WorldWideScience

Sample records for crystalline silicon c-si

  1. Durable crystalline Si photovoltaic modules based on silicone-sheet encapsulants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Kohjiro; Ohwada, Hiroto; Furihata, Tomoyoshi; Masuda, Atsushi

    2018-02-01

    Crystalline Si photovoltaic (PV) modules were fabricated with sheets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (silicone) as an encapsulant. The long-term durability of the silicone-encapsulated PV modules was experimentally investigated. The silicone-based modules enhanced the long-term durability against potential-induced degradation (PID) and a damp-heat (DH) condition at 85 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH). In addition, we designed and fabricated substrate-type Si PV modules based on the silicone encapsulant and an Al-alloy plate as the substratum, which demonstrated high impact resistance and high incombustible performance. The high chemical stability, high volume resistivity, rubber-like elasticity, and incombustibility of the silicone encapsulant resulted in the high durability of the modules. Our results indicate that silicone is an attractive encapsulation material, as it improves the long-term durability of crystalline Si PV modules.

  2. Effect of the CO2/SiH4 Ratio in the p-μc-SiO:H Emitter Layer on the Performance of Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Sritharathikhun, Jaran; Krajangsang, Taweewat; Moollakorn, Apichan; Inthisang, Sorapong; Limmanee, Amornrat; Hongsingtong, Aswin; Boriraksantikul, Nattaphong; Taratiwat, Tianchai; Akarapanjavit, Nirod; Sriprapha, Kobsak

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports the preparation of wide gap p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (p-μc-SiO:H) films using a 40 MHz very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The reported work focused on the effects of the CO2/SiH4 ratio on the properties of p-μc-SiO:H films and the effectiveness of the films as an emitter layer of crystalline silicon heterojunction (c-Si-HJ) solar cells. A p-μc-SiO:H film with a wide optical band gap (E04), 2.1 eV, can be obtain...

  3. Variation in the Optical Properties of the SiC-SiO2 Composite Antireflection Layer in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells by Annealing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jannat, Azmira; Li, Zhen Yu; Akhter, M. Shaheer; Yang, O.-Bong

    2017-11-01

    This study showed the effects of annealing on a sol-gel-derived SiC-SiO2 composite antireflection (AR) layer and investigated the optical and photovoltaic properties of crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. The SiC-SiO2 composite AR coating showed a considerable decrease in reflectance from 7.18% to 3.23% at varying annealing temperatures of 450-800°C. The refractive indices of the SiC-SiO2 composite AR layer were tuned from 2.06 to 2.45 with the increase in annealing temperature. The analysis of the current density-voltage characteristics indicated that the energy conversion efficiencies of the fabricated Si solar cells gradually increased from 16.99% to 17.73% with increasing annealing temperatures of 450-800°C. The annealing of the SiC-SiO2 composite AR layer in Si solar cells was crucial to improving the optical, morphological, and photovoltaic properties.

  4. Phosphorus-doped Amorphous Silicon Nitride Films Applied to Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feinäugle, Matthias

    2008-01-01

    The Photovoltaics Group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya is investigating silicon carbide (SiC) for the electronic passivation of the surface of crystalline silicon solar cells. The doping of SiC passivation layers with phosphorus resulted in a clear improvement of the minority carrier

  5. Silicon Effects on Properties of Melt Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.; Gyekenyesi, John Z.; Hurst, Janet B.

    2000-01-01

    Silicon effects on tensile and creep properties, and thermal conductivity of Hi-Nicalon SiC/SiC composites have been investigated. The composites consist of 8 layers of 5HS 2-D woven preforms of BN/SiC coated Hi-Nicalon fiber mats and a silicon matrix, or a mixture of silicon matrix and SiC particles. The Hi-Nicalon SiC/silicon and Hi-Nicalon SiC/SiC composites contained about 24 and 13 vol% silicon, respectively. Results indicate residual silicon up to 24 vol% has no significant effect on creep and thermal conductivity, but does decrease the primary elastic modulus and stress corresponding to deviation from linear stress-strain behavior.

  6. Characterization of the crystalline quality of β-SiC formed by ion beam synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Intarasiri, S.; Hallen, A.; Kamwanna, T.; Yu, L.D.; Possnert, G.; Singkarat, S.

    2006-01-01

    The ion beam synthesis (IBS) technique is applied to form crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) for future optoelectronics applications. Carbon ions at 80 and 40 keV were implanted into (1 0 0) high-purity p-type silicon wafers at room temperature and 400 deg. C, respectively, to doses in excess of 10 17 ions/cm 2 . Subsequent thermal annealing of the implanted samples was performed in a vacuum furnace at temperatures of 800, 900 and 1000 deg. C, respectively. Elastic recoil detection analysis was used to investigate depth distributions of the implanted ions and infrared transmittance (IR) measurement was used to characterize formation of SiC in the implanted Si substrate. Complementary to IR, Raman scattering measurements were also carried out. Levels of the residual damage distribution of the samples annealed at different temperatures were compared with that of the as-implanted one by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) in the channeling mode. The results show that C-ion implantation at the elevated temperature, followed by high-temperature annealing, enhances the synthesis of crystalline SiC

  7. IBC c-Si solar cells based on ion-implanted poly-silicon passivating contacts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yang, G.; Ingenito, A.; Isabella, O.; Zeman, M.

    2016-01-01

    Ion-implanted poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si), in combination with a tunnel oxide layer, is investigated as a carrier-selective passivating contact in c-Si solar cells based on an interdigitated back contact (IBC) architecture. The optimized poly-Si passivating contacts enable low interface

  8. Effect of the CO2/SiH4 Ratio in the p-μc-SiO:H Emitter Layer on the Performance of Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaran Sritharathikhun

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the preparation of wide gap p-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (p-μc-SiO:H films using a 40 MHz very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The reported work focused on the effects of the CO2/SiH4 ratio on the properties of p-μc-SiO:H films and the effectiveness of the films as an emitter layer of crystalline silicon heterojunction (c-Si-HJ solar cells. A p-μc-SiO:H film with a wide optical band gap (E04, 2.1 eV, can be obtained by increasing the CO2/SiH4 ratio; however, the tradeoff between E04 and dark conductivity must be considered. The CO2/SiH4 ratio of the p-μc-SiO:H emitter layer also significantly affects the performance of the solar cells. Compared to the cell using p-μc-Si:H (CO2/SiH4 = 0, the cell with the p-μc-SiO:H emitter layer performs more efficiently. We have achieved the highest efficiency of 18.3% with an open-circuit voltage (Voc of 692 mV from the cell using the p-μc-SiO:H layer. The enhancement in the Voc and the efficiency of the solar cells verified the potential of the p-μc-SiO:H films for use as the emitter layer in c-Si-HJ solar cells.

  9. Luminescence of solar cells with a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhigunov, D. M.; Il'in, A. S.; Forsh, P. A.; Bobyl', A. V.; Verbitskii, V. N.; Terukov, E. I.; Kashkarov, P. K.

    2017-05-01

    We have studied the electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) of solar cells containing a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunctions. It is established that both the EL and PL properties of these cells are determined by the radiative recombination of nonequilibrium carriers in crystalline silicon (c-Si). The external EL energy yield (efficiency) of solar cells with a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunctions at room temperature amounts to 2.1% and exceeds the value reached in silicon diode structures. This large EL efficiency can be explained by good passivation of the surface of crystalline silicon and the corresponding increase in lifetime of minority carrier s in these solar cells.

  10. Characteristic electron energy loss spectra in SiC buried layers formed by C+ implantation into crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Hui; Chen Guanghua; Kwok, R.W.M.

    1998-01-01

    SiC buried layers were synthesized by a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source, with C + ions implanted into crystalline Si substrates. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the characteristic electron energy loss spectra of the SiC buried layers were studied. It was found that the characteristic electron energy loss spectra depend on the profiles of the carbon content, and correlate well with the order of the buried layers

  11. Argon plasma treatment of silicon nitride (SiN) for improved antireflection coating on c-Si solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghosh, Hemanta; Mitra, Suchismita; Saha, Hiranmay; Datta, Swapan Kumar; Banerjee, Chandan, E-mail: chandanbanerjee74@gmail.com

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Antireflection properties of argon plasma treated silicon nitride layer and its effect on crystalline silicon solar cell. • The reduction in reflection due to the formation of a silicon oxynitride/silicon nitride double layer. • EQE reveals a relative increase of 2.72% in J{sub sc} and 4.46% in conversion efficiency. - Abstract: Antireflection properties of argon plasma treated silicon nitride layer and its effect on crystalline silicon solar cell is presented here. Hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiN:H) layer has been deposited on a silicon substrate by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) using a mixture of silane (SiH{sub 4}), ammonia (NH{sub 3}) and hydrogen (H{sub 2}) gases followed by a argon plasma treatment. Optical analysis reveals a significant reduction in reflectance after argon plasma treatment of silicon nitride layer. While FESEM shows nanostructures on the surface of the silicon nitride film, FTIR reveals a change in Si−N, Si−O and N−H bonds. On the other hand, ellipsometry shows the variation of refractive index and formation of double layer. Finally, a c-Si solar cell has been fabricated with the said anti-reflection coating. External quantum efficiency reveals a relative increase of 2.72% in the short circuit current density and 4.46% in conversion efficiency over a baseline efficiency of 16.58%.

  12. Formation of SiC using low energy CO2 ion implantation in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sari, A.H.; Ghorbani, S.; Dorranian, D.; Azadfar, P.; Hojabri, A.R.; Ghoranneviss, M.

    2008-01-01

    Carbon dioxide ions with 29 keV energy were implanted into (4 0 0) high-purity p-type silicon wafers at nearly room temperature and doses in the range between 1 x 10 16 and 3 x 10 18 ions/cm 2 . X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was used to characterize the formation of SiC in implanted Si substrate. The formation of SiC and its crystalline structure obtained from above mentioned technique. Topographical changes induced on silicon surface, grains and evaluation of them at different doses observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Infrared reflectance (IR) and Raman scattering measurements were used to reconfirm the formation of SiC in implanted Si substrate. The electrical properties of implanted samples measured by four point probe technique. The results show that implantation of carbon dioxide ions directly leads to formation of 15R-SiC. By increasing the implantation dose a significant changes were also observed on roughness and sheet resistivity properties.

  13. Silicon heterojunction solar cells with novel fluorinated n-type nanocrystalline silicon oxide emitters on p-type crystalline silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Sukanta; Mandal, Sourav; Das, Gourab; Mukhopadhyay, Sumita; Pratim Ray, Partha; Banerjee, Chandan; Barua, Asok Kumar

    2015-08-01

    A novel fluorinated phosphorus doped silicon oxide based nanocrystalline material have been used to prepare heterojunction solar cells on flat p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) Czochralski (CZ) wafers. The n-type nc-SiO:F:H material were deposited by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Deposited films were characterized in detail by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optoelectronics properties have been studied using temperature dependent conductivity measurement, Ellipsometry, UV-vis spectrum analysis etc. It is observed that the cell fabricated with fluorinated silicon oxide emitter showing higher initial efficiency (η = 15.64%, Jsc = 32.10 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.630 V, FF = 0.77) for 1 cm2 cell area compare to conventional n-a-Si:H emitter (14.73%) on flat c-Si wafer. These results indicate that n type nc-SiO:F:H material is a promising candidate for heterojunction solar cell on p-type crystalline wafers. The high Jsc value is associated with excellent quantum efficiencies at short wavelengths (<500 nm).

  14. Impact of microcrystalline silicon carbide growth using hot-wire chemical vapor deposition on crystalline silicon surface passivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pomaska, M.; Beyer, W.; Neumann, E.; Finger, F.; Ding, K.

    2015-01-01

    Highly crystalline microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H) with excellent optoelectronic material properties is a promising candidate as highly transparent doped layer in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. These high quality materials are usually produced using hot wire chemical vapor deposition under aggressive growth conditions giving rise to the removal of the underlying passivation layer and thus the deterioration of the crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivation. In this work, we introduced the n-type μc-SiC:H/n-type μc-SiO x :H/intrinsic a-SiO x :H stack as a front layer configuration for p-type SHJ solar cells with the μc-SiO x :H layer acting as an etch-resistant layer against the reactive deposition conditions during the μc-SiC:H growth. We observed that the unfavorable expansion of micro-voids at the c-Si interface due to the in-diffusion of hydrogen atoms through the layer stack might be responsible for the deterioration of surface passivation. Excellent lifetime values were achieved under deposition conditions which are needed to grow high quality μc-SiC:H layers for SHJ solar cells. - Highlights: • High surface passivation quality was preserved after μc-SiC:H deposition. • μc-SiC:H/μc-SiO x :H/a-SiO x :H stack a promising front layer configuration • Void expansion at a-SiO x :H/c-Si interface for deteriorated surface passivation • μc-SiC:H provides a high transparency and electrical conductivity.

  15. Simulations of Proton Implantation in Silicon Carbide (SiC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-31

    Simulations of Proton Implantation in Silicon Carbide (SiC) Jonathan P. McCandless, Hailong Chen, Philip X.-L. Feng Electrical Engineering, Case...of implanting protons (hydrogen ions, H+) into SiC thin layers on silicon (Si) substrate, and explore the ion implantation conditions that are...relevant to experimental radiation of SiC layers. Keywords: silicon carbide (SiC); radiation effects; ion implantation ; proton; stopping and range of

  16. Amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunctions for nuclear radiation detector applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walton, J.T.; Hong, W.S.; Luke, P.N.; Wang, N.W.; Ziemba, F.P.

    1996-01-01

    Results on the characterization of the electrical properties of amorphous silicon films for the three different growth methods, RF sputtering, PECVD, and LPCVD are reported. The performance of these a-Si films as heterojunctions on high resistivity p-type and n-type crystalline silicon is examined by measuring the noise, leakage current and the alpha particle response of 5 mm diameter detector structures. It is demonstrated that heterojunction detectors formed by RF sputtered films and PECVD films are comparable in performance with conventional surface barrier detectors. The results indicate that the a-Si/c-Si heterojunctions have the potential to greatly simplify detector fabrication. Directions for future avenues of nuclear particle detector development are indicated

  17. Gelcasting of SiC/Si for preparation of silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, Z.P.; Tsinghua University, Beijing,; Cheng, Y.B.; Lu, J.W.; Huang, Y.

    2000-01-01

    In the present paper, gelcasting of aqueous slurry with coarse silicon carbide(1mm) and fine silicon particles was investigated to fabricate silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide materials. Through the examination of influence of different polyelectrolytes on the Zeta potential and viscosity of silicon and silicon carbide suspensions, a stable SiC/Si suspension with 60 vol% solid loading could be prepared by using polyelectrolyte of D3005 and sodium alginate. Gelation of this suspension can complete in 10-30 min at 60-80 deg C after cast into mold. After demolded, the wet green body can be dried directly in furnace and the green strength will develop during drying. Complex shape parts with near net size were prepared by the process. Effects of the debindering process on nitridation and density of silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide were also examined. Copyright (2000) The Australian Ceramic Society

  18. Research of morphology and structure of 3C–SiC thin films on silicon by electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander S. Gusev

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Thin films of silicon carbide possessing unique properties attract increasing attention of researchers both in the field of semiconductor physics and in the technology of new semiconductor devices for high power, RF and optoelectronics. The growth of the production of silicon carbide based devices promotes the search for more resource saving and safe SiC layer synthesis technologies. Potential method is pulse laser deposition (PLD in vacuum. This technology does not require the use of chemically aggressive and explosive gases and allows forming thin and continuous coatings with thicknesses of from several nanometers at relatively low substrate temperatures. Submicron thickness silicon carbide films have been grown on single crystal silicon by vacuum laser ablation of a ceramic target. The physical and technological parameters of silicon carbide thin film low temperature synthesis by PLD have been studied and, in particular, the effect of temperature and substrate crystalline orientation on the composition, structural properties and morphology of the surface of the experimental specimens has been analyzed. At above 500 °C the crystalline β-SiC phase forms on Si (100 and (111. At a substrate temperature of 950 °C the formation of textured heteroepitaxial 3C–SiC films was observed.

  19. Crystalline silicon films sputtered on molybdenum A study of the silicon-molybdenum interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reinig, P.; Fenske, F.; Fuhs, W.; Schoepke, A.; Selle, B

    2003-04-15

    Polycrystalline silicon films were grown on molybdenum (Mo)-coated substrates at high deposition rate using the pulsed magnetron sputtering technique. Our study investigates the silicon-molybdenum interface of these films to elucidate stimulating mechanisms for an ordered crystalline silicon thin film growth. Both Auger electron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering reveal that at a substrate temperature as low as T{sub S}=450 deg. C during the deposition process intermixing of Si and Mo at the Si-Mo interface takes place leading to a compositional ratio Mo:Si of about 1:2. By Raman spectroscopy hexagonal {beta}-MoSi{sub 2} could be identified as the dominant phase in this intermixed region. The dependence of the resulting thickness of the reacted interface layer on the deposition conditions is not fully understood yet.

  20. Crystalline silicon films sputtered on molybdenum A study of the silicon-molybdenum interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinig, P.; Fenske, F.; Fuhs, W.; Schoepke, A.; Selle, B.

    2003-01-01

    Polycrystalline silicon films were grown on molybdenum (Mo)-coated substrates at high deposition rate using the pulsed magnetron sputtering technique. Our study investigates the silicon-molybdenum interface of these films to elucidate stimulating mechanisms for an ordered crystalline silicon thin film growth. Both Auger electron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering reveal that at a substrate temperature as low as T S =450 deg. C during the deposition process intermixing of Si and Mo at the Si-Mo interface takes place leading to a compositional ratio Mo:Si of about 1:2. By Raman spectroscopy hexagonal β-MoSi 2 could be identified as the dominant phase in this intermixed region. The dependence of the resulting thickness of the reacted interface layer on the deposition conditions is not fully understood yet

  1. Hydrogen molecules and hydrogen-related defects in crystalline silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukata, N.; Sasaki, S.; Murakami, K.; Ishioka, K.; Nakamura, K. G.; Kitajima, M.; Fujimura, S.; Kikuchi, J.; Haneda, H.

    1997-09-01

    We have found that hydrogen exists in molecular form in crystalline silicon treated with hydrogen atoms in the downstream of a hydrogen plasma. The vibrational Raman line of hydrogen molecules is observed at 4158 cm-1 for silicon samples hydrogenated between 180 and 500 °C. The assignment of the Raman line is confirmed by its isotope shift to 2990 cm-1 for silicon treated with deuterium atoms. The Raman intensity has a maximum for hydrogenation at 400 °C. The vibrational Raman line of the hydrogen molecules is broad and asymmetric. It consists of at least two components, possibly arising from hydrogen molecules in different occupation sites in crystalline silicon. The rotational Raman line of hydrogen molecules is observed at 590 cm-1. The Raman band of Si-H stretching is observed for hydrogenation temperatures between 100 and 500 °C and the intensity has a maximum for hydrogenation at 250 °C.

  2. Oxygen recoil implant from SiO2 layers into single-crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, G.; Chen, Y.; Li, D.; Oak, S.; Srivastav, G.; Banerjee, S.; Tasch, A.; Merrill, P.; Bleiler, R.

    2001-01-01

    It is important to understand the distribution of recoil-implanted atoms and the impact on device performance when ion implantation is performed at a high dose through surface materials into single crystalline silicon. For example, in ultralarge scale integration impurity ions are often implanted through a thin layer of screen oxide and some of the oxygen atoms are inevitably recoil implanted into single-crystalline silicon. Theoretical and experimental studies have been performed to investigate this phenomenon. We have modified the Monte Carlo ion implant simulator, UT-Marlowe (B. Obradovic, G. Wang, Y. Chen, D. Li, C. Snell, and A. F. Tasch, UT-MARLOWE Manual, 1999), which is based on the binary collision approximation, to follow the full cascade and to dynamically modify the stoichiometry of the Si layer as oxygen atoms are knocked into it. CPU reduction techniques are used to relieve the demand on computational power when such a full cascade simulation is involved. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) profiles of oxygen have been carefully obtained for high dose As and BF 2 implants at different energies through oxide layers of various thicknesses, and the simulated oxygen profiles are found to agree very well with the SIMS data. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

  3. Low cost sol–gel derived SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite as anti reflection layer for enhanced performance of crystalline silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jannat, Azmira [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Solar Energy Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Woojin [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Akhtar, M. Shaheer, E-mail: shaheerakhtar@jbnu.ac.kr [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); New & Renewable Energy Materials Development Center (NewREC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk (Korea, Republic of); Li, Zhen Yu [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, O.-Bong, E-mail: obyang@jbnu.ac.kr [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896 (Korea, Republic of); New & Renewable Energy Materials Development Center (NewREC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-04-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Sol–gel derived SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite was prepared. • It effectively coated as AR layer on p-type Si-wafer. • SiC–SiO{sub 2} layer on Si solar cells exhibited relatively low reflectance of 7.08%. • Fabricated Si solar cell attained highly comparable performance of 16.99% to commercial device. - Abstract: This paper describes the preparation, characterizations and the antireflection (AR) coating application in crystalline silicon solar cells of sol–gel derived SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite. The prepared SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite was effectively applied as AR layer on p-type Si-wafer via two step processes, where the sol–gel of precursor solution was first coated on p-type Si-wafer using spin coating at 2000 rpm and then subjected to annealing at 450 °C for 1 h. The crystalline, and structural observations revealed the existence of SiC and SiO{sub 2} phases, which noticeably confirmed the formation of SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite. The SiC–SiO{sub 2} layer on Si solar cells was found to be an excellent AR coating, exhibiting the low reflectance of 7.08% at wavelengths ranging from 400 to 1000 nm. The fabricated crystalline Si solar cell with SiC–SiO{sub 2} nanocomposite AR coating showed comparable power conversion efficiency of 16.99% to the conventional Si{sub x}N{sub x} AR coated Si solar cell. New and effective sol–gel derived SiC–SiO{sub 2} AR layer would offer a promising technique to produce high performance Si solar cells with low-cost.

  4. Study of an Amorphous Silicon Oxide Buffer Layer for p-Type Microcrystalline Silicon Oxide/n-Type Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells and Their Temperature Dependence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taweewat Krajangsang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (i-a-SiO:H films were used as front and rear buffer layers in crystalline silicon heterojunction (c-Si-HJ solar cells. The surface passivity and effective lifetime of these i-a-SiO:H films on an n-type silicon wafer were improved by increasing the CO2/SiH4 ratios in the films. Using i-a-SiO:H as the front and rear buffer layers in c-Si-HJ solar cells was investigated. The front i-a-SiO:H buffer layer thickness and the CO2/SiH4 ratio influenced the open-circuit voltage (Voc, fill factor (FF, and temperature coefficient (TC of the c-Si-HJ solar cells. The highest total area efficiency obtained was 18.5% (Voc=700 mV, Jsc=33.5 mA/cm2, and FF=0.79. The TC normalized for this c-Si-HJ solar cell efficiency was −0.301%/°C.

  5. Explicit analytical modeling of the low frequency a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction capacitance: Analysis and application to silicon heterojunction solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maslova, O. [Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miusskaya sq., 4, Moscow 125047 (Russian Federation); GeePs (Group of electrical engineering of Paris), CNRS UMR 8507, CentraleSupélec, Univ Paris-Sud, Sorbonne Universités-UPMC Univ Paris 06, 11 rue Joliot-Curie, Plateau de Moulon, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Brézard-Oudot, A.; Gueunier-Farret, M.-E.; Alvarez, J.; Kleider, J.-P. [GeePs (Group of electrical engineering of Paris), CNRS UMR 8507, CentraleSupélec, Univ Paris-Sud, Sorbonne Universités-UPMC Univ Paris 06, 11 rue Joliot-Curie, Plateau de Moulon, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

    2015-09-21

    We develop a fully analytical model in order to describe the temperature dependence of the low frequency capacitance of heterojunctions between hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and crystalline silicon (c-Si). We demonstrate that the slope of the capacitance-temperature (C-T) curve is strongly enhanced if the c-Si surface is under strong inversion conditions compared to the usually assumed depletion layer capacitance. We have extended our analytical model to integrate a very thin undoped (i) a-Si:H layer at the interface and the finite thickness of the doped a-Si:H layer that are used in high efficiency solar cells for the passivation of interface defects and to limit short circuit current losses. Finally, using our calculations, we analyze experimental data on high efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells. The transition from the strong inversion limited behavior to the depletion layer behavior is discussed in terms of band offsets, density of states in a-Si:H, and work function of the indium tin oxide (ITO) front electrode. In particular, it is evidenced that strong inversion conditions prevail at the c-Si surface at high temperatures down to 250 K, which can only be reproduced if the ITO work function is larger than 4.7 eV.

  6. Improvement of crystalline silicon surface passivation by hydrogen plasma treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, I.; Vetter, M.; Orpella, A.; Voz, C.; Puigdollers, J.; Alcubilla, R.; Kharchenko, A.V.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P.

    2004-01-01

    A completely dry low-temperature process has been developed to passivate 3.3 Ω cm p-type crystalline silicon surface with excellent results. Particularly, we have investigated the use of a hydrogen plasma treatment, just before hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC x :H) deposition, without breaking the vacuum. We measured effective lifetime, τ eff , through a quasi-steady-state photoconductance technique. Experimental results show that hydrogen plasma treatment improves surface passivation compared to classical HF dip. S eff values lower than 19 cm s -1 were achieved using a hydrogen plasma treatment and an a-SiC x :H film deposited at 300 deg. C

  7. Ultra-thin silicon oxide layers on crystalline silicon wafers: Comparison of advanced oxidation techniques with respect to chemically abrupt SiO{sub 2}/Si interfaces with low defect densities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stegemann, Bert, E-mail: bert.stegemann@htw-berlin.de [HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences, 12459 Berlin (Germany); Gad, Karim M. [University of Freiburg, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, 79110 Freiburg (Germany); Balamou, Patrice [HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences, 12459 Berlin (Germany); Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB), 12489 Berlin (Germany); Sixtensson, Daniel [Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB), 12489 Berlin (Germany); Vössing, Daniel; Kasemann, Martin [University of Freiburg, Department of Microsystems Engineering - IMTEK, 79110 Freiburg (Germany); Angermann, Heike [Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB), 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • Fabrication of ultrathin SiO{sub 2} tunnel layers on c-Si. • Correlation of electronic and chemical SiO{sub 2}/Si interface properties revealed by XPS/SPV. • Chemically abrupt SiO{sub 2}/Si interfaces generate less interface defect states considerable. - Abstract: Six advanced oxidation techniques were analyzed, evaluated and compared with respect to the preparation of high-quality ultra-thin oxide layers on crystalline silicon. The resulting electronic and chemical SiO{sub 2}/Si interface properties were determined by a combined x-ray photoemission (XPS) and surface photovoltage (SPV) investigation. Depending on the oxidation technique, chemically abrupt SiO{sub 2}/Si interfaces with low densities of interface states were fabricated on c-Si either at low temperatures, at short times, or in wet-chemical environment, resulting in each case in excellent interface passivation. Moreover, the beneficial effect of a subsequent forming gas annealing (FGA) step for the passivation of the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface of ultra-thin oxide layers has been proven. Chemically abrupt SiO{sub 2}/Si interfaces have been shown to generate less interface defect states.

  8. Impact of organic overlayers on a-Si:H/c-Si surface potential

    KAUST Repository

    Seif, Johannes P.

    2017-04-11

    Bilayers of intrinsic and doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon, deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) surfaces, simultaneously provide contact passivation and carrier collection in silicon heterojunction solar cells. Recently, we have shown that the presence of overlaying transparent conductive oxides can significantly affect the c-Si surface potential induced by these amorphous silicon stacks. Specifically, deposition on the hole-collecting bilayers can result in an undesired weakening of contact passivation, thereby lowering the achievable fill factor in a finished device. We test here a variety of organic semiconductors of different doping levels, overlaying hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers and silicon-based hole collectors, to mitigate this effect. We find that these materials enhance the c-Si surface potential, leading to increased implied fill factors. This opens opportunities for improved device performance.

  9. Impact of organic overlayers on a-Si:H/c-Si surface potential

    KAUST Repository

    Seif, Johannes P.; Niesen, Bjoern; Tomasi, Andrea; Ballif, Christophe; De Wolf, Stefaan

    2017-01-01

    Bilayers of intrinsic and doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon, deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) surfaces, simultaneously provide contact passivation and carrier collection in silicon heterojunction solar cells. Recently, we have shown that the presence of overlaying transparent conductive oxides can significantly affect the c-Si surface potential induced by these amorphous silicon stacks. Specifically, deposition on the hole-collecting bilayers can result in an undesired weakening of contact passivation, thereby lowering the achievable fill factor in a finished device. We test here a variety of organic semiconductors of different doping levels, overlaying hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers and silicon-based hole collectors, to mitigate this effect. We find that these materials enhance the c-Si surface potential, leading to increased implied fill factors. This opens opportunities for improved device performance.

  10. Electric measurements of PV heterojunction structures a-SiC/c-Si

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perný, Milan; Šály, Vladimír; Janíček, František; Mikolášek, Miroslav; Váry, Michal; Huran, Jozef

    2018-01-01

    Due to the particular advantages of amorphous silicon or its alloys with carbon in comparison to conventional crystalline materials makes such a material still interesting for study. The amorphous silicon carbide may be used in a number of micro-mechanical and micro-electronics applications and also for photovoltaic energy conversion devices. Boron doped thin layers of amorphous silicon carbide, presented in this paper, were prepared due to the optimization process for preparation of heterojunction solar cell structure. DC and AC measurement and subsequent evaluation were carried out in order to comprehensively assess the electrical transport processes in the prepared a-SiC/c-Si structures. We have investigated the influence of methane content in deposition gas mixture and different electrode configuration.

  11. Epitaxial growth of silicon and germanium on (100-oriented crystalline substrates by RF PECVD at 175 °C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauguin O.

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available We report on the epitaxial growth of crystalline Si and Ge thin films by standard radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 175 °C on (100-oriented silicon substrates. We also demonstrate the epitaxial growth of silicon films on epitaxially grown germanium layers so that multilayer samples sustaining epitaxy could be produced. We used spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to characterize the structure of the films (amorphous, crystalline. These techniques were found to provide consistent results and provided information on the crystallinity and constraints in such lattice-mismatched structures. These results open the way to multiple quantum-well structures, which have been so far limited to few techniques such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy or MetalOrganic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

  12. Irradiation effect on Nite-SiC/SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinoki, T.; Choi, Y.B.; Kohyama, A.; Ozawa, K.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Silicon carbide (SiC) and SiC composites are significantly attractive materials for nuclear application in particular due to exceptional low radioactivity, excellent high temperature mechanical properties and chemical stability. Despite of the excellent potential of SiC/SiC composites, the prospect of industrialization has not been clear mainly due to the low productivity and the high material cost. Chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) method can produce the excellent SiC/SiC composites with highly crystalline and excellent mechanical properties. It has been reported that the high purity SiC/SiC composites reinforced with highly crystalline fibers and fabricated by CVI method is very stable to neutron irradiation. However the production cost is high and it is difficult to fabricate thick and dense composites by CVI method. The novel processing called Nano-powder Infiltration and Transient Eutectic Phase (NITE) Processing has been developed based on the liquid phase sintering (LPS) process modification. The NITE processing can achieve both the excellent material quality and the low processing cost. The productivity of the processing is also excellent, and various kinds of shape and size of SiC/SiC composites can be produced by the NITE processing. The NITE processing can form highly crystalline matrix, which is requirement for nuclear application. The objective of this work is to understand irradiation effect of the NITESiC/SiC composites. The SiC/SiC composites used were reinforced with high purity SiC fibers, Tyranno TM SA and fabricated by the NITE method. The NITE-SiC/SiC composite bars and reference monolithic SiC bars fabricated by CVI and NITE were irradiated at up to 1.0 dpa and 600-1000 deg. C at JMTR, Japan. Mechanical properties of non-irradiated and irradiated NITESiC/ SiC composites bars were evaluated by tensile tests. Monolithic SiC bars were evaluated by flexural tests. The fracture surface was examined by SEM. Ultimate

  13. The silicon neighborhood across the a-Si:H to {mu}c-Si transition by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tessler, Leandro R.; Wang Qi; Branz, Howard M

    2003-04-22

    We report a synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of the average neighborhood of Si near the transition from a-Si:H to {mu}c-Si on wedge-shaped samples prepared by hot-wire CVD in a chamber using a movable shutter. The thickness of the wedge varies from 30 to 160 nm. Nucleation of {mu}c-Si occurs at a critical thickness of approximately 100 nm. X-Ray absorption was measured at the Si K-edge (1.84 keV) by total electron photoemission yield. The absorption oscillations in the EXAFS region are very similar to all along the wedge. Analysis indicates an average tetrahedral first neighbor shell with radial disorder decreasing with crystallization. In the near-edge (XANES) region multiple scattering effects appear at the onset of crystallinity. Unlike single crystal silicon, these effects involve only double scattering within the first neighbor shell, indicating an ill-formed second shell in {mu}c-Si.

  14. Current enhancement in crystalline silicon photovoltaic by low-cost nickel silicide back contact

    KAUST Repository

    Bahabry, R. R.; Gumus, A.; Kutbee, A. T.; Wehbe, N.; Ahmed, S. M.; Ghoneim, M. T.; Lee, K. -T.; Rogers, J. A.; Hussain, M. M.

    2016-01-01

    We report short circuit current (Jsc) enhancement in crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic (PV) using low-cost Ohmic contact engineering by integration of Nickel mono-silicide (NiSi) for back contact metallization as an alternative to the status quo of using expensive screen printed silver (Ag). We show 2.6 mA/cm2 enhancement in the short circuit current (Jsc) and 1.2 % increment in the efficiency by improving the current collection due to the low specific contact resistance of the NiSi on the heavily Boron (B) doped Silicon (Si) interface.

  15. Current enhancement in crystalline silicon photovoltaic by low-cost nickel silicide back contact

    KAUST Repository

    Bahabry, R. R.

    2016-11-30

    We report short circuit current (Jsc) enhancement in crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic (PV) using low-cost Ohmic contact engineering by integration of Nickel mono-silicide (NiSi) for back contact metallization as an alternative to the status quo of using expensive screen printed silver (Ag). We show 2.6 mA/cm2 enhancement in the short circuit current (Jsc) and 1.2 % increment in the efficiency by improving the current collection due to the low specific contact resistance of the NiSi on the heavily Boron (B) doped Silicon (Si) interface.

  16. Structural investigation of the amorphous/crystalline interface by means of quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscopy on the systems a-Si/c-Si and a-Ge/c-Si; Strukturelle Untersuchung der amorph/kristallinen Grenzflaeche mittels quantitativer hochaufloesender Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie an den Systemen a-Si/c-Si und a-Ge/c-Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thiel, K.

    2006-11-02

    In this Thesis the interfaces between covalently bonded crystalline and amorphous materials were studied with regard to the induced ordering in the amorphous material in the interfacial region by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM). The interface between amorphous germanium and crystalline silicon and the interface between amorphous and crystalline silicon served as material system. In order to quantify the influence of the crystalline order on the amorphous material, the HREM images were periodically averaged along the interface. The intensity components, which are correlated with the period of the lattice image, could thus be separated from the statistical intensity fluctuations, which are characteristic for images of amorphous materials. Since amorphous materials can only be described meaningful by statistical distribution functions, for the induced order a three-dimensional distribution function {rho}{sub 3D}(r) was taken as a basis, which describes the probability to find an atom in the amorphous material, if r=0 is the position of an atom in the crystal. Its two-dimensional projection, {rho}, can be determined using iterative image matching techniques on averaged experimental and simulated interface images. For the analyzed material systems {rho} exhibits lateral ordering as well as a pronounced layering in the vicinity of the interface. In the case of the a-Si/c-Si sample the mean orientation of bonds was 70.5 , as is in the case of the undistorted diamond lattice, while for the a-Ge/c-Si sample 65 resulted. The standard deviation for the distribution of the deviations from the mean bond angle yields for the a-Ge/c-Si sample in the first atomic layer a value of 11.3 and for the a-Si/c-Si sample 1.9 . These results suggest the conclusion, that the differences in these values are to be interpreted as the reaction of the amorphous material to the volume misfit. Although for both material systems 1.4 nm was calculated for the width

  17. Chemical vapor deposition of Si/SiC nano-multilayer thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, A.; Remfort, R.; Woehrl, N.; Assenmacher, W.; Schulz, S.

    2015-01-01

    Stoichiometric SiC films were deposited with the commercially available single source precursor Et_3SiH by classical thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as well as plasma-enhanced CVD at low temperatures in the absence of any other reactive gases. Temperature-variable deposition studies revealed that polycrystalline films containing different SiC polytypes with a Si to carbon ratio of close to 1:1 are formed at 1000 °C in thermal CVD process and below 100 °C in the plasma-enhanced CVD process. The plasma enhanced CVD process enables the reduction of residual stress in the deposited films and offers the deposition on temperature sensitive substrates in the future. In both deposition processes the film thickness can be controlled by variation of the process parameters such as the substrate temperature and the deposition time. The resulting material films were characterized with respect to their chemical composition and their crystallinity using scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XRD), atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy. Finally, Si/SiC multilayers of up to 10 individual layers of equal thickness (about 450 nm) were deposited at 1000 °C using Et_3SiH and SiH_4. The resulting multilayers features amorphous SiC films alternating with Si films, which feature larger crystals up to 300 nm size as measured by transmission electron microscopy as well as by XRD. XRD features three distinct peaks for Si(111), Si(220) and Si(311). - Highlights: • Stoichiometric silicon carbide films were deposited from a single source precursor. • Thermal as well as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was used. • Films morphology, crystallinity and chemical composition were characterized. • Silicon/silicon carbide multilayers of up to 10 individual nano-layers were deposited.

  18. Transformation from amorphous to nano-crystalline SiC thin films ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    phous SiC to cubic nano-crystalline SiC films with the increase in the gas flow ratio. Raman scattering ... Auger electron spectroscopy showed that the carbon incorporation in the .... with a 514 nm Ar+ laser excitation source and the laser.

  19. Structural, optical and electrical properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SixC1−x/SiC multilayer systems for photovoltaic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López-Vidrier, J.; Hernández, S.; Samà, J.; Canino, M.; Allegrezza, M.; Bellettato, M.; Shukla, R.; Schnabel, M.; Löper, P.; López-Conesa, L.; Estradé, S.; Peiró, F.; Janz, S.; Garrido, B.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We study the structural, optical and electrical properties of Si x C 1−x /SiC multilayers with different Si excess. ► Multilayer structure is destroyed after annealing at 1100 °C. ► Energy filtered TEM confirmed the Si NC formation. ► Sample thickness values from optical simulations are in agreement with TEM observations. ► The crystallization degree of the NCs was evaluated by Raman scattering and R and T techniques. ► The system conductivity depends on the NC size. ► The presence of a defective oxycarbide layer on top did not allow for obtaining useful electrical information. -- Abstract: In this work we present a structural, optical and electrical characterization of Si x C 1−x /SiC multilayer systems with different silicon content. After the deposition process, an annealing treatment was carried out in order to induce the silicon nanocrystals formation. By means of energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) we observed the structural morphology of the multilayers and the presence of crystallized silicon nanoprecipitates for samples annealed up to 1100 °C. We discuss the suitability of optical techniques such as Raman scattering and reflectance and transmittance (R and T) for the evaluation of the crystalline fraction of our samples at different silicon excess ranges. In addition, the combination of R and T measurements with simulation has proved to be a useful instrument to confirm the structural properties observed by EFTEM. Finally, we explore the origin of the extremely high current density revealed by electrical measurements, probably due to the presence of an undesired defective SiC y O z ternary compound layer, already supported by the structural and optical results. Nevertheless, the variation of the electrical measurements with the silicon amount indicates a small but significant contribution from the multilayers

  20. Diodes of nanocrystalline SiC on n-/n+-type epitaxial crystalline 6H-SiC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Junding; Wei, Wensheng; Zhang, Chunxi; He, Mingchang; Li, Chang

    2018-03-01

    The diodes of nanocrystalline SiC on epitaxial crystalline (n-/n+)6H-SiC wafers were investigated, where the (n+)6H-SiC layer was treated as cathode. For the first unit, a heavily boron doped SiC film as anode was directly deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method on the wafer. As to the second one, an intrinsic SiC film was fabricated to insert between the wafer and the SiC anode. The third one included the SiC anode, an intrinsic SiC layer and a lightly phosphorus doped SiC film besides the wafer. Nanocrystallization in the yielded films was illustrated by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscope and Raman spectrum respectively. Current vs. voltage traces of the obtained devices were checked to show as rectifying behaviors of semiconductor diodes, the conduction mechanisms were studied. Reverse recovery current waveforms were detected to analyze the recovery performance. The nanocrystalline SiC films in base region of the fabricated diodes are demonstrated as local regions for lifetime control of minority carriers to improve the reverse recovery properties.

  1. Poly(3-hexylthiophene) films by electrospray deposition for crystalline silicon/organic hybrid junction solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiate, Taiga; Miyauchi, Naoto; Tang, Zeguo; Ishikawa, Ryo; Ueno, Keiji; Shirai, Hajime [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura, Saitama 858-3676 (Japan)

    2012-10-15

    The electrospray deposition (ESD) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on P3HT for use in crystalline silicon/organic hybrid heterojunction solar cells on CZ crystalline silicon (c-Si) (100) wafer was investigated using real-time characterization by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). In contrast to the nonuniform deposition of products frequently obtained by conventional spin-coating, a uniform deposition of P3HT and PEDOT:PSS films were achieved on flat and textured hydrophobic c-Si(100) wafers by adjusting the deposition conditions. The c-Si/P3HT/PEDOT:PSS heterojunction solar cells exhibited efficiencies of 4.1 and 6.3% on flat and textured c-Si(100) wafers, respectively. These findings suggest that ESD is a promising method for the uniform deposition of P3HT and PEDOT:PSS films on flat and textured hydrophobic substrates. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  2. Interface properties of the amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliop, Basia

    Amorphous-crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterojunctions have the potential of being a very high efficiency silicon photovoltaic platform technology with accompanying cost and energy budget reductions. In this research a heterojunction cell structure based on a-Si:H deposited using a DC saddle field plasma enhanced vapour deposition (DCSF PECVD) technique is studied, and the a-Si:H/c-Si and indium tin oxide/a-Si:H interfaces are examined using several characterization methods. Photocarrier radiometry (PCR) is used for the first time to probe the a-Si:H/c-Si junction. PCR is demonstrated as a carrier lifetime measurement technique -- specifically, confirming carrier lifetimes above 1 ms for 1-5 Ocm phosphorous-doped c-Si wafers passivated on both sides with 30 nm of i-a-Si:H. PCR is also used to determine surface recombination velocity and mobility, and to probe recombination at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, distinguishing interface recombination from recombination within the a-Si:H layer or at the a-Si:H surface. A complementary technique, lateral conductivity is applied over a temperature range of 140 K to 430 K to construct energy band diagrams of a-Si:H/c-Si junctions. Boron doped a-Si:H films on glass are shown to have activation energies of 0.3 to 0.35 eV, tuneable by adjusting the diborane to silane gas ratio during deposition. Heterojunction samples show evidence of a strong hole inversion layer and a valence band offset of approximately 0.4 eV; carrier concentration in the inversion layer is reduced in p-a-Si:H/i-a-Si:H/ c-Si structures as intrinsic layer thickness increases, while carrier lifetime is increased. The indium tin oxide/amorphous silicon interface is also examined. Optimal ITO films were prepared with a sheet resistance of 17.3 O/[special character omitted] and AM1.5 averaged transmittance of 92.1%., for a film thickness of approximately 85 nm, using temperatures below 200°C. Two different heat treatments are found to cause crystallization of

  3. Correlating the silicon surface passivation to the nanostructure of low-temperature a-Si:H after rapid thermal annealing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Macco, B.; Melskens, J.; Podraza, N.J.; Arts, K.; Pugh, C.; Thomas, O.; Kessels, W.M.M.

    2017-01-01

    Using an inductively coupled plasma, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films have been prepared at very low temperatures (<50 °C) to provide crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivation. Despite the limited nanostructural quality of the a-Si:H bulk, a surprisingly high minority carrier

  4. Crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in irradiated silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidman, D.N.; Averback, R.S.; Okamoto, P.R.; Baily, A.C.

    1986-01-01

    The amorphous(a)-to-crystalline (c) phase transition has been studied in electron(e - ) and/or ion irradiated silicon (Si). The irradiations were performed in situ in the Argonne High Voltage Microscope-Tandem Facility. The irradiation of Si, at 0 K, with 1-MeV e - to a fluence of 14 dpa failed to induce the c-to-a transition. Whereas an irradiation, at 0 K, with 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ ions induced the c-to-a transition by a fluence of approx.0.37 dpa. Alternatively a dual irradiation, at 10 0 K, with 1.0-MeV e - and 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ to a Kr+ fluence of 1.5 dpa - where the ratio of the displacement rates for e - to ions was approx.0.5 - resulted in the Si specimen retaining a degree of crystallinity. These results are discussed in terms of the degree of dispersion of point defects in the primary state of damage and the mobilities of point defects

  5. Chemical compatibility issues associated with use of SiC/SiC in advanced reactor concepts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, Dane F. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Silicon carbide/silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) composites are of interest for components that will experience high radiation fields in the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR), the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), the Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR), or the Fluoride-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR). In all of the reactor systems considered, reactions of SiC/SiC composites with the constituents of the coolant determine suitability of materials of construction. The material of interest is nuclear grade SiC/SiC composites, which consist of a SiC matrix [high-purity, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) SiC or liquid phase-sintered SiC that is crystalline beta-phase SiC containing small amounts of alumina-yttria impurity], a pyrolytic carbon interphase, and somewhat impure yet crystalline beta-phase SiC fibers. The interphase and fiber components may or may not be exposed, at least initially, to the reactor coolant. The chemical compatibility of SiC/SiC composites in the three reactor environments is highly dependent on thermodynamic stability with the pure coolant, and on reactions with impurities present in the environment including any ingress of oxygen and moisture. In general, there is a dearth of information on the performance of SiC in these environments. While there is little to no excess Si present in the new SiC/SiC composites, the reaction of Si with O2 cannot be ignored, especially for the FHR, in which environment the product, SiO2, can be readily removed by the fluoride salt. In all systems, reaction of the carbon interphase layer with oxygen is possible especially under abnormal conditions such as loss of coolant (resulting in increased temperature), and air and/ or steam ingress. A global outline of an approach to resolving SiC/SiC chemical compatibility concerns with the environments of the three reactors is presented along with ideas to quickly determine the baseline compatibility performance of SiC/SiC.

  6. Evolution of a Native Oxide Layer at the a-Si:H/c-Si Interface and Its Influence on a Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenzhu; Meng, Fanying; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Liu, Zhengxin

    2015-12-09

    The interface microstructure of a silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell was investigated. We found an ultrathin native oxide layer (NOL) with a thickness of several angstroms was formed on the crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface in a very short time (∼30 s) after being etched by HF solution. Although the NOL had a loose structure with defects that are detrimental for surface passivation, it acted as a barrier to restrain the epitaxial growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) during the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The microstructure change of the NOL during the PECVD deposition of a-Si:H layers with different conditions and under different H2 plasma treatments were systemically investigated in detail. When a brief H2 plasma was applied to treat the a-Si:H layer after the PECVD deposition, interstitial oxygen and small-size SiO2 precipitates were transformed to hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide alloy (a-SiO(x):H, x ∼ 1.5). In the meantime, the interface defect density was reduced by about 50%, and the parameters of the SHJ solar cell were improved due to the post H2 plasma treatment.

  7. The relationship between I{sub H{sub {alpha}}} /(I{sub SiH}{sup *}){sup 2} and crystalline volume fraction in microcrystalline silicon growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chantana, Jakapan; Higuchi, Takuya; Nagai, Tomoyuki; Sasaki, Shota; Sobajima, Yasushi; Toyama, Toshihiko; Sada, Chitose; Matsuda, Akihisa; Okamoto, Hiroaki [Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531 (Japan)

    2010-03-15

    Optical-emission-intensity ratio of I{sub H{sub {alpha}}} /(I{sub SiH}{sup *}) during film growth has been used as a simple indicator to predict crystallinity (crystal-volume fraction: X{sub C}) in the resulting microcrystalline silicon ({mu}c-Si:H) thin films. The relationship between I{sub H{sub {alpha}}} /(I{sub SiH}{sup *}) and X{sub C} has been checked under a wide variety of film-preparation conditions including low-deposition-rate (<0.1 nm/s) and high-deposition-rate (>5 nm/s) cases. On the basis of theoretical consideration, we have proposed optical-emission-intensity ratio of I{sub H{sub {alpha}}} /(I{sub SiH}{sup *}) {sup 2} as a new indicator of X{sub C} during film growth of {mu}c-Si:H. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  8. Controlling the optical properties of monocrystalline 3C-SiC heteroepitaxially grown on silicon at low temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colston, Gerard; Myronov, Maksym

    2017-11-01

    Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) offers an alternative wide bandgap semiconductor to conventional materials such as hexagonal silicon carbide (4H-SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) for the detection of UV light and can offer a closely lattice matched virtual substrate for subsequent GaN heteroepitaxy. As 3C-SiC can be heteroepitaxially grown on silicon (Si) substrates its optical properties can be manipulated by controlling the thickness and doping concentrations. The optical properties of 3C-SiC epilayers have been characterized by measuring the transmission of light through suspended membranes. Decreasing the thickness of the 3C-SiC epilayers is shown to shift the absorbance edge to lower wavelengths, a result of the indirect bandgap nature of silicon carbide. This property, among others, can be exploited to fabricate very low-cost, tuneable 3C-SiC based UV photodetectors. This study investigates the effect of thickness and doping concentration on the optical properties of 3C-SiC epilayers grown at low temperatures by a standard Si based growth process. The results demonstrate the potential photonic applications of 3C-SiC and its heterogeneous integration into the Si industry.

  9. Nanomechanical properties of SiC films grown from C{sub 60} precursors using atomic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morse, K. [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Balooch, M.; Hamza, A.V.; Belak, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

    1994-12-01

    The mechanical properties of SiC films grown via C{sub 60} precursors were determined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Conventional silicon nitride and modified diamond cantilever AFM tips were employed to determine the film hardness, friction coefficient, and elastic modulus. The hardness is found to be between 26 and 40 GPa by nanoindentation of the film with the diamond tip. The friction coefficient for the silicon nitride tip on the SiC film is about one third that for silicon nitride sliding on a silicon substrate. By combining nanoindentation and AFM measurements an elastic modulus of {approximately}300 GPa is estimated for these SiC films. In order to better understand the atomic scale mechanisms that determine the hardness and friction of SiC, we simulated the molecular dynamics of a diamond indenting a crystalline SiC substrate.

  10. Controlling growth density and patterning of single crystalline silicon nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Tung-Hao; Chang, Yu-Cheng; Liu, Fu-Ken; Chu, Tieh-Chi

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the usage of well-patterned Au nanoparticles (NPs) as a catalyst for one-dimensional growth of single crystalline Si nanowires (NWs) through the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. The study reports the fabrication of monolayer Au NPs through the self-assembly of Au NPs on a 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)-modified silicon substrate. Results indicate that the spin coating time of Au NPs plays a crucial role in determining the density of Au NPs on the surface of the silicon substrate and the later catalysis growth of Si NWs. The experiments in this study employed optical lithography to pattern Au NPs, treating them as a catalyst for Si NW growth. The patterned Si NW structures easily produced and controlled Si NW density. This approach may be useful for further studies on single crystalline Si NW-based nanodevices and their properties.

  11. Negative effects of crystalline-SiC doping on the critical current density in Ti-sheathed MgB2(SiC)y superconducting wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, G; Fang, H; Luo, Z P; Hoyt, C; Yen, F; Guchhait, S; Lv, B; Markert, J T

    2007-01-01

    Ti-sheathed MgB 2 wires doped with nanosize crystalline-SiC up to a concentration of 15 wt% SiC have been fabricated, and the effects of the SiC doping on the critical current density (J c ) and other superconducting properties studied. In contrast with the previously reported results that nano-SiC doping with a doping range below 16 wt% usually enhances J c , particularly at higher fields, our measurements show that SiC doping decreases J c over almost the whole field range from 0 to 7.3 T at all temperatures. Furthermore, it is found that the degradation of J c becomes stronger at higher SiC doping levels, which is also in sharp contrast with the reported results that J c is usually optimized at doping levels near 10 wt% SiC. Our results indicate that these negative effects on J c could be attributed to the absence of significant effective pinning centres (mainly Mg 2 Si) due to the high chemical stability of the crystalline-SiC particles

  12. On the origin of anisotropic lithiation in crystalline silicon over germanium: A first principles study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, Chia-Yun [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Hwang, Gyeong S., E-mail: gshwang@che.utexas.edu [Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

    2014-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We examine the underlying reasons for the anisotropic lithiation of Si over Ge in the crystalline phase. • Crystalline Si is lithiated in a layer-by-layer fashion, yielding a sharp amorphous–crystalline interface. • Lithiated c-Ge exhibits a graded lithiation front, which proceeds much faster than that in c-Si. • Lithiation behavior tends to be subject to the stiffness and dynamics of the host matrix. • We reveal the origin and extended impacts of the anisotropic Si vs. isotropic Ge lithiation. - Abstract: Silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are both recognized as a promising anode material for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Si is abundant and best known for its superior gravimetric energy storage capacity, while Ge exhibits faster charge/discharge rates and better capacity retention. Recently, it was discovered that Si lithiation exhibits strong orientation dependence while Ge lithiation proceeds isotropically, although they have the same crystalline structure. To better understand the underlying reasons behind these distinctive differences, we examine and compare the lithiation behaviors at the Li{sub 4}Si/c-Si(1 1 0) and Li{sub 4}Ge/c-Ge(1 1 0) model systems using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. In comparison to lithiated c-Si, where a sharp amorphous–crystalline interface remains and advances rather slowly, lithiated c-Ge tends to loose its crystallinity rapidly, resulting in a graded lithiation front of fast propagation speed. Analysis of the elastic responses and dynamics of the host Si and Ge lattices clearly demonstrate that from the beginning of the lithiation process, Ge lattice responds with more significant weakening as compared to the rigid Si lattice. Moreover, the more flexible Ge lattice is found to undergo facile atomic rearrangements during lithiation, overshadowing the original crystallographic characteristic. These unique properties of Ge thereby contribute synergistically to the rapid

  13. Electroluminescence of a-Si/c-Si heterojunction solar cells after high energy irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferrara, Manuela

    2009-11-24

    The crystalline silicon as absorber material will certainly continue to dominate the market for space applications of solar cells. In the contribution under consideration the applicability of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells in space has been tested by the investigation of the cell modification by high energy protons and comparing the results to the degradation of homojunction crystalline silicon reference cells. The investigated solar cells have been irradiated with protons of different energies and doses. For all investigated solar cells the maximum damage happens for an energy of about 1.7 MeV and is mainly due to the decrease of the effective minority carrier diffusion length in the crystalline silicon absorber. Simulations carried out by AFORS-HET, a heterojunction simulation program, also confirmed this result. The main degradation mechanism for all types of devices is the monotonically decreasing charge carrier diffusion length in the p-type monocrystalline silicon absorber layer. For the heterojunction solar cell an enhancement of the photocurrent in the blue wavelength region has been observed but only in the case of heterojunction solar cell with intrinsic a-Si:H buffer layer. Additionally to the traditional characterization techniques the electroluminescence technique used for monitoring the modifications of the heteroluminescence technique used for monitoring the modifications of the heterointerface between amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon in solar cells after proton irradiation. A direct relation between minority carrier diffusion length and electroluminescence quantum efficiency has been observed but also details of the interface modification could be monitored by this technique.

  14. Synthesis of SiC nanoparticles by SHG 532 nm Nd:YAG laser ablation of silicon in ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khashan, Khawla S.; Ismail, Raid A.; Mahdi, Rana O.

    2018-06-01

    In this work, colloidal spherical nanoparticles NPs of silicon carbide SiC have been synthesized using second harmonic generation 532 nm Nd:YAG laser ablation of silicon target dipped in ethanol solution at various laser fluences (1.5-5) J/cm2. X-Ray diffraction XRD, scanning electron microscopy SEM, transmission electron microscope TEM, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence PL spectroscopy, and UV-Vis absorption were employed to examine the structural, chemical and optical properties of SiC NPs. XRD results showed that all synthesised SiC nanoparticles are crystalline in nature and have hexagonal structure with preferred orientation along (103) plane. Raman investigation showed three characteristic peaks 764,786 and 954 cm-1, which are indexing to transverse optic TO phonon mode and longitudinal optic LO phonon mode of 4H-SiC structure. The optical absorption data showed that the values of optical energy gap of SiC nanoparticles prepared at 1.5 J/cm2 was 3.6 eV and was 3.85 eV for SiC synthesised at 5 J/cm2. SEM investigations confirmed that the nanoparticles synthesised at 5 J/cm2 are agglomerated to form larger particles. TEM measurements showed that SiC particles prepared at 1.5 J/cm2 have spherical shape with average size of 25 nm, while the particles prepared at 5 J/cm2 have an average size of 55 nm.

  15. Behind the Nature of Titanium Oxide Excellent Surface Passivation and Carrier Selectivity of c-Si

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Plakhotnyuk, Maksym; Crovetto, Andrea; Hansen, Ole

    We present an expanded study of the passivation properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si). We report a low surface recombination velocity (16 cm/s) for TiO2 passivation layers with a thin tunnelling oxide interlayer (SiO2 or Al2O3) on p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si......), and post-deposition annealing temperature were investigated. We have observed that that SiO2 and Al2O3 interlayers enhance the TiO2 passivation of c-Si. TiO2 thin film passivation layers alone result in lower effective carrier lifetime. Further annealing at 200  ̊C in N2 gas enhances the surface...

  16. Improving Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Efficiency Using Graded-Refractive-Index SiON/ZnO Nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yung-Chun Tu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The fabrication of silicon oxynitride (SiON/ZnO nanotube (NT arrays and their application in improving the energy conversion efficiency (η of crystalline Si-based solar cells (SCs are reported. The SiON/ZnO NT arrays have a graded-refractive-index that varies from 3.5 (Si to 1.9~2.0 (Si3N4 and ZnO to 1.72~1.75 (SiON to 1 (air. Experimental results show that the use of 0.4 μm long ZnO NT arrays coated with a 150 nm thick SiON film increases Δη/η by 39.2% under AM 1.5 G (100 mW/cm2 illumination as compared to that of regular SCs with a Si3N4/micropyramid surface. This enhancement can be attributed to SiON/ZnO NT arrays effectively releasing surface reflection and minimizing Fresnel loss.

  17. Conventional and 360 degree electron tomography of a micro-crystalline silicon solar cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duchamp, Martial; Ramar, Amuthan; Kovács, András

    2011-01-01

    Bright-field (BF) and annular dark-field (ADF) electron tomography in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) are used to characterize elongated porous regions or cracks (simply referred to as cracks thereafter) in micro-crystalline siliconc-Si:H) solar cell. The limitations of inferring...

  18. Nanowires of silicon carbide and 3D SiC/C nanocomposites with inverse opal structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emelchenko, G.A.; Zhokhov, A.A.; Masalov, V.M.; Kudrenko, E.A.; Tereshenko, A.N.; Steinman, E.A.; Khodos, I.I.; Zinenko, V.I.; Agafonov, Yu.A.

    2011-01-01

    Synthesis, morphology, structural and optical characteristics of SiC NWs and SiC/C nanocomposites with an inverse opal lattice have been investigated. The samples were prepared by carbothermal reduction of silica (SiC NWs) and by thermo-chemical treatment of opal matrices (SiC/C) filled with carbon compounds which was followed by silicon dioxide dissolution. It was shown that the nucleation of SiC NWs occurs at the surface of carbon fibers felt. It was observed three preferred growth direction of the NWs: [111], [110] and [112]. HRTEM studies revealed the mechanism of the wires growth direction change. SiC/C- HRTEM revealed in the structure of the composites, except for silicon carbide, graphite and amorphous carbon, spherical carbon particles containing concentric graphite shells (onion-like particles).

  19. Moissanite (SiC) with metal-silicide and silicon inclusions from tuff of Israel: Raman spectroscopy and electron microscope studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobrzhinetskaya, Larissa; Mukhin, Pavel; Wang, Qin; Wirth, Richard; O'Bannon, Earl; Zhao, Wenxia; Eppelbaum, Lev; Sokhonchuk, Tatiana

    2018-06-01

    Here, we present studies of natural SiC that occurs in situ in tuff related to the Miocene alkaline basalt formation deposited in northern part of Israel. Raman spectroscopy, SEM and FIB-assisted TEM studies revealed that SiC is primarily hexagonal polytypes 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC, and that the 4H-SiC polytype is the predominant phase. Both SiC polytypes contain crystalline inclusions of silicon (Sio) and inclusions of metal-silicide with varying compositions (e.g. Si58V25Ti12Cr3Fe2, Si41Fe24Ti20Ni7V5Zr3, and Si43Fe40Ni17). The silicides crystal structure parameters match Si2TiV5 (Pm-3m space group, cubic), FeSi2Ti (Pbam space group, orthorhombic), and FeSi2 (Cmca space group, orthorhombic) respectively. We hypothesize that SiC was formed in a local ultra-reduced environment at respectively shallow depths (60-100 km), through a reaction of SiO2 with highly reducing fluids (H2O-CH4-H2-C2H6) arisen from the mantle "hot spot" and passing through alkaline basalt magma reservoir. SiO2 interacting with the fluids may originate from the walls of the crustal rocks surrounding this magmatic reservoir. This process led to the formation of SiC and accompanied by the reducing of metal-oxides to native metals, alloys, and silicides. The latter were trapped by SiC during its growth. Hence, interplate "hot spot" alkali basalt volcanism can now be included as a geological environment where SiC, silicon, and silicides can be found.

  20. Impact of Nickel silicide Rear Metallization on Series Resistance of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Bahabry, Rabab R

    2018-01-11

    The Silicon-based solar cell is one of the most important enablers toward high efficiency and low-cost clean energy resource. Metallization of silicon-based solar cells typically utilizes screen printed silver-Aluminium (Ag-Al) which affects the optimal electrical performance. To date, metal silicide-based ohmic contacts are occasionally used as an alternative candidate only to the front contact grid lines in crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells. In this paper, we investigate the electrical characteristics of nickel mono-silicide (NiSi)/Cu-Al ohmic contact on the rear side of c-Si solar cells. We observe a significant enhancement in the fill factor of around 6.5% for NiSi/Cu-Al rear contacts leading to increasing the efficiency by 1.2% compared to Ag-Al. This is attributed to the improvement of the parasitic resistance in which the series resistance decreased by 0.737 Ω.cm². Further, we complement experimental observation with a simulation of different contact resistance values, which manifests NiSi/Cu-Al rear contact as a promising low-cost metallization for c-Si solar cells with enhanced efficiency.

  1. The Effect of SiC Polytypes on the Heat Distribution Efficiency of a Phase Change Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziz, M. S.; Mohammed, Z.; Alip, R. I.

    2018-03-01

    The amorphous to crystalline transition of germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) using three types of silicon carbide’s structure as a heating element was investigated. Simulation was done using COMSOL Multiphysic 5.0 software with separate heater structure. Silicon carbide (SiC) has three types of structure; 3C-SiC, 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC. These structures have a different thermal conductivity. The temperature of GST and phase transition of GST can be obtained from the simulation. The temperature of GST when using 3C-SiC, 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC are 467K, 466K and 460K, respectively. The phase transition of GST from amorphous to crystalline state for three type of SiC’s structure can be determined in this simulation. Based on the result, the thermal conductivity of SiC can affecting the temperature of GST and changed of phase change memory (PCM).

  2. Application of plasma silicon nitride to crystalline thin-film silicon solar cells. Paper

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, J.; Oberbeck, L.; Rinke, T.J.; Berge, C.; Bergmann, R.B.

    2002-07-01

    We use plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition to deposit silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) films at low temperature(400 C) onto the front surface of two different types of crystalline thin-film Si solar cells. The silicon nitride acts as an excellent antireflection coating on Si and provides a very high degree of electronic surface passivation over a wide range of compositions, including near-stoichiometric and Si-rich SiN{sub x}. Application of stoichiometric SiN{sub x} to non-textured thin-film cells, epitaxially grown at low temperature by ion-assisted deposition onto a monocrystalline Si substrate, results in an open-circuit voltage of 622 mV, a short-circuit current density of 26.6 mA/cm{sup 2} and an efficiency of 12.7%. It is shown that the SiN{sub x}-passivated in-situ grown n{sup +}-emitter of this cell type allows to reach open-circuit voltages of up to 667 mV. Silicon-rich SiN{sub x} is applied to the phosphorus-diffused n{sup +}-emitter of a textured thin-film cell on a glass superstrate fabricated by layer-transfer. The emitter saturation current density of these cells is only 40-64 fA/cm{sup 2}, which allows for open-circuit voltages of up to 699 mV. An impressively high open-circuit voltage of 638 mV and a short-circuit current density of 32.0 mA/cm{sup 2} are obtained for a 25 {mu}m thick SiN{sub x}-passivated, random pyramid-textured transfer cell. A transfer cell efficiency of 15.3% is independently confirmed.

  3. Influence of Chemical Composition and Structure in Silicon Dielectric Materials on Passivation of Thin Crystalline Silicon on Glass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calnan, Sonya; Gabriel, Onno; Rothert, Inga; Werth, Matteo; Ring, Sven; Stannowski, Bernd; Schlatmann, Rutger

    2015-09-02

    In this study, various silicon dielectric films, namely, a-SiOx:H, a-SiNx:H, and a-SiOxNy:H, grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) were evaluated for use as interlayers (ILs) between crystalline silicon and glass. Chemical bonding analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that high values of oxidant gases (CO2 and/or N2), added to SiH4 during PECVD, reduced the Si-H and N-H bond density in the silicon dielectrics. Various three layer stacks combining the silicon dielectric materials were designed to minimize optical losses between silicon and glass in rear side contacted heterojunction pn test cells. The PECVD grown silicon dielectrics retained their functionality despite being subjected to harsh subsequent processing such as crystallization of the silicon at 1414 °C or above. High values of short circuit current density (Jsc; without additional hydrogen passivation) required a high density of Si-H bonds and for the nitrogen containing films, additionally, a high N-H bond density. Concurrently high values of both Jsc and open circuit voltage Voc were only observed when [Si-H] was equal to or exceeded [N-H]. Generally, Voc correlated with a high density of [Si-H] bonds in the silicon dielectric; otherwise, additional hydrogen passivation using an active plasma process was required. The highest Voc ∼ 560 mV, for a silicon acceptor concentration of about 10(16) cm(-3), was observed for stacks where an a-SiOxNy:H film was adjacent to the silicon. Regardless of the cell absorber thickness, field effect passivation of the buried silicon surface by the silicon dielectric was mandatory for efficient collection of carriers generated from short wavelength light (in the vicinity of the glass-Si interface). However, additional hydrogen passivation was obligatory for an increased diffusion length of the photogenerated carriers and thus Jsc in solar cells with thicker absorbers.

  4. Radicals and ions controlling by adjusting the antenna-substrate distance in a-Si:H deposition using a planar ICP for c-Si surface passivation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, H.P., E-mail: haipzhou@uestc.edu.cn [School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 2006 Xiyuan Ave., West High-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731 (China); Plasma Sources and Application Center, NIE, and Institute of Advanced Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 637616 (Singapore); Xu, S., E-mail: shuyan.xu@nie.edu.sg [Plasma Sources and Application Center, NIE, and Institute of Advanced Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 637616 (Singapore); Xu, M. [Key Laboratory of Information Materials of Sichuan Province & School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu, 610041 (China); Xu, L.X.; Wei, D.Y. [Plasma Sources and Application Center, NIE, and Institute of Advanced Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 637616 (Singapore); Xiang, Y. [School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, 2006 Xiyuan Ave., West High-Tech Zone, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731 (China); Xiao, S.Q. [Key Laboratory of Advanced Process Control for Light Industry (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • A planar ICP was used to grow a-Si:H films for c-Si surface passivation. • The direct- and remote-plasma was compared for high-quality c-Si surface passivation. • The remote ICP with controlled plasma species and ion bombardments is preferable for the surface passivation of c-Si. - Abstract: Being a key issue in the research and fabrication of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells, crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivation is theoretically and technologically intricate due to its complicate dependence on plasma characteristics, material properties, and plasma-material interactions. Here amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) grown by a planar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor working under different antenna-substrate distances of d was used for the surface passivation of low-resistivity p-type c-Si. It is found that the microstructures (i.e., the crystallinity, Si-H bonding configuration etc.) and passivation function on c-Si of the deposited a-Si:H were profoundly influenced by the parameter of d, which primarily determines the types of growing precursors of SiH{sub n}/H contributing to the film growth and the interaction between the plasma and growing surface. c-Si surface passivation is analyzed in terms of the d-dependent a-Si:H properties and plasma characteristics. The controlling of radical types and ion bombardment on the growing surface through adjusting parameter d is emphasized.

  5. Wet-Chemical Preparation of Silicon Tunnel Oxides for Transparent Passivated Contacts in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köhler, Malte; Pomaska, Manuel; Lentz, Florian; Finger, Friedhelm; Rau, Uwe; Ding, Kaining

    2018-05-02

    Transparent passivated contacts (TPCs) using a wide band gap microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H(n)), silicon tunnel oxide (SiO 2 ) stack are an alternative to amorphous silicon-based contacts for the front side of silicon heterojunction solar cells. In a systematic study of the μc-SiC:H(n)/SiO 2 /c-Si contact, we investigated selected wet-chemical oxidation methods for the formation of ultrathin SiO 2 , in order to passivate the silicon surface while ensuring a low contact resistivity. By tuning the SiO 2 properties, implied open-circuit voltages of 714 mV and contact resistivities of 32 mΩ cm 2 were achieved using μc-SiC:H(n)/SiO 2 /c-Si as transparent passivated contacts.

  6. Towards III-V solar cells on Si: Improvement in the crystalline quality of Ge-on-Si virtual substrates through low porosity porous silicon buffer layer and annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calabrese, Gabriele; Baricordi, Stefano; Bernardoni, Paolo; Fin, Samuele; Guidi, Vincenzo; Vincenzi, Donato

    2014-01-01

    A comparison between the crystalline quality of Ge grown on bulk Si and on a low porosity porous Si (pSi) buffer layer using low energy plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is reported. Omega/2Theta coupled scans around the Ge and Si (004) diffraction peaks show a reduction of the Ge full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 22.4% in presence of the pSi buffer layer, indicating it is effective in improving the epilayer crystalline quality. At the same time atomic force microscopy analysis shows an increase in root means square roughness for Ge grown on pSi from 38.5 nm to 48.0 nm, as a consequence of the larger surface roughness of pSi compared to bulk Si. The effect of 20 minutes vacuum annealing at 580°C is also investigated. The annealing leads to a FWHM reduction of 23% for Ge grown on Si and of 36.5% for Ge on pSi, resulting in a FWHM of 101 arcsec in the latter case. At the same time, the RMS roughness is reduced of 8.8% and of 46.5% for Ge grown on bulk Si and on pSi, respectively. The biggest improvement in the crystalline quality of Ge grown on pSi with respect to Ge grown on bulk Si observed after annealing is a consequence of the simultaneous reorganization of the Ge epilayer and the buffer layer driven by energy minimization. A low porosity buffer layer can thus be used for the growth of low defect density Ge on Si virtual substrates for the successive integration of III-V multijunction solar cells on Si. The suggested approach is simple and fast –thus allowing for high throughput-, moreover is cost effective and fully compatible with subsequent wafer processing. Finally it does not introduce new chemicals in the solar cell fabrication process and can be scaled to large area silicon wafers

  7. Analysis of the crystalline characteristics of nc-Si:H thin film using a hyperthermal neutral beam generated by an inclined slot-excited antenna

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jong-Bae; Kim, Young-Woo; Kim, Dae Chul; Kim, Jongsik; Hong, Seung Pyo; Yoo, Suk Jae; Oh, Kyoung Suk, E-mail: ksoh@nfri.re.kr

    2013-11-29

    The deposition of hydrogenated nano-crystal silicon (nc-Si:H) thin film for manufacturing quantum dot solar cells, which has received attention due to the use of this film third-generation solar cells, is studied here. A hyperthermal neutral beam (HNB) generated by an inclined slot-excited antenna plasma source is used to reduce damage to the silicon thin film and deposition of the crystalline thin film is carried out on a substrate at a low temperature (< 200 °C). The size and the crystalline fraction of the nc-Si:H of the deposited thin film were analyzed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and a Raman microscope. As a result, silicon crystals 1–10 nm in size were observed in the amorphous silicon matrix. According to previous studies, the size and the crystalline fraction of nc-Si:H in deposited thin films increase as the hydrogen flow rate is increased. However, the increment of hydrogen flow rate decreases the deposition rate rapidly. The size and the crystalline fraction of nc-Si:H are adjustable by varying the substrate temperature and HNB energy without a change of the hydrogen flow rate. There are optimum conditions between the HNB energy and the substrate temperature for an appropriate amount of nc-Si:H in silicon thin film. - Highlights: • The appropriate hyperthermal neutral beam energy seems to assist film formation. • The Si crystal size can be adjusted by varying hyperthermal neutral beam energy. • The nc-Si:H 1 ∼ 10 in nm size was observed in the amorphous silicon matrix.

  8. Robustness up to 400°C of the passivation of c-Si by p-type a-Si:H thanks to ion implantation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Defresne, A.; Plantevin, O.; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere

    2016-12-01

    Heterojunction solar cells based on crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films are one of the most promising architectures for high energy conversion efficiency. Indeed, a-Si:H thin films can passivate both p-type and n-type wafers and can be deposited at low temperature (layers, in particular p-type a-Si:H, show a dramatic degradation in passivation quality above 200°C. Yet, annealing at 300 - 400°C the TCO layer and metallic contacts is highly desirable to reduce the contact resistance as well as the TCO optical absorption. In this work, we show that as expected, ion implantation (5 - 30 keV) introduces defects at the c-Si/a-Si:H interface which strongly degrade the effective lifetime, down to a few micro-seconds. However, the passivation quality can be restored and lifetime values can be improved up to 2 ms over the initial value with annealing. We show here that effective lifetimes above 1 ms can be maintained up to 380°C, opening up the possibility for higher process temperatures in silicon heterojunction device fabrication.

  9. The configurational energy gap between amorphous and crystalline silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kail, F. [GRMT, Department of Physics, University of Girona, Montilivi Campus, 17071 Girona, Catalonia (Spain); Univ. Barcelona, Dept. Fisica Aplicada and Optica, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Farjas, J.; Roura, P. [GRMT, Department of Physics, University of Girona, Montilivi Campus, 17071 Girona, Catalonia (Spain); Secouard, C. [Univ. Barcelona, Dept. Fisica Aplicada and Optica, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Nos, O.; Bertomeu, J. [CEA Grenoble, LTS, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex (France); Roca i Cabarrocas, P. [LPICM, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau (France)

    2011-11-15

    The crystallization enthalpy of pure amorphous silicon (a-Si) and hydrogenated a-Si was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for a large set of materials deposited from the vapour phase by different techniques. Although the values cover a wide range (200-480 J/g), the minimum value is common to all the deposition techniques used and close to the predicted minimum strain energy of relaxed a-Si (240 {+-} 25 J/g). This result gives a reliable value for the configurational energy gap between a-Si and crystalline silicon. An excess of enthalpy above this minimum value can be ascribed to coordination defects. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Unraveling Crystalline Structure of High-Pressure Phase of Silicon Carbonate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rulong Zhou

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Although CO_{2} and SiO_{2} both belong to group-IV oxides, they exhibit remarkably different bonding characteristics and phase behavior at ambient conditions. At room temperature, CO_{2} is a gas, whereas SiO_{2} is a covalent solid with rich polymorphs. A recent successful synthesis of the silicon-carbonate solid from the reaction between CO_{2} and SiO_{2} under high pressure [M. Santoro et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 7689 (2011] has resolved a long-standing puzzle regarding whether a Si_{x}C_{1−x}O_{2} compound between CO_{2} and SiO_{2} exists in nature. Nevertheless, the detailed atomic structure of the Si_{x}C_{1−x}O_{2} crystal is still unknown. Here, we report an extensive search for the high-pressure crystalline structures of the Si_{x}C_{1−x}O_{2} compound with various stoichiometric ratios (SiO_{2}:CO_{2} using an evolutionary algorithm. Based on the low-enthalpy structures obtained for each given stoichiometric ratio, several generic structural features and bonding characteristics of Si and C in the high-pressure phases are identified. The computed formation enthalpies show that the SiC_{2}O_{6} compound with a multislab three-dimensional (3D structure is energetically the most favorable at 20 GPa. Hence, a stable crystalline structure of the elusive Si_{x}C_{1−x}O_{2} compound under high pressure is predicted and awaiting future experimental confirmation. The SiC_{2}O_{6} crystal is an insulator with elastic constants comparable to typical hard solids, and it possesses nearly isotropic tensile strength as well as extremely low shear strength in the 2D plane, suggesting that the multislab 3D crystal is a promising solid lubricant. These valuable mechanical and electronic properties endow the SiC_{2}O_{6} crystal for potential applications in tribology and nanoelectronic devices, or as a stable solid-state form for CO_{2} sequestration.

  11. Carrier loss mechanisms in textured crystalline Si-based solar cells

    OpenAIRE

    Nakane, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Shohei; Fujiwara, Hiroyuki

    2017-01-01

    A quite general device analysis method that allows the direct evaluation of optical and recombination losses in crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based solar cells has been developed. By applying this technique, the optical and physical limiting factors of the state-of-the-art solar cells with ~20% efficiencies have been revealed. In the established method, the carrier loss mechanisms are characterized from the external quantum efficiency (EQE) analysis with very low computational cost. In particula...

  12. Predicting the performance of amorphous and crystalline silicon based photovoltaic solar thermal collectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daghigh, Ronak; Ibrahim, Adnan; Jin, Goh Li; Ruslan, Mohd Hafidz; Sopian, Kamaruzzaman

    2011-01-01

    BIPVT is an application where solar PV/T modules are integrated into the building structure. System design parameters such as thermal conductivity and fin efficiency, type of cells, type of coolant and operating conditions are factors which influence the performance of BIPVT. Attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of building-integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPVT). A new design concept of water-based PVT collector for building-integrated applications has been designed and evaluated. The results of simulation study of amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV/T and crystalline silicon (c-Si) module types are based on the metrological condition of Malaysia for a typical day in March. At a flow rate of 0.02 kg/s, solar radiation level between 700 and 900 W/m 2 and ambient temperature between 22 and 32 o C, the electrical, thermal and combined photovoltaic thermal efficiencies for the PV/T (a-Si) were 4.9%, 72% and 77%, respectively. Moreover, the electrical, thermal and combined photovoltaic thermal efficiencies of the PV/T (c-Si) were 11.6%, 51% and 63%.

  13. Microcrystalline silicon oxides for silicon-based solar cells: impact of the O/Si ratio on the electronic structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bär, M.; Starr, D. E.; Lambertz, A.; Holländer, B.; Alsmeier, J.-H.; Weinhardt, L.; Blum, M.; Gorgoi, M.; Yang, W.; Wilks, R. G.; Heske, C.

    2014-10-01

    Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiOx:H) layers are one alternative approach to ensure sufficient interlayer charge transport while maintaining high transparency and good passivation in Si-based solar cells. We have used a combination of complementary x-ray and electron spectroscopies to study the chemical and electronic structure of the (μc-SiOx:H) material system. With these techniques, we monitor the transition from a purely Si-based crystalline bonding network to a silicon oxide dominated environment, coinciding with a significant decrease of the material's conductivity. Most Si-based solar cell structures contain emitter/contact/passivation layers. Ideally, these layers fulfill their desired task (i.e., induce a sufficiently high internal electric field, ensure a good electric contact, and passivate the interfaces of the absorber) without absorbing light. Usually this leads to a trade-off in which a higher transparency can only be realized at the expense of the layer's ability to properly fulfill its task. One alternative approach is to use hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiOx:H), a mixture of microcrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon (sub)oxide. The crystalline Si regions allow charge transport, while the oxide matrix maintains a high transparency. To date, it is still unclear how in detail the oxygen content influences the electronic structure of the μc-SiOx:H mixed phase material. To address this question, we have studied the chemical and electronic structure of the μc-SiOx:H (0 0.5, we observe a pronounced decrease of Si 3s - Si 3p hybridization in favor of Si 3p - O 2p hybridization in the upper valence band. This coincides with a significant increase of the material's resistivity, possibly indicating the breakdown of the conducting crystalline Si network. Silicon oxide layers with a thickness of several hundred nanometres were deposited in a PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) multi chamber system

  14. SiC nanofibers grown by high power microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honda, Shin-ichi; Baek, Yang-Gyu; Ikuno, Takashi; Kohara, Hidekazu; Katayama, Mitsuhiro; Oura, Kenjiro; Hirao, Takashi

    2003-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) nanofibers have been synthesized on Si substrates covered by Ni thin films using high power microwave chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with electron energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that the resultant fibrous nanostructures were assigned to β-SiC with high crystallinity. The formation of SiC nanofibers can be explained by the vapor liquid solid (VLS) mechanism in which precipitation of SiC occurs from the supersaturated Ni nanoparticle containing Si and C

  15. Light trapping in a-Si/c-Si heterojunction solar cells by embedded ITO nanoparticles at rear surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Sukanta; Mandal, Sourav; Mitra, Suchismita; Ghosh, Hemanta; Mukherjee, Sampad; Banerjee, Chandan; Saha, Hiranmoy; Barua, A. K.

    2017-12-01

    The advantages of the amorphous silicon (a-Si)/crystalline silicon (c-Si) hetero junction technology are low temperature (oxide (ITO) nanoparticles embedded in amorphous silicon material at the rear side of the crystalline wafer. The nanoparticles were embedded in silicon to have higher scattering efficiency, as has been established by simulation studies. It has been shown that significant photocurrent enhancements (32.8 mA cm-2 to 35.1 mA cm-2) are achieved because of high scattering and coupling efficiency of the embedded nanoparticles into the silicon device, leading to an increase in efficiency from 13.74% to 15.22%. In addition, we have observed a small increase in open circuit voltage. This may be due to the surface passivation during the ITO nanoparticle formation with hydrogen plasma treatment. We also support our experimental results by simulation, with the help of a commercial finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) software solution.

  16. ToF-MEIS stopping measurements in thin SiC films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linnarsson, M.K.; Khartsev, S.; Primetzhofer, D.; Possnert, G.; Hallén, A.

    2014-01-01

    Electronic stopping in thin, amorphous, SiC films has been studied by time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering and conventional Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Amorphous SiC films (8, 21 and 36 nm) were prepared by laser ablation using a single crystalline silicon carbide target. Two kinds of substrate films, one with a lower atomic mass (carbon) and one with higher atomic mass (iridium) compared to silicon has been used. Monte Carlo simulations have been used to evaluate electronic stopping from the shift in energy for the signal scattered from Ir with and without SiC. The two kinds of samples are used to illustrate the strength and challenges for ToF-MEIS compared to conventional RBS

  17. Optical Evaluation of the Rear Contacts of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells by Coupled Electromagnetic and Statistical Ray-Optics Modeling

    KAUST Repository

    Dabirian, Ali; Morales-Masis, Monica; Haug, Franz-Josef; De Wolf, Stefaan; Ballif, Christophe

    2017-01-01

    High-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells increasingly feature sophisticated electron and hole contacts aimed at minimizing electronic losses. At the rear of photovoltaic devices, such contacts—usually consisting of stacks of functional

  18. Back scattering involving embedded silicon nitride (SiN) nanoparticles for c-Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Hemanta; Mitra, Suchismita; Siddiqui, M. S.; Saxena, A. K.; Chaudhuri, Partha; Saha, Hiranmay; Banerjee, Chandan

    2018-04-01

    A novel material, structure and method of synthesis for dielectric light trapping have been presented in this paper. First, the light scattering behaviour of silicon nitride nanoparticles have been theoretically studied in order to find the optimized size for dielectric back scattering by FDTD simulations from Lumerical Inc. The optical results have been used in electrical analysis and thereby, estimate the effect of nanoparticles on efficiency of the solar cells depending on substrate thickness. Experimentally, silicon nitride (SiN) nanoparticles have been formed using hydrogen plasma treatment on SiN layer deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD). The size and area coverage of the nanoparticles were controlled by varying the working pressure, power density and treatment duration. The nanoparticles were integrated with partial rear contact c-Si solar cells as dielectric back reflector structures for the light trapping in thin silicon solar cells. Experimental results revealed the increases of current density by 2.7% in presence of SiN nanoparticles.

  19. Drastic reduction in the surface recombination velocity of crystalline silicon passivated with catalytic chemical vapor deposited SiNx films by introducing phosphorous catalytic-doped layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thi, Trinh Cham; Koyama, Koichi; Ohdaira, Keisuke; Matsumura, Hideki

    2014-01-01

    We improve the passivation property of n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivated with a catalytic chemical vapor deposited (Cat-CVD) Si nitride (SiN x ) film by inserting a phosphorous (P)-doped layer formed by exposing c-Si surface to P radicals generated by the catalytic cracking of PH 3 molecules (Cat-doping). An extremely low surface recombination velocity (SRV) of 2 cm/s can be achieved for 2.5 Ω cm n-type (100) floating-zone Si wafers passivated with SiN x /P Cat-doped layers, both prepared in Cat-CVD systems. Compared with the case of only SiN x passivated layers, SRV decreases from 5 cm/s to 2 cm/s. The decrease in SRV is the result of field effect created by activated P atoms (donors) in a shallow P Cat-doped layer. Annealing process plays an important role in improving the passivation quality of SiN x films. The outstanding results obtained imply that SiN x /P Cat-doped layers can be used as promising passivation layers in high-efficiency n-type c-Si solar cells.

