Damage and residual layer analysis of reactive ion etching textured multi-crystalline silicon wafer for application to solar cells

Kang, Dongkyun; Park, Hyun-Jung; Choi, Dongjin; Han, Hyebin; Seol, Jaeseung; Kang, Yoonmook; Lee, Hae‐Seok; Kim, Dong Hwan

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2022.01.003

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…This layer is characterized by dislocations, microcracks, and other structural deformations. The thickness of the damage layer is crucial because it affects the mechanical strength, electrical performance, and overall reliability of the silicon wafer [ 143 ]. Minimizing the surface damage layer thickness is essential to ensuring the production of high-quality and defect-free semiconductor devices.…”

Section: Machining Performance Of Dwsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Precision Diamond Wire Sawing Monocrystalline Silicon

Zhou³

et al. 2023

Micromachines

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Due to the brittleness of silicon, the use of a diamond wire to cut silicon wafers is a critical stage in solar cell manufacturing. In order to improve the production yield of the cutting process, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the phenomena relating to the cutting parameters. This research reviews and summarizes the technology for the precision machining of monocrystalline silicon using diamond wire sawing (DWS). Firstly, mathematical models, molecular dynamics (MD), the finite element method (FEM), and other methods used for studying the principle of DWS are compared. Secondly, the equipment used for DWS is reviewed, the influences of the direction and magnitude of the cutting force on the material removal rate (MRR) are analyzed, and the improvement of silicon wafer surface quality through optimizing process parameters is summarized. Thirdly, the principles and processing performances of three assisted machining methods, namely ultrasonic vibration-assisted DWS (UV-DWS), electrical discharge vibration-assisted DWS (ED-DWS), and electrochemical-assisted DWS (EC-DWS), are reviewed separately. Finally, the prospects for the precision machining of monocrystalline silicon using DWS are provided, highlighting its significant potential for future development and improvement.

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Section: Machining Performance Of Dwsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Precision Diamond Wire Sawing Monocrystalline Silicon

Zhou³

et al. 2023

Micromachines

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“…Firstly, the surface area is significantly enhanced as a consequence of needle-like nanostructures inherently increasing the number of dangling bonds at the surface. Secondly, ion-bombardment as a part of dry etching raises the concern of creating crystallographic damage on the surface, which could result in a so-called 'dead-layer' with extensive amount of recombination sites near the surface [16,[32][33][34]. Thirdly, the use of processing gases during dry etching results in chemical residuals on the nanotextured surface [35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient surface passivation of germanium nanostructures with 1% reflectance

et al. 2023

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Germanium (Ge) is a vital element for applications that operate in near-infrared wavelengths. Recent progress in developing nanostructured Ge surfaces has resulted in > 99 % absorption in a wide wavelength range (300 nm- 1700 nm), promising unprecedented performance for optoelectronic devices. However, excellent optics alone is not enough for most of the devices (e.g. PIN photodiodes and solar cells) but efficient surface passivation is also essential. In this work, we tackle this challenge by applying extensive surface and interface characterization including transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which reveals the limiting factors for surface recombination velocity of the nanostructures. With the help of the obtained results, we develop a surface passivation scheme consisting of atomic-layer-deposited aluminum oxide and sequential chemical treatment. We achieve surface recombination velocity as low as 30 cm/s combined with ~1 % reflectance all the way from ultraviolet to NIR. Finally, we discuss the impact of the achieved results on the performance of Ge-based optoelectronic applications, such as photodetectors and thermophotovoltaic cells.

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