
José M. Martínez-Duart
Affiliation:
Dept. Física Aplicada C-XII, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, SPAIN.
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Abstract

In this work we present the first experimental study of photocarrier lifetimes in p-type and n-type Si substrates in which stain etched porous silicon (PS) has been formed on the surface. The lifetime values have been obtained before and after the surface passivation of the samples. The surface pasivation has been produced by two different techniques: (i) hydrogen passivation by immersion of the samples in a HF solution; and (ii) deposition of SiNx in a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition system. The results show a degradation of the photocarrier lifetime when the porous layers are not adequately passivated. This lifetime degradation is mainly associated to a large concentration of rapid recombination centres located at the Si/PS interface. We have also detected a weak influence of the PS outermost dangling bonds to the photocarrier lifetimes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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