The concentrations of transition-metal impurities in a photovoltaic-grade multicrystalline silicon ingot have been measured by neutron activation analysis. The results show that the concentrations of Fe, Co, and Cu are determined by segregation from the liquid-to-solid phase in the central regions of the ingot. This produces high concentrations near the top of the ingot, which subsequently diffuse back into the ingot during cooling. The extent of this back diffusion is shown to correlate to the diffusivity of the impurities. Near the bottom, the concentrations are higher again due to solid-state diffusion from the crucible after crystallization has occurred. Measurement of the interstitial Fe concentration along the ingot shows that the vast majority of the Fe is precipitated during ingot growth. Further analysis suggests that this precipitation occurs mostly through segregation to extrinsic defects at high temperature rather than through solubility-limit-driven precipitation during ingot cooling.

A method for enhancing the brightness of an intense slow positron beam produced by an electron linear accelerator (LINAC) in order to obtain an intense positron microbeam was developed. The developed brightness enhancement system is simple and consists only of a few beam optics and a transmission remoderator. The slow positron beam produced by the LINAC is magnetically guided from the positron source to an experimental room. The beam is extracted from the magnetic field and is focused by a lens on the remoderator to enhance its brightness. The brightness-enhanced beam is extracted from the remoderator and focused on a sample by a lens. The beam size at the sample was 90 μm, which was two orders of magnitude smaller than that in the magnetic transport system that was about 10 mm. The efficiency of the transmission remoderator was about 5%. Adiabatic rules in the magnetic transport and the paraxial-ray equation were used to estimate the beam size that could be produced using this method.

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Laser-induced periodical microstructure in a Si substrate covered with a thin layer of silicon dioxide has been studied using KrF excimer laser irradiation for controlling the periodicity. It was found that KrF excimer laser irradiation can produce periodical microstructures in SiO2/Si samples by a single pulse if the laser fluence is large enough when the SiO2 thickness is small. When the SiO2 layer is thick and more than one laser pulse is required, circular patterns can be observed due to the interface defects. The periodicity of the ripple structure linearly depends on the SiO2 thickness. The formation of microstructure does not change the thickness of the SiO2 layer and the crystallinity in the Si substrate. The ripple structure formation in the SiO2/Si structure is related to the thermally generated surface waves. The existence of a SiO2 layer on Si substrate can change the surface tension during the melting of the Si interface and hence control the periodicity of the ripple formation. The lateral periodicity and vertical roughness of the ripple structures are within the range required for laser microtexturing of magnetic recording media.

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) is a powerful and sensitive technique for measuring trace amounts of impurities. In this work, we have applied NAA to the problem of identifying metallic impurities within the bulk of solar-grade cast multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafers. In particular, the change in concentrations of these contaminants after phosphorus gettering is monitored, revealing a marked reduction in some metal species, but not in others. BACKGROUND

Slow positron beam and optical absorption measurements are carried out to study structural defects and positronium formation in 40 keV B(+)-implanted polymethylmethacrylate (B:PMMA) with ion doses from 6.25 × 10(14) to 5.0 × 10(16) ions/cm(2). Detailed depth-selective information on defects in implanted samples was obtained by measuring of Doppler broadening of positron annihilation γ rays as a function of incident positron energy and these experimental results were compared with SRIM (stopping and range of ions in matter) simulation results. Two general processes, appearance of free radicals at lower ion doses (<10(16) ions/cm(2)) and carbonization at higher ion doses (>10(16) ions/cm(2)), are considered from the Doppler S-E and W-E dependences in the framework of the concept of defects formation during radiation damage of polymer structure. Probabilities of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) formation are analyzed using S-W plot and slow positron annihilation lifetime measurements. Dose dependence of o-Ps lifetime τ3 and intensity I3 at the incident positron energy of 2.15 keV correlates well with the dose dependence of S-parameter and seems to account for the existence of the expected two processes, i.e., scission of polymer chains and appearance of free radicals preceding the aggregation of the clusters resulting in the formation of network of conjugated bonds at lower ion doses and carbonization at higher ion doses. The increase of optical absorption observed with increasing ion implantation dose also suggests a formation of carbonaceous phase in the ion-irradiated PMMA.

An intense positron microbeam generated by an electron accelerator has been developed for obtaining three-dimensional positron lifetime mappings in a sample to permit visual evaluation of defect distributions. The beam diameter at the sample was 80–100 μm. The counting rate of the positron annihilation γ rays used to measure positron lifetime was as large as 3×103 s−1. Three-dimensional imaging was demonstrated of positron lifetimes in a SiO2 sample, which was irradiated with ion beams through a mesh mask. The time to obtain a single image (3500 pixels for an area of 2.5×3.5 mm2) was 0.5–1 h.

Lifetimes of ortho-positronium in mesoporous silica films were measured before and after surface trimethylsilylation of –OH groups. Variations of positronium lifetimes in the mesopores upon the surface modification indicate that the interaction between positronium and the pore surface is weakened in the pores, whose surface is covered with –CH3 groups, in comparison with those covered with –OH groups. This is consistent with the authors’ previous observation that positronium slowing down is less efficient in the pores covered with –CH3 groups. The present work demonstrates that in the porosimetric application of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, the interaction between positronium and the pore surface has to be properly taken into consideration.