C. Summonte

Silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon carbide: Investigation of charge carrier transport and recombination

An illumination-dependent analysis of silicon nanocrystal p-i-n solar cells is presented within the framework of the constant field approximation. Silicon nanocrystals in silicon carbide were prepared by solid-phase crystallization and contacted with doped a-SixC1−x:H. This paper aims at determining the fundamental transport and recombination properties, i.e., the effective mobility lifetime product, of the nanocrystal layer at device level. Illumination-dependent current-voltage curves are modelled with a voltage-dependent collection function with only two free parameters, and excellent agreement is found between theory and experiment. An effective mobility lifetime product of 10−10 cm2/V is derived and confirmed independently from an alternative method.

Absorption and emission of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiC: Eliminating Fabry-Pérot interference

Silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiC are studied by spectrophotometry and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Absorptivities are found to be affected by residual Fabry-Perot interference arising from measurements of reflection and transmission at locations of different film thickness. Multiple computational and experimental methods to avoid these errors in thin film measurements, in general, are discussed. Corrected absorptivity depends on the quantity of Si embedded in the SiC but is independent of the Si crystallinity, indicating a relaxation of the k-conservation criterion for optical transitions in the nanocrystals. Tauc gaps of 1.8–2.0 and 2.12 eV are determined for Si nanoclusters and SiC, respectively. PL spectra exhibit a red-shift of ∼100 nm per nm nominal Si nanocluster diameter, which is in agreement with quantum confinement but revealed to be an artifact entirely due to Fabry-Perot interference. Several simple experimental methods to diagnose or avoid interference in PL measurements are devel...

Electrical and Optical Characterisation of Silicon Nanocrystals Embedded in SiC

Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) are a promising candidate for the top cell of an all-Si tandem solar cell with a band gap from 1.3-1.7 eV, tuneable by adjusting NC size. They are readily produced within a Si-based dielectric matrix by precipitation from the Si excess in multilayers of alternating stoichiometric and silicon-rich layers. Here we examined the luminescence and transport of Si NCs embedded in SiC. We observed luminescence that redshifts from 2.0 to 1.5 eV with increasing nominal NC size. Upon further investigation, we found that this redshift is to a large extent due to Fabry-Pérot interference. Correction for this effect allows an analysis of the spectrum emitted from within the sample. We also produced p-i-n solar cells and found that the observed I-V curves under illumination could be well-fitted by typical thin-film solar cell models including finite series and parallel resistances, and a voltage-dependent current collection function. A minority carrier mobility-lifetime product on the order of 10-10 cm2/V was deduced, and a maximum open-circuit voltage of 370 mV achieved.

Nanocrystalline SiC formed by annealing of a-SiC:H on Si substrates: A study of dopant interdiffusion

Nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) is an interesting material for electronics applications, both in its own right and as a host matrix for silicon quantum dots. When synthesized by annealing of a-SiC:H on Si substrates, interdiffusion of dopants occurs if either the a-SiC:H or the Si substrate is doped. Annealing a-SiC:H on highly boron-doped substrates at 1100 °C leads to a fairly homogeneous doping level of ≥4 × 1019 cm−3 throughout the nc-SiC film. An unexpected anomaly in secondary ion mass spectroscopy quantification is observed and a method to circumvent it is shown. The nanostructure of the nc-SiC is only weakly affected as most of the diffusion occurs after the onset of crystallization. Annealing of doped a-SiC:H on Si substrates at 1100 °C leads to strong free carrier absorption at infrared wavelengths. This is demonstrated to originate from dopants that have diffused from the a-SiC:H to the Si substrate, and a method is developed to extract from it the doping profile in the Si substrate. T...

High-Bandgap Silicon Nanocrystal Solar Cells: Device Fabrication, Characterization, and Modeling

Silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) embedded in Si-based dielectrics provide a Si-based high-bandgap material (1.7 eV) and enable the construction of crystalline Si tandem solar cells. This chapter focusses on Si NC embedded in silicon carbide, because silicon carbide offers electrical conduction through the matrix material. The material development is reviewed, and optical modeling is introduced as a powerful method to monitor the four material components, amorphous and crystalline silicon as well as amorphous and crystalline silicon carbide. In the second part of this chapter, recent device developments for the photovoltaic characterization of Si NCs are examined. The controlled growth of Si NCs involves high-temperature annealing which deteriorates the properties of any previously established selective contacts. A membrane-based device is presented to overcome these limitations. In this approach, the formation of both selective contacts is carried out after high-temperature annealing and is therefore not affected by the latter. We examine p-i-n solar cells with an intrinsic region made of Si NCs embedded in silicon carbide. Device failure due to damaged insulation layers is analyzed by light beam-induced current measurements. An optical model of the device is presented for improving the cell current. A characterization scheme for Si NC p-i-n solar cells is presented which aims at determining the fundamental transport and recombination properties, i.e., the effective mobility lifetime product, of the nanocrystal layer at device level. For this means, an illumination-dependent analysis of Si NC p-i-n solar cells is carried out within the framework of the constant field approximation. The analysis builds on an optical device model, which is used to assess the photogenerated current in each of the device layers. Illumination-dependent current–voltage curves are modelled with a voltage-dependent current collection function with only two free parameters, and excellent agreement is found between theory and experiment. An effective mobility lifetime product of 10−10 cm2/V is derived and confirmed independently from an alternative method. The procedure discussed in this chapter is proposed as a characterization scheme for further material development, providing an optimization parameter (the effective mobility lifetime product) relevant for the photovoltaic performance of Si NC films.

Boron diffusion in nanocrystalline 3C-SiC

The diffusion of boron in nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) films with a grain size of 4–7 nm is studied using a poly-Si boron source. Diffusion is found to be much faster than in monocrystalline SiC as it takes place within the grain boundary (GB) network. Drive-in temperatures of 900–1000 °C are suitable for creating shallow boron profiles up to 100 nm deep, while 1100 °C is sufficient to flood the 200 nm thick films with boron. From the resulting plateau at 1100 °C a boron segregation coefficient of 28 between nc-SiC and the Si substrate, as well as a GB boron solubility limit of 0.2 nm−2 is determined. GB diffusion in the bulk of the films is Fickian and thermally activated with DGB(T)=(3.1−5.6)×107exp(−5.03±0.16  eV/kBT) cm2s−1. The activation energy is interpreted in terms of a trapping mechanism at dangling bonds. Higher boron concentrations are present at the nc-SiC surface and are attributed to immobilized boron.