Title :
Evaluation of microroughness at SiO2/Si interfaces for high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells
Author :
Saitoh, Tadashi ; Mori, Kenji
Author_Institution :
Tokyo AT&T Univ., Japan
Abstract :
Microroughness at SiO2/Si interfaces has been characterized using noncontact spectroscopic ellipsometry. From simulation, the peak height at E2 photon energy in imaginary dielectric functions was very sensitive for the microroughness measurement. The ellipsometric method was confirmed by an atomic force microscope. Using HF etching to remove an SiO2 overlayer on the Si surface, microroughness tended to decrease with the decrease of HF concentration. Using a diluted 5% HF solution, SiO2/Si interfaces were denuded and evaluated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The microroughness seems to affect carrier recombination at the SiO2 /Si interfaces
Keywords :
atomic force microscopy; electron-hole recombination; elemental semiconductors; ellipsometry; etching; semiconductor device testing; silicon; silicon compounds; solar cells; spectroscopy; surface topography; surface topography measurement; E2 photon energy; HF etching; Si-SiO2; atomic force microscope; carrier recombination; crystalline semiconductor; imaginary dielectric functions; interface microroughness; measurement; noncontact spectroscopic ellipsometry; solar cell; Atomic force microscopy; Atomic measurements; Crystallization; Dielectrics; Etching; Force measurement; Hafnium; Image analysis; Rough surfaces; Surface roughness;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Waikoloa, HI
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1460-3
DOI :
10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520534