  20. Electrochemical characteristics of nc-Si/SiC composite for anode electrode of lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeon, Bup Ju; Lee, Joong Kee

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Cycling performances and coulombic efficiencies of the nc-Si/SiC composite anodes at different CH 4 /SiH 4 mole ratios. -- Highlights: • Our work has focused on irreversible discharge capacity and capacity retention of nc-Si/SiC composite particles. • Particles comprised a mixed construction of nc-Si/SiC structure with dual phases. • The SiC phase acted as retarding media, leading to enhanced cycle stability. -- Abstract: nc-Si/SiC composite particles were prepared as an anode material for lithium ion batteries using a plasma jet with DC arc discharge. The composition of the nc-Si/SiC composite particles was controlled by setting the mole ratio of CH 4 and SiH 4 precursor gases. X-ray diffraction, TEM images, and Raman shift analyses revealed that the synthesized nc-Si/SiC composite particles comprised a construction of nano-nocaled structure with crystalline phases of active silicon, highly disordered amorphous carbon of graphite and crystalline phases of β-SiC. In the experimental range examined, the nc-Si/SiC composite particles showed good coulombic efficiency in comparison with particles high Si–Si bonding content due to the interplay of particles with a small proportion of carbon and the buffering effect against volume expansion by structural stabilization, and played a role as retarding media for the rapid electrochemical reactions of the SiC crystal against lithium

  1. Electrochemical characteristics of nc-Si/SiC composite for anode electrode of lithium ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeon, Bup Ju [Department of Energy Resources, Shinhan University, 233-1, Sangpae-dong, Dongducheon, Gyeonggi-do, 483-777 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Joong Kee, E-mail: leejk@kist.re.kr [Advanced Energy Materials Processing Laboratory, Center for Energy Convergence Research, Green City Technology Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-03-25

    Graphical abstract: Cycling performances and coulombic efficiencies of the nc-Si/SiC composite anodes at different CH{sub 4}/SiH{sub 4} mole ratios. -- Highlights: • Our work has focused on irreversible discharge capacity and capacity retention of nc-Si/SiC composite particles. • Particles comprised a mixed construction of nc-Si/SiC structure with dual phases. • The SiC phase acted as retarding media, leading to enhanced cycle stability. -- Abstract: nc-Si/SiC composite particles were prepared as an anode material for lithium ion batteries using a plasma jet with DC arc discharge. The composition of the nc-Si/SiC composite particles was controlled by setting the mole ratio of CH{sub 4} and SiH{sub 4} precursor gases. X-ray diffraction, TEM images, and Raman shift analyses revealed that the synthesized nc-Si/SiC composite particles comprised a construction of nano-nocaled structure with crystalline phases of active silicon, highly disordered amorphous carbon of graphite and crystalline phases of β-SiC. In the experimental range examined, the nc-Si/SiC composite particles showed good coulombic efficiency in comparison with particles high Si–Si bonding content due to the interplay of particles with a small proportion of carbon and the buffering effect against volume expansion by structural stabilization, and played a role as retarding media for the rapid electrochemical reactions of the SiC crystal against lithium.

  2. Crystalline-Amorphous Core−Shell Silicon Nanowires for High Capacity and High Current Battery Electrodes

    KAUST Repository

    Cui, Li-Feng

    2009-01-14

    Silicon is an attractive alloy-type anode material for lithium ion batteries because of its highest known capacity (4200 mAh/g). However silicon\\'s large volume change upon lithium insertion and extraction, which causes pulverization and capacity fading, has limited its applications. Designing nanoscale hierarchical structures is a novel approach to address the issues associated with the large volume changes. In this letter, we introduce a core-shell design of silicon nanowires for highpower and long-life lithium battery electrodes. Silicon crystalline- amorphous core-shell nanowires were grown directly on stainless steel current collectors by a simple one-step synthesis. Amorphous Si shells instead of crystalline Si cores can be selected to be electrochemically active due to the difference of their lithiation potentials. Therefore, crystalline Si cores function as a stable mechanical support and an efficient electrical conducting pathway while amorphous shells store Li ions. We demonstrate here that these core-shell nanowires have high charge storage capacity (̃1000 mAh/g, 3 times of carbon) with ̃90% capacity retention over 100 cycles. They also show excellent electrochemical performance at high rate charging and discharging (6.8 A/g, ̃20 times of carbon at 1 h rate). © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  3. Principles and operation of crystalline and amorphous silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chambouleyron, I.

    1983-01-01

    This paper deals with the fundamental aspects of photovoltaic energy conversion. Crystalline silicon solar cell physics together with design criteria and conversion losses are discussed. The general properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and the principles of a-Si:H solar cell operation are briefly reviewed. New trends in amorphous materials of photovoltaic interest and novel device structures are finally presented. (Author) [pt

  4. Recrystallization of implanted amorphous silicon layers. I. Electrical properties of silicon implanted with BF+2 or Si++B+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, M.Y.; Streetman, B.G.

    1979-01-01

    Electrical properties of recrystallized amorphous silicon layers, formed by BF + 2 implants or Si + +B + implants, have been studied by differential resistivity and Hall-effect measurements. Electrical carrier distribution profiles show that boron atoms inside the amorphized Si layers can be fully activated during recrystallization at 550 0 C. The mobility is also recovered. However, the tail of the B distribution, located inside a damaged region near the original amorphous-crystalline interface, remains inactive. This inactive tail has been observed for all samples implanted with BF + 2 . Only in a thicker amorphous layer, formed for example by Si + predamage implants, can the entire B profile be activated. The etch rate of amorphous silicon in HF and the effect of fluorine on the recrystallization rate are also reported

  5. Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells with Thin Silicon Passivation Film Deposited prior to Phosphorous Diffusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ching-Tao Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate the performance improvement of p-type single-crystalline silicon (sc-Si solar cells resulting from front surface passivation by a thin amorphous silicon (a-Si film deposited prior to phosphorus diffusion. The conversion efficiency was improved for the sample with an a-Si film of ~5 nm thickness deposited on the front surface prior to high-temperature phosphorus diffusion, with respect to the samples with an a-Si film deposited on the front surface after phosphorus diffusion. The improvement in conversion efficiency is 0.4% absolute with respect to a-Si film passivated cells, that is, the cells with an a-Si film deposited on the front surface after phosphorus diffusion. The new technique provided a 0.5% improvement in conversion efficiency compared to the cells without a-Si passivation. Such performance improvements result from reduced surface recombination as well as lowered contact resistance, the latter of which induces a high fill factor of the solar cell.

  6. The development of SiC whisker fabrication technology for nuclear applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Thae Khapp; Kuk, Il Hiun; Lee, Jae Chun; Rhee, Chang Kyu; Lee, Ho Jin; Park, Soon Dong

    1990-02-01

    Important process factors of carbothermic process for the growth of SiC whiskers were investigated. The crystalline form of silicon dioxide, amount of carbon addition, graphite, silicon, catalysts, additive and reaction temperature were chosen as the main factors. Morphology of the resultant products was grouped into 3 different types; whisker,noodle and power types. The addition of catalyst affected in most the formation of SiC whiskers. Effects of catalyst and additive additions and reaction atmospheres on the morphology anf growth of SiC whiskers were investigated, silicon monoxide power and carbon monoxide gas were used as the raw materials. The addition of an iron containing catalyst resulted in a very long thread-like growth of the whiskers, while that of sodium chloride helical curlings. Addition of hydrogen to the non-oxidizing atmosphere enhanced the whisker formations. Crystallization of amorphous silicon monoxide raw powder was investigated at high temperatures up to 1500 deg C in Ar atmosphere using graphite crucible. Up to 900 deg C no crystallization occurred, while at 1100 - 1300 deg C silicon formation, and at 1500 deg C silicon dioxide and silicon carbide formations were detected. A slight weight loss began 1300 deg C, and the weight loss became about 33 % at 1500 deg C. After the formation reaction of SiC whiskers, the reaction products were leached by hydrofluoric acids. The optimum concentration of the hydrofluoric acid was 2 %. (author)

  7. Mechanical behavior of SiCf/SiC composites with alternating PyC/SiC multilayer interphases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Haijiao; Zhou, Xingui; Zhang, Wei; Peng, Huaxin; Zhang, Changrui

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Superior combination of flexural strength and fracture toughness of the 3D SiC/SiC composite was achieved by interface tailoring. ► Resulted composite possesses a much higher flexural strength and fracture toughness than its counterparts in literatures. ► Mechanisms that PyC/SiC multilayer coatings improve the mechanical properties were illustrated. -- Abstract: In order to tailor the fiber–matrix interface of continuous silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide (SiC f /SiC) composites for improved fracture toughness, alternating pyrolytic carbon/silicon carbide (PyC/SiC) multilayer coatings were applied to the KD-I SiC fibers using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Three dimensional (3D) KD-I SiC f /SiC composites reinforced by these coated fibers were fabricated using a precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process. The interfacial characteristics were determined by the fiber push-out test and microstructural examination using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of interface coatings on composite mechanical properties was evaluated by single-edge notched beam (SENB) test and three-point bending test. The results indicate that the PyC/SiC multilayer coatings led to an optimum interfacial bonding between fibers and matrix and greatly improved the fracture toughness of the composites.

  8. Local atomic structure and chemical order in amorphous SiGe:H and SiC:H alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pisarkiewicz, T.; Stapinski, T.

    1994-01-01

    The local structure and chemical ordering in amorphous hydrogenated silicon-germanium and silicon-carbon alloys were analyzed mainly with the help of extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, Raman scattering and electron diffraction. Ge-Ge and Ge-Si distances were found to be independent of concentration and the composition of the first coordination shell around Ge is consistent with a random mixing of the two species in a-Si 1-x Ge:H alloy. The first-coordination-shell average bond lengths for Si-Si and SiC in a-Si 1-x C x :H are also constant with concentration x and the comparison of the first coordination shell composition around Si with average concentration indicates that the alloys tends to be chemically ordered. The degree of crystallinity in microcrystalline Si films determined by EXAFS is in agreement with that obtained in Raman scattering analysis. (author). 16 refs, 5 figs

  9. Thin film silicon by a microwave plasma deposition technique: Growth and devices, and, interface effects in amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagannathan, Basanth

    Thin film silicon (Si) was deposited by a microwave plasma CVD technique, employing double dilution of silane, for the growth of low hydrogen content Si films with a controllable microstructure on amorphous substrates at low temperatures (prepared by this technique. Such films showed a dark conductivity ˜10sp{-6} S/cm, with a conduction activation energy of 0.49 eV. Film growth and properties have been compared for deposition in Ar and He carrier systems and growth models have been proposed. Low temperature junction formation by undoped thin film silicon was examined through a thin film silicon/p-type crystalline silicon heterojunctions. The thin film silicon layers were deposited by rf glow discharge, dc magnetron sputtering and microwave plasma CVD. The hetero-interface was identified by current transport analysis and high frequency capacitance methods as the key parameter controlling the photovoltaic (PV) response. The effect of the interface on the device properties (PV, junction, and carrier transport) was examined with respect to modifications created by chemical treatment, type of plasma species, their energy and film microstructure interacting with the substrate. Thermally stimulated capacitance was used to determine the interfacial trap parameters. Plasma deposition of thin film silicon on chemically clean c-Si created electron trapping sites while hole traps were seen when a thin oxide was present at the interface. Under optimized conditions, a 10.6% efficient cell (11.5% with SiOsb2 A/R) with an open circuit voltage of 0.55 volts and a short circuit current density of 30 mA/cmsp2 was fabricated.

  10. Low temperature surface passivation of crystalline silicon and its application to interdigitated back contact silicon heterojunction (ibc-shj) solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, Zhan

    With the absence of shading loss together with improved quality of surface passivation introduced by low temperature processed amorphous silicon crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterojunction, the interdigitated back contact silicon heterojunction (IBC-SHJ) solar cell exhibits a potential for higher conversion efficiency and lower cost than a traditional front contact diffused junction solar cell. In such solar cells, the front surface passivation is of great importance to achieve both high open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Jsc). Therefore, the motivation of this work is to develop a low temperature processed structure for the front surface passivation of IBC-SHJ solar cells, which must have an excellent and stable passivation quality as well as a good anti-reflection property. Four different thin film materials/structures were studied and evaluated for this purpose, namely: amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H), thick amorphous silicon film (a-Si:H), amorphous silicon/silicon nitride/silicon carbide (a-Si:H/a-SiN x:H/a-SiC:H) stack structure with an ultra-thin a-Si:H layer, and zinc sulfide (ZnS). It was demonstrated that the a-Si:H/a-SiNx:H/a-SiC:H stack surpasses other candidates due to both of its excellent surface passivation quality (SRVSi surface is found to be resulted from (i) field effect passivation due to the positive fixed charge (Q fix~1x1011 cm-2 with 5 nm a-Si:H layer) in a-SiNx:H as measured from capacitance-voltage technique, and (ii) reduced defect state density (mid-gap Dit~4x1010 cm-2eV-1) at a-Si:H/c-Si interface provided by a 5 nm thick a-Si:H layer, as characterized by conductance-frequency measurements. Paralleled with the experimental studies, a computer program was developed in this work based on the extended Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) model of surface recombination. With the help of this program, the experimental injection level dependent SRV curves of the stack passivated c-Si samples were successfully reproduced and

  11. Structural, bonding, anisotropic mechanical and thermal properties of Al4SiC4 and Al4Si2C5 by first-principles investigations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Sun

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The structural, bonding, electronic, mechanical and thermal properties of ternary aluminum silicon carbides Al4SiC4 and Al4Si2C5 are investigated by first-principles calculations combined with the Debye quasi-harmonic approximation. All the calculated mechanical constants like bulk, shear and Young's modulus are in good agreement with experimental values. Both compounds show distinct anisotropic elastic properties along different crystalline directions, and the intrinsic brittleness of both compounds is also confirmed. The elastic anisotropy of both aluminum silicon carbides originates from their bonding structures. The calculated band gap is obtained as 1.12 and 1.04 eV for Al4SiC4 and Al4Si2C5 respectively. From the total electron density distribution map, the obvious covalent bonds exist between Al and C atoms. A distinct electron density deficiency sits between AlC bond along c axis among Al4SiC4, which leads to its limited tensile strength. Meanwhile, the anisotropy of acoustic velocities for both compounds is also calculated and discussed.

  12. Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: Multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Y.; Melnikov, A.; Mandelis, A.; Halliop, B.; Kherani, N. P.; Zhu, R.

    2015-01-01

    A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results were studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters

  13. Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Y; Melnikov, A; Mandelis, A; Halliop, B; Kherani, N P; Zhu, R

    2015-03-01

    A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results were studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters.

  14. Tantalum Nitride Electron-Selective Contact for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Xinbo

    2018-04-19

    Minimizing carrier recombination at contact regions by using carrier‐selective contact materials, instead of heavily doping the silicon, has attracted considerable attention for high‐efficiency, low‐cost crystalline silicon (c‐Si) solar cells. A novel electron‐selective, passivating contact for c‐Si solar cells is presented. Tantalum nitride (TaN x ) thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition are demonstrated to provide excellent electron‐transporting and hole‐blocking properties to the silicon surface, due to their small conduction band offset and large valence band offset. Thin TaNx interlayers provide moderate passivation of the silicon surfaces while simultaneously allowing a low contact resistivity to n‐type silicon. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 20% is demonstrated with c‐Si solar cells featuring a simple full‐area electron‐selective TaNx contact, which significantly improves the fill factor and the open circuit voltage (Voc) and hence provides the higher PCE. The work opens up the possibility of using metal nitrides, instead of metal oxides, as carrier‐selective contacts or electron transport layers for photovoltaic devices.

  15. Passivation of surface-nanostructured f-SiC and porous SiC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ou, Haiyan; Lu, Weifang; Ou, Yiyu

    The further enhancement of photoluminescence from nanostructured fluorescent silicon carbide (f-SiC) and porous SiC by using atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 is studied in this paper.......The further enhancement of photoluminescence from nanostructured fluorescent silicon carbide (f-SiC) and porous SiC by using atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 is studied in this paper....

  16. Crystallization and growth of Ni-Si alloy thin films on inert and on silicon substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimberg, I.; Weiss, B. Z.

    1995-04-01

    The crystallization kinetics and thermal stability of NiSi2±0.2 alloy thin films coevaporated on two different substrates were studied. The substrates were: silicon single crystal [Si(100)] and thermally oxidized silicon single crystal. In situ resistance measurements, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy were used. The postdeposition microstructure consisted of a mixture of amorphous and crystalline phases. The amorphous phase, independent of the composition, crystallizes homogeneously to NiSi2 at temperatures lower than 200 °C. The activation energy, determined in the range of 1.4-2.54 eV, depends on the type of the substrate and on the composition of the alloyed films. The activation energy for the alloys deposited on the inert substrate was found to be lower than for the alloys deposited on silicon single crystal. The lowest activation energy was obtained for nonstoichiometric NiSi2.2, the highest for NiSi2—on both substrates. The crystallization mode depends on the structure of the as-deposited films, especially the density of the existing crystalline nuclei. Substantial differences were observed in the thermal stability of the NiSi2 compound on both substrates. With the alloy films deposited on the Si substrate, only the NiSi2 phase was identified after annealing to temperatures up to 800 °C. In the films deposited on the inert substrate, NiSi and NiSi2 phases were identified when the Ni content in the alloy exceeded 33 at. %. The effects of composition and the type of substrate on the crystallization kinetics and thermal stability are discussed.

