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The Effect of Pull Speed and Heat Treatment on Thermal Donors in Czhocralski Silicon

Abstract

In silicon crystals manufactured by the Czochralski method, oxygen is incorporated as a contaminant originating primarily from dissolution of the quartz crucible used to contain the molten silicon feedstock. The oxygen can be found either as interstitials, agglomerates, or as oxide particles. Particular kinds of agglomerates are known to lead to the formation of thermal donors—electronic states in the bandgap of the silicon base material. These can act as sites for recombination of excited charge carriers and are called thermal donors due to their ability to inject two electrons into the conduction band of silicon by thermal excitation, leading to enhanced electrical conductivity. Neither of these features are desirable in Cz-Si manufacture. Herein, the behavior of thermal donors as a function of the pull speed, and the position in the ingot, is investigated. Thermal treatment is provided, first for the formation of thermal donors and then for their removal. The aim is to investigate methods for minimalizing their incorporation in the crystal in the first place and then how they can be removed. Hyperspectral imaging and spectroscopy combined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy are used.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Espen Olsen
  • Torbjørn Mehl
  • Helene Eikaas Stalheim
  • Mari Juel
  • Rune Søndenå
  • Ingunn Burud

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Industry / Sustainable Energy Technology
  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences
  • Institute for Energy Technology

Year

2021

Published in

Physica Status Solidi (a) applications and materials science

ISSN

1862-6300

Volume

219

Issue

1

Page(s)

1 - 11

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository