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Carrier lifetimes in high-lifetime silicon wafers and solar cells measured by photoexcited muon spin spectroscopy

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Murphy, J. D., Grant, N. E., Pain, S. L., Niewelt, T., Wratten, A., Khorani, E., Markevich, V. P., Peaker, A. R., Altermatt, P. P., Lord, J. S. and Yokoyama, K. (2022) Carrier lifetimes in high-lifetime silicon wafers and solar cells measured by photoexcited muon spin spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physics, 132 (6). 065704. doi:10.1063/5.0099492 ISSN 0021-8979.

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Official URL: http://doi.org/10.1063/5.0099492

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Abstract

Photoexcited muon spin spectroscopy (photo-μSR) is used to study excess charge carrier lifetimes in silicon. Experiments are performed on silicon wafers with very high bulk lifetimes with the surface passivation conditions intentionally modified to control the effective lifetime. When the effective lifetime is low (<500 μs), implanting the muons to different depths enables the reliable measurement of carrier lifetime as a function of distance from a surface. It is also demonstrated that the photo-μSR technique can measure effective carrier lifetimes in completed commercial gallium doped silicon passivated emitter and rear cell devices, with results validated with harmonically modulated photoluminescence imaging. It is discovered, however, that prolonged muon irradiation of samples with very long effective lifetimes (>10 ms) results in detectable degradation of the measured lifetime. Re-passivation of degraded samples with a temporary room temperature superacid-based passivation scheme demonstrates that degradation occurs in the silicon bulk. Deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements reveal the existence of several defect-related traps near the muon-exposed surface in concentrations of order 1010 cm−3 that are not present near the surface not exposed to muons. In contrast to the common perception of the μSR technique, our results demonstrate that muons are not inert probes and that beam-induced recombination activity modifies the bulk lifetime significantly in samples with high effective carrier lifetimes.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > Engineering
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Semiconductors, Muons, Silicon, Recombination lifetime
Journal or Publication Title: Journal of Applied Physics
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
ISSN: 0021-8979
Official Date: 14 August 2022
Dates:
DateEvent
14 August 2022Published
12 August 2022Available
14 July 2022Accepted
17 May 2022Submitted
Volume: 132
Number: 6
Number of Pages: 15
Article Number: 065704
DOI: 10.1063/5.0099492
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access (Creative Commons)
Date of first compliant deposit: 15 August 2022
Date of first compliant Open Access: 15 August 2022
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
RB2010023[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
RPG-2020-377Leverhulme Trusthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000275
EP/R513374/1[EPSRC] Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266
EP/S000763/1[EPSRC] Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266
EP/T025131/1[EPSRC] Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266
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