  17. a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction front- and back contacts for silicon solar cells with p-type base

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rostan, Philipp Johannes

    2010-07-01

    This thesis reports on low temperature amorphous silicon back and front contacts for high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells with a p-type base. The back contact uses a sequence of intrinsic amorphous (i-a-Si:H) and boron doped microcrystalline (p-{mu}c-Si:H) silicon layers fabricated by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and a magnetron sputtered ZnO:Al layer. The back contact is finished by evaporating Al onto the ZnO:Al and altogether prepared at a maximum temperature of 220 C. Analysis of the electronic transport of mobile charge carriers at the back contact shows that the two high-efficiency requirements low back contact series resistance and high quality c-Si surface passivation are in strong contradiction to each other, thus difficult to achieve at the same time. The preparation of resistance- and effective lifetime samples allows one to investigate both requirements independently. Analysis of the majority charge carrier transport on complete Al/ZnO:Al/a-Si:H/c-Si back contact structures derives the resistive properties. Measurements of the effective minority carrier lifetime on a-Si:H coated wafers determines the back contact surface passivation quality. Both high-efficiency solar cell requirements together are analyzed in complete photovoltaic devices where the back contact series resistance mainly affects the fill factor and the back contact passivation quality mainly affects the open circuit voltage. The best cell equipped with a diffused emitter with random texture and a full-area a-Si:H/c-Si back contact has an independently confirmed efficiency {eta} = 21.0 % with an open circuit voltage V{sub oc} = 681 mV and a fill factor FF = 78.7 % on an area of 1 cm{sup 2}. An alternative concept that uses a simplified a-Si:H layer sequence combined with Al-point contacts yields a confirmed efficiency {eta} = 19.3 % with an open circuit voltage V{sub oc} = 655 mV and a fill factor FF = 79.5 % on an area of 2 cm{sup 2}. Analysis of the

  18. Morphology and electronic transport of polycrystalline silicon films deposited by SiF sub 4 /H sub 2 at a substrate temperature of 200 deg. C

    CERN Document Server

    Hazra, S; Ray, S

    2002-01-01

    Undoped and phosphorous doped polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films were deposited using a SiF sub 4 /H sub 2 gas mixture at a substrate temperature of 200 deg. C by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (rf-PECVD). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments reveal that the present poly-Si films are equivalent to the poly-Si films deposited at high temperature (>600 deg. C). XRD and scanning electron microscope observations show that the crystalline quality of slightly P-doped film is better compared to that of undoped poly-Si films. Phosphorus atom concentration in the slightly P-doped poly-Si film is 5.0x10 sup 1 sup 6 atoms/cm sup 3. Association of a few phosphorous atoms in the silicon matrix enhances crystallization as eutectic-forming metals do. Dark conductivity of slightly P-doped film is 4 orders of magnitude higher, although mobility-lifetime product (eta mu tau) is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of undoped film. The presence o...

  19. The influence of passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H coverage on silicon nanowire array solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays for radial p-n junction solar cells offer potential advantages of light trapping effects and quick charge collection. Nevertheless, lower open circuit voltages (Voc) lead to lower energy conversion efficiencies. In such cases, the performance of the solar cells depends critically on the quality of the SiNW interfaces. In this study, SiNW core-shell solar cells have been fabricated by growing crystalline silicon (c-Si) nanowires via the metal-assisted chemical etching method and by depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) via the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The influence of deposition parameters on the coverage and, consequently, the passivation and photovoltaic properties of α-Si:H layers on SiNW solar cells have been analyzed. PMID:24059343

  20. Effect of hydrogen flow on growth of 3C-SiC heteroepitaxial layers on Si(111) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Guoguo; Zhang, Feng; Niu, Yingxi; Yang, Fei; Liu, Xingfang; Wang, Lei; Zhao, Wanshun; Sun, Guosheng; Zeng, Yiping

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • 3C-SiC thin films of preferential orientation along with Si(111) substrates were obtained using home-made horizontal LPCVD with different H_2 flow rate ranging from15 to 30 slm. • High H_2 flow rate will inhibit the out-diffusion of silicon atoms from silicon substrates effectively. Transformation and the mechanism of void formation are discussed based on our model. • The variation of growth rate and n-type doping with increasing H_2 flow rate is researched and the influencing mechanism is discussed. - Abstract: 3C-SiC thin films were grown on Si(111) substrates at 1250 °C by horizontal low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). We performed an exhaustive study on the effect of H_2 flow rate on the crystalline quality, surface morphologies, growth rate, n-type doping of 3C-SiC thin films and the voids at the interface. The films show epitaxial nature with high crystal quality and surface morphology increase obviously with increasing H_2 flow rate. The growth rate and n-type doping are also dependent on H_2 flow rate. The properties of the voids at the interface are discussed based on the cross-sectional scanning electron microscope characterization. Transformation of voids with increasing H_2 flow rate are attributed to higher 3C-SiC film growth rate and H_2 etching rate. The mechanism of void formation is discussed based on our model, too. The results demonstrate that H_2 flow rate plays a very important role in the heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC films.

  1. Effect of hydrogen flow on growth of 3C-SiC heteroepitaxial layers on Si(111) substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Guoguo [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang, Feng, E-mail: fzhang@semi.ac.cn [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Niu, Yingxi; Yang, Fei [Electrical Engineering New Materials and Microelectronics Department, State Grid Smart Grid Research Institute, Beijing 100192 (China); Liu, Xingfang; Wang, Lei; Zhao, Wanshun [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Sun, Guosheng [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Dongguan Tianyu Semiconductor, Inc., Dongguan 523000 (China); Zeng, Yiping [Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2015-10-30

    Highlights: • 3C-SiC thin films of preferential orientation along with Si(111) substrates were obtained using home-made horizontal LPCVD with different H{sub 2} flow rate ranging from15 to 30 slm. • High H{sub 2} flow rate will inhibit the out-diffusion of silicon atoms from silicon substrates effectively. Transformation and the mechanism of void formation are discussed based on our model. • The variation of growth rate and n-type doping with increasing H{sub 2} flow rate is researched and the influencing mechanism is discussed. - Abstract: 3C-SiC thin films were grown on Si(111) substrates at 1250 °C by horizontal low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). We performed an exhaustive study on the effect of H{sub 2} flow rate on the crystalline quality, surface morphologies, growth rate, n-type doping of 3C-SiC thin films and the voids at the interface. The films show epitaxial nature with high crystal quality and surface morphology increase obviously with increasing H{sub 2} flow rate. The growth rate and n-type doping are also dependent on H{sub 2} flow rate. The properties of the voids at the interface are discussed based on the cross-sectional scanning electron microscope characterization. Transformation of voids with increasing H{sub 2} flow rate are attributed to higher 3C-SiC film growth rate and H{sub 2} etching rate. The mechanism of void formation is discussed based on our model, too. The results demonstrate that H{sub 2} flow rate plays a very important role in the heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC films.

  2. Effect of oxygen on the processes of ion beam synthesis of buried SiC layers in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artamonov, V.V.; Valakh, M.Ya.; Klyuj, N.I.; Mel'nik, V.P.; Romanyuk, A.B.; Romanyuk, B.N.; Yukhimchuk, V.A.

    1998-01-01

    The properties of Si-structures with buried silicon carbide (SiC) layers created by high dose carbon implantation into Cz-Si or Fz-Si wafers followed by high-temperature annealing were studied by Raman and infrared spectroscopy. Effect of additional oxygen implantation on the peculiarities of SiC layer formation was also studied. It was shown that under the same implantation and post-implantation annealing conditions the buried SiC layers are more effectively formed in Cz-Si or in Si subjected to additional oxygen implantation. Thus, oxygen in silicon promotes the SiC layer formation due to SiO x precipitate creation and accommodation of the crystal volume in the region where SiC phase is formed

  3. Introduction of nano-laminate Ti3SiC2 and SiC phases into Cf-C composite by liquid silicon infiltration method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omid Yaghobizadeh

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The material Cf-C-SiC-Ti3SiC2 is promising for high temperature application. Due to the laminated structure and special properties, the Ti3SiC2 is one of the best reinforcements for Cf-C-SiC composites. In this paper, Cf-C-SiC-Ti3SiC2 composites were fabricated by liquid silicon infiltration (LSI method; the effect of the TiC amount on the various composites properties were studied. For samples with 0, 50 and 90 vol.% of TiC, the results show that bending strength are 168, 190, and 181 MPa; porosities are 3.2, 4.7, and 9%; the fracture toughness are 6.1, 8.9, and 7.8 MPa∙m1/2; interlaminar shear strength are 27, 36, and 30 MPa; the amount of the MAX phase are 0, 8.5, and 5.6 vol.%, respectively. These results show that amount of TiC is not the main effective parameter in synthesis of Ti3SiC2. The existence of carbon promotes the synthesis of Ti3SiC2 indicating that only sufficient carbon content can lead to the appearance of Ti3SiC2 in the LSI process.

  4. Influence of defects in SiC (0001) on epitaxial graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Yu; Guo Li-Wei; Lu Wei; Huang Jiao; Jia Yu-Ping; Sun Wei; Li Zhi-Lin; Wang Yi-Fei

    2014-01-01

    Defects in silicon carbide (SiC) substrate are crucial to the properties of the epitaxial graphene (EG) grown on it. Here we report the effect of defects in SiC on the crystalline quality of EGs through comparative studies of the characteristics of the EGs grown on SiC (0001) substrates with different defect densities. It is found that EGs on high quality SiC possess regular steps on the surface of the SiC and there is no discernible D peak in its Raman spectrum. Conversely, the EG on the SiC with a high density of defects has a strong D peak, irregular stepped morphology and poor uniformity in graphene layer numbers. It is the defects in the SiC that are responsible for the irregular stepped morphology and lead to the small domain size in the EG. (rapid communication)

  5. Electrical characterization of MIS devices using PECVD SiN{sub x}:H films for application of silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Jin-Su; Cho, Jun-Sik; Park, Joo-Hyung; Ahn, Seung-Kyu; Shin, Kee-Shik; Yoon, Kyung-Hoon [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Jun-Sin [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-07-15

    The surface passivation of crystalline silicon solar cells using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), hydrogenated, silicon-nitride (SiN{sub x}:H) thin films has become significant due to a low-temperature, low-cost and very effective defect passivation process. Also, a good quality antireflection coating can be formed. In this work, SiN{sub x}:H thin films were deposited by varying the gas ratio R (=NH{sub 3}/SiH{sub 4}+NH{sub 3}) and were annealed by rapid thermal processing (RTP). Metal-insulator- semiconductor (MIS) devices were fabricated using SiN{sub x}:H thin films as insulator layers and they were analyzed in the temperature range of 100 - 400 K by using capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The annealed SiN{sub x}:H thin films were evaluated by using the electrical properties at different temperature to determine the effect of surface passivation. We achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 18.1% under one-sun standard testing conditions for large-area (156 mm x 156 mm) crystalline-silicon solar cells.

  6. Crystalline silicon films grown by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reinig, Peter; Fenske, Frank; Fuhs, Walther; Selle, Burkhardt [Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin, Abt. Silizium-Photovoltaik, Kekulestr. 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2002-04-01

    Pulsed dc magnetron sputtering is used as a novel method for the deposition of crystalline silicon films on glass substrates. Hydrogen-free polycrystalline Si-films are deposited with high deposition rates at temperatures of 400-450 C and pulse frequencies f in the range 0-250 kHz. Strong preferential (100) orientation of the crystallites is observed with increasing f. High frequency and similarly high negative substrate bias cause an increase of the Ar content and an enhancement of structural disorder. Measurements of the transient floating potential suggest that the observed structural effects are related to bombardment of the growing film by Ar{sup +} ions of high energy.

  7. Investigating the chemical mist deposition technique for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) on textured crystalline-silicon for organic/crystalline-silicon heterojunction solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossain, Jaker; Ohki, Tatsuya; Ichikawa, Koki; Fujiyama, Kazuhiko; Ueno, Keiji; Fujii, Yasuhiko; Hanajiri, Tatsuro; Shirai, Hajime

    2016-03-01

    Chemical mist deposition (CMD) of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was investigated in terms of cavitation frequency f, solvent, flow rate of nitrogen, substrate temperature Ts, and substrate dc bias Vs as variables for efficient PEDOT:PSS/crystalline silicon (c-Si) heterojunction solar cells. The high-speed-camera and differential mobility analysis characterizations revealed that the average size and flux of PEDOT:PSS mist depend on f, type of solvent, and Vs. Film deposition occurred when positive Vs was applied to the c-Si substrate at Ts of 30-40 °C, whereas no deposition of films occurred with negative Vs, implying that the film is deposited mainly from negatively charged mist. The uniform deposition of PEDOT:PSS films occurred on textured c-Si(100) substrates by adjusting Ts and Vs. The adhesion of CMD PEDOT:PSS film to c-Si was greatly enhanced by applying substrate dc bias Vs compared with that of spin-coated film. The CMD PEDOT:PSS/c-Si heterojunction solar cell devices on textured c-Si(100) in 2 × 2 cm2 exhibited a power conversion efficiency η of 11.0% with better uniformity of the solar cell parameters. Furthermore, η was increased to 12.5% by adding an AR coating layer of molybdenum oxide MoOx formed by CMD. These findings suggest that CMD with negatively charged mist has great potential for the uniform deposition of organic and inorganic materials on textured c-Si substrates by suitably adjusting Ts and Vs.

  8. Silicon-Rich Silicon Carbide Hole-Selective Rear Contacts for Crystalline-Silicon-Based Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogay, Gizem; Stuckelberger, Josua; Wyss, Philippe; Jeangros, Quentin; Allebé, Christophe; Niquille, Xavier; Debrot, Fabien; Despeisse, Matthieu; Haug, Franz-Josef; Löper, Philipp; Ballif, Christophe

    2016-12-28

    The use of passivating contacts compatible with typical homojunction thermal processes is one of the most promising approaches to realizing high-efficiency silicon solar cells. In this work, we investigate an alternative rear-passivating contact targeting facile implementation to industrial p-type solar cells. The contact structure consists of a chemically grown thin silicon oxide layer, which is capped with a boron-doped silicon-rich silicon carbide [SiC x (p)] layer and then annealed at 800-900 °C. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the thin chemical oxide layer disappears upon thermal annealing up to 900 °C, leading to degraded surface passivation. We interpret this in terms of a chemical reaction between carbon atoms in the SiC x (p) layer and the adjacent chemical oxide layer. To prevent this reaction, an intrinsic silicon interlayer was introduced between the chemical oxide and the SiC x (p) layer. We show that this intrinsic silicon interlayer is beneficial for surface passivation. Optimized passivation is obtained with a 10-nm-thick intrinsic silicon interlayer, yielding an emitter saturation current density of 17 fA cm -2 on p-type wafers, which translates into an implied open-circuit voltage of 708 mV. The potential of the developed contact at the rear side is further investigated by realizing a proof-of-concept hybrid solar cell, featuring a heterojunction front-side contact made of intrinsic amorphous silicon and phosphorus-doped amorphous silicon. Even though the presented cells are limited by front-side reflection and front-side parasitic absorption, the obtained cell with a V oc of 694.7 mV, a FF of 79.1%, and an efficiency of 20.44% demonstrates the potential of the p + /p-wafer full-side-passivated rear-side scheme shown here.

  9. Impact of temperature on performance of series and parallel connected mono-crystalline silicon solar cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subhash Chander

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a study on impact of temperature on the performance of series and parallel connected mono-crystalline silicon (mono-Si solar cell employing solar simulator. The experiment was carried out at constant light intensity 550 W/m2with cell temperature in the range 25–60 oC for single, series and parallel connected mono-Si solar cells. The performance parameters like open circuit voltage, maximum power, fill factor and efficiency are found to decrease with cell temperature while the short circuit current is observed to increase. The experimental results reveal that silicon solar cells connected in series and parallel combinations follow the Kirchhoff’s laws and the temperature has a significant effect on the performance parameters of solar cell.

  10. Review of status developments of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingjing; Yao, Yao; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng

    2018-03-01

    In order to further improve cell efficiency and reduce cost in achieving grid parity, a large number of PV manufacturing companies, universities and research institutes have been devoted to a variety of low-cost and high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells. In this article, the cell structures, characteristics and efficiency progresses of several types of high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells that have been in small scale production or are promising in mass production are presented, including passivated emitter rear cell, tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cell, interdigitated back contact cell, heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cell, and heterojunction solar cells with interdigitated back contacts. Both the industrialization status and future development trend of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells are also pinpointed.

  11. EXAFS study on dynamic structural property of porous morph-genetic SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, J.; Sun, B.H.; Fan, T.X.; Zhang, D.; Kamada, M.; Ogawa, H.; Guo, Q.X.

    2005-01-01

    Novel porous morph-genetic silicon carbide has been fabricated through sintering treatment, after infiltrating the methyl organic silicone resin to the bio-template. Its dynamic transition of structure during sintering process is investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) for the first time. By analyzing Si K-edge EXAFS, it is found that the coordination number of the nearest C shell remains almost unchanged while that of the nearest Si shell dramatically changes when the structure is transformed from amorphous into crystalline state

  12. Review of New Technology for Preparing Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials by Metallurgical Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Man; Dai, Yongnian; Ma, Wenhui; Yang, Bin; Chu, Qingmei

    2017-11-01

    The goals of greatly reducing the photovoltaic power cost and making it less than that of thermal power to realize photovoltaic power grid parity without state subsidies are focused on in this paper. The research status, key technologies and development of the new technology for preparing crystalline silicon solar cell materials by metallurgical method at home and abroad are reviewed. The important effects of impurities and defects in crystalline silicon on its properties are analysed. The importance of new technology on reducing production costs and improving its quality to increase the cell conversion efficiency are emphasized. The previous research results show that the raw materials of crystalline silicon are extremely abundant. The product of crystalline silicon can meet the quality requirements of solar cell materials: Si ≥ 6 N, P 1 Ω cm, minority carrier life > 25 μs cell conversion efficiency of about 19.3%, the product costs energy consumption energy consumption, low carbon and sustainable development are prospected.

  13. MOS structures containing silicon nanoparticles for memory device applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedev, N; Zlatev, R; Nesheva, D; Manolov, E; Levi, Z; Brueggemann, R; Meier, S

    2008-01-01

    Metal-oxide-silicon structures containing layers with amorphous or crystalline silicon nanoparticles in a silicon oxide matrix are fabricated by sequential physical vapour deposition of SiO x (x = 1.15) and RF sputtering of SiO 2 on n-type crystalline silicon, followed by high temperature annealing in an inert gas ambient. Depending on the annealing temperature, 700 deg. C or 1000 deg. C, amorphous or crystalline silicon nanoparticles are formed in the silicon oxide matrix. The annealing process is used not only for growing nanoparticles but also to form a dielectric layer with tunnelling thickness at the silicon/insulator interface. High frequency C-V measurements demonstrate that both types of structures can be charged negatively or positively by applying a positive or negative voltage on the gate. The structures with amorphous silicon nanoparticles show several important advantages compared to the nanocrystal ones, such as lower defect density at the interface between the crystalline silicon wafer and the tunnel silicon oxide, better retention characteristics and better reliability

  14. Synthesis of nanostructured SiC using the pulsed laser deposition technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, H.X.; Feng, P.X.; Makarov, V.; Weiner, B.R.; Morell, G.

    2009-01-01

    We report the new results on the direct synthesis of nanostructured silicon carbide (SiC) materials using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that SiC nanoholes, nanosprouts, nanowires, and nanoneedles were obtained. The crystallographic structure, chemical composition, and bond structure of the nanoscale SiC materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy. The transverse optical mode and longitudinal optical mode in Raman spectra were found to become sharper as the substrate temperature was increased, while the material structure evolved from amorphous to crystalline

  15. Towards Cost-Effective Crystalline Silicon Based Flexible Solar Cells: Integration Strategy by Rational Design of Materials, Process, and Devices

    KAUST Repository

    Bahabry, Rabab R.

    2017-11-30

    The solar cells market has an annual growth of more than 30 percent over the past 15 years. At the same time, the cost of the solar modules diminished to meet both of the rapid global demand and the technological improvements. In particular for the crystalline silicon solar cells, the workhorse of this technology. The objective of this doctoral thesis is enhancing the efficiency of c-Si solar cells while exploring the cost reduction via innovative techniques. Contact metallization and ultra-flexible wafer based c-Si solar cells are the main areas under investigation. First, Silicon-based solar cells typically utilize screen printed Silver (Ag) metal contacts which affect the optimal electrical performance. To date, metal silicide-based ohmic contacts are occasionally used for the front contact grid lines. In this work, investigation of the microstructure and the electrical characteristics of nickel monosilicide (NiSi) ohmic contacts on the rear side of c-Si solar cells has been carried out. Significant enhancement in the fill factor leading to increasing the total power conversion efficiency is observed. Second, advanced classes of modern application require a new generation of versatile solar cells showcasing extreme mechanical resilience. However, silicon is a brittle material with a fracture strains <1%. Highly flexible Si-based solar cells are available in the form thin films which seem to be disadvantageous over thick Si solar cells due to the reduction of the optical absorption with less active Si material. Here, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology based integration strategy is designed where corrugation architecture to enable an ultra-flexible solar cell module from bulk mono-crystalline silicon solar wafer with 17% efficiency. This periodic corrugated array benefits from an interchangeable solar cell segmentation scheme which preserves the active silicon thickness and achieves flexibility via interdigitated back contacts. These cells

  16. Dependence of Fracture Toughness on Crystallographic Orientation in Single-Crystalline Cubic (β) Silicon Carbide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pharr, M.; Katoh, Y.; Bei, H.

    2006-01-01

    Along with other desirable properties, the ability of silicon carbide (SiC) to retain high strength after elevated temperature exposures to neutron irradiation renders it potentially applicable in fusion and advanced fission reactors. However, properties of the material such as room temperature fracture toughness must be thoroughly characterized prior to such practical applications. The objective of this work is to investigate the dependence of fracture toughness on crystallographic orientation for single-crystalline β-SiC. X-ray diffraction was first performed on the samples to determine the orientation of the crystal. Nanoindentation was used to determine a hardness of 39.1 and 35.2 GPa and elastic modulus of 474 and 446 GPa for the single-crystalline and polycrystalline samples, respectively. Additionally, crack lengths and indentation diagonals were measured via a Vickers micro-hardness indenter under a load of 100 gf for different crystallographic orientations with indentation diagonals aligned along fundamental cleavage planes. Upon examination of propagation direction of cracks, the cracks usually did not initiate and propagate from the corners of the indentation where the stresses are concentrated but instead from the indentation sides. Such cracks clearly moved along the {1 1 0} family of planes (previously determined to be preferred cleavage plane), demonstrating that the fracture toughness of SiC is comparatively so much lower along this set of planes that the lower energy required to cleave along this plane overpowers the stress-concentration at indentation corners. Additionally, fracture toughness in the <1 1 0> direction was 1.84 MPa·m1/2, lower than the 3.46 MPa·m1/2 measured for polycrystalline SiC (which can serve as an average of a spectrum of orientations), further demonstrating that single-crystalline β-SiC has a strong fracture toughness anisotropy.

  17. SiC-Based Composite Materials Obtained by Siliconizing Carbon Matrices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shikunov, S. L.; Kurlov, V. N.

    2017-12-01

    We have developed a method for fabrication of parts of complicated configuration from composite materials based on SiC ceramics, which employs the interaction of silicon melt with the carbon matrix having a certain composition and porosity. For elevating the operating temperatures of ceramic components, we have developed a method for depositing protective silicon-carbide coatings that is based on the interaction of the silicon melt and vapor with carbon obtained during thermal splitting of hydrocarbon molecules. The new structural ceramics are characterized by higher operating temperatures; chemical stability; mechanical strength; thermal shock, wear and radiation resistance; and parameters stability.

  18. Tribology of silicon-thin-film-coated SiC ceramics and the effects of high energy ion irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohzaki, Masao; Noda, Shoji; Doi, Harua

    1990-01-01

    The sliding friction coefficients and specific wear of SiC ceramics coated with a silicon thin film (Si/SiC) with and without subsequent Ar + irradiation against a diamond pin were measured with a pin-on-disk tester at room temperature in laboratory air of approximately 50% relative humidity without oil lubrication for 40 h. The friction coefficient of Ar + -irradiated Si/SiC was about 0.05 with a normal load of 9.8 N and remained almost unchanged during the 40 h test, while that of SiC increased from 0.04 to 0.12 during the test. The silicon deposition also reduced the specific wear of SiC to less than one tenth of that of the uncoated SiC. Effectively no wear was detected in Si/SiC irradiated to doses of over 2x10 16 ions cm -2 . (orig.)

  19. Direct insight into grains formation in Si layers grown on 3C-SiC by chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khazaka, Rami; Portail, Marc; Vennéguès, Philippe; Alquier, Daniel; Michaud, Jean François

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: In this contribution, we demonstrated the influence of the 3C-SiC layer on the subsequent growth of Si epilayers. We were able to give a direct evidence that the rotation in the Si epilayer of 90° around the growth direction occurs exactly on the termination of an antiphase boundary in the 3C-SiC layer as shown in the figure above. Thus, increasing the layer thickness of the 3C-SiC leads to a direct improvement of the crystalline quality of the subsequent Si epilayer. (a) Cross-section bright-field TEM image of the Si/3C-SiC layer stack along two 3C-SiC zone axes [1 −1 0] and [1 1 0] (equivalent to [1 −1 1] and [1 1 2] in Si, respectively), (b) dark field image selecting a (2 0 −2) electron diffraction spot indicated by the black circle in the SAED shown as inset, (c) dark field image selecting a (−1 1 −1) electron diffraction spot indicated by the black circle in the SAED shown as inset. The dotted white line in the images show the position of the defect in the 3C-SiC layer. - Abstract: This work presents a structural study of silicon (Si) thin films grown on cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) by chemical vapor deposition. The presence of grains rotated by 90° around the growth direction in the Si layer is directly related to the presence of antiphase domains on the 3C-SiC surface. We were able to provide a direct evidence that the 90° rotation of Si grains around the growth direction occurs exactly on the termination of antiphase boundaries (APBs) in 3C-SiC layer. Increasing the 3C-SiC thickness reduces the APBs density on 3C-SiC surface leading to a clear improvement of the uppermost Si film crystal quality. Furthermore, we observed by high resolution plan-view TEM images the presence of hexagonal Si domains limited to few nm in size. These hexagonal Si domains are inclusions in small Si grains enclosed in larger ones rotated by 90°. Finally, we propose a model of grains formation in the Si layer taking into consideration the effect

  20. Moessbauer study of the amorphous Pd70Fe10Si20 alloy upon transition to the crystalline state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sitek, J.; Prejsa, M.; Cirak, J.; Hucl, M.; Lipka, J.

    1978-01-01

    Foils of the amorphous alloy Pd 70 Fe 10 Si 20 were investigated after isothermal heating at the temperature range 350-450 0 C with a heating period from 15 min to 4 h. At 350 0 C no changes were observed in the shape of the Moessbauer spectra. At 400 0 C and at 450 0 C up to 30 min only the parameters of Moessbauer spectra consisting of two quadrupole doublets corresponding to palladium and silicon vicinities of iron atoms were changed. After further heating at 450 0 C crystalline phases of Pd 3 Fe and Fe 3 Si appeared on the Moessbauer spectra. (Auth.)

  1. Surface Passivation for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deligiannis, D.

    2017-01-01

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) are currently one of the most promising solar cell technologies in the world. The SHJ solar cell is based on a crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer, passivated on both sides with a thin intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. Subsequently, p-type

  2. Synthesis and characterization of porous crystalline SiC thin films prepared by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qamar, Afzaal, E-mail: afzaalqamar@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics, PIEAS, Nilore, Islamabad, Punjab 42600 (Pakistan); Mahmood, Arshad [National Institute of Laser and Optronics, Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan); Sarwar, Tuba; Ahmed, Nadeem [Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics, PIEAS, Nilore, Islamabad, Punjab 42600 (Pakistan)

    2011-05-15

    Hexagonal SiC thin films have been deposited using radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering technique by varying the substrate temperature and other deposition conditions. Prior to deposition surface modification of the substrate Si(1 0 0) played an important role in deposition of the hexagonal SiC structure. The effect of substrate temperature during deposition on structure, composition and surface morphology of the SiC films has been analyzed using atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. X-ray diffraction in conventional {theta}-2{theta} mode and omega scan mode revealed that the deposited films were crystalline having 8H-SiC structure and crystallinity improved with increase of deposition temperature. The bonding order and Si-C composition within the films showed improvement with the increase of deposition temperature. The surface of thin films grew in the shape of globes and columns depending upon deposition temperature. The optical properties also showed improvement with increase of deposition temperature and the results obtained by ellipsometry reinforced the results of other techniques.

  3. Ion damage calculations in crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oen, O.S.

    1985-07-01

    Damage profiles in crystalline silicon produced by light (B) and heavy (Bi) ions with energies from 10 to 100 keV were studied using the computer program MARLOWE (version 12). The program follows not only the incident ion collision by collision, but also any Si target atom that is set into motion through an energetic collision. Thus, the transport effect of the complete cascade of recoiled target atoms is included in the damage profile. The influence of channeling was studied for Si(100) using beam tilt angles from the surface normal of 0 0 , 3 0 and 7 0 about the [001] or [011] axes. The effects of channeling on the damage profile are twofold: first, there is a large reduction of the central damage peak; second, there is a component of the damage profile that extends considerably deeper into the target than that found in conventional studies using a random target assemblage. The influence of amorphous overlayers of SiO 2 on the damage and implantation profiles in the Si(100) substrate has also been investigated

  4. Thermal Stability of Hi-Nicalon SiC Fiber in Nitrogen and Silicon Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, R. T.; Garg, A.

    1995-01-01

    The room temperature tensile strength of uncoated and two types of pyrolytic boron nitride coated (PBN and Si-rich PBN) Hi-Nicalon SiC fibers was determined after 1 to 400 hr heat treatments to 1800 C under N2 pressures of 0.1, 2, and 4 MPa, and under 0.1 Mpa argon and vacuum environments. In addition, strength stability of both uncoated and coated fibers embedded in silicon powder and exposed to 0.1 MPa N2 for 24 hrs at temperatures to 1400 C was investigated. The uncoated and both types of BN coated fibers exposed to N2 for 1 hr showed noticeable strength degradation above 1400 C and 1600 C, respectively. The strength degradation appeared independent of nitrogen pressure, time of heat treatment, and surface coatings. TEM microstructural analysis suggests that flaws created due to SiC grain growth are responsible for the strength degradation. In contact with silicon powder, the uncoated and both types of PBN coated fibers degrade rapidly above 1350 C.

  5. Hydrogen passivation of multi-crystalline silicon solar cells

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    胡志华; 廖显伯; 刘祖明; 夏朝凤; 陈庭金

    2003-01-01

    The effects of hydrogen passivation on multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells are reported in this paper.Hydrogen plasma was generated by means of ac glow discharge in a hydrogen atmosphere. Hydrogen passivation was carried out with three different groups of mc-Si solar cells after finishing contacts. The experimental results demonstrated that the photovoltaic performances of the solar cell samples have been improved after hydrogen plasma treatment, with a relative increase in conversion efficiency up to 10.6%. A calculation modelling has been performed to interpret the experimental results using the model for analysis of microelectronic and photonic structures developed at Pennsylvania State University.

  6. High-rate synthesis of microcrystalline silicon films using high-density SiH4/H2 microwave plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Haijun; Saha, Jhantu K.; Ohse, Naoyuki; Shirai, Hajime

    2007-01-01

    A high electron density (> 10 11 cm -3 ) and low electron temperature (1-2 eV) plasma is produced by using a microwave plasma source utilizing a spoke antenna, and is applied for the high-rate synthesis of high quality microcrystalline siliconc-Si) films. A very fast deposition rate of ∼ 65 A/s is achieved at a substrate temperature of 150 deg. C with a high Raman crystallinity and a low defect density of (1-2) x 10 16 cm -3 . Optical emission spectroscopy measurements reveal that emission intensity of SiH and intensity ratio of H α /SiH are good monitors for film deposition rate and film crystallinity, respectively. A high flux of film deposition precursor and atomic hydrogen under a moderate substrate temperature condition is effective for the fast deposition of highly crystallized μc-Si films without creating additional defects as well as for the improvement of film homogeneity

  7. Lattice location of implanted transition metals in 3C–SiC

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2085259; Wahl, Ulrich; Martins Correia, Joao; David Bosne, Eric; Amorim, Lígia; Silva, Daniel; Castro Ribeiro Da Silva, Manuel; Bharuth-Ram, Krishanlal; Da Costa Pereira, Lino Miguel

    2017-01-01

    We have investigated the lattice location of implanted transition metal (TM) 56Mn, 59Fe and 65Ni ions in undoped single-crystalline cubic 3C–SiC by means of the emission channeling technique using radioactive isotopes produced at the CERN-ISOLDE facility. We find that in the room temperature as-implanted state, most Mn, Fe and Ni atoms occupy carbon-coordinated tetrahedral interstitial sites (TC). Smaller TM fractions were also found on Si substitutional (SSi) sites. The TM atoms partially disappear from ideal-TC positions during annealing at temperatures between 500 °C and 700 °C, which is accompanied by an increase in the TM fraction occupying both SSi sites and random sites. An explanation is given according to what is known about the annealing mechanisms of silicon vacancies in silicon carbide. The origin of the observed lattice sites and their changes with thermal annealing are discussed and compared to the case of Si, highlighting the feature that the interstitial migration of TMs in SiC is much slo...

  8. Growth of boron doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) films by Hot Wire-CVD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pawbake, Amit [School of Energy Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007 (India); Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Mayabadi, Azam; Waykar, Ravindra; Kulkarni, Rupali; Jadhavar, Ashok [School of Energy Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007 (India); Waman, Vaishali [Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Shivajinagar, Pune 411 005 (India); Parmar, Jayesh [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Bhattacharyya, Somnath [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai 600 036 (India); Ma, Yuan‐Ron [Department of Physics, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 97401, Taiwan (China); Devan, Rupesh; Pathan, Habib [Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007 (India); Jadkar, Sandesh, E-mail: sandesh@physics.unipune.ac.in [Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007 (India)

    2016-04-15

    Highlights: • Boron doped nc-3C-SiC films prepared by HW-CVD using SiH{sub 4}/CH{sub 4}/B{sub 2}H{sub 6}. • 3C-Si-C films have preferred orientation in (1 1 1) direction. • Introduction of boron into SiC matrix retard the crystallanity in the film structure. • Film large number of SiC nanocrystallites embedded in the a-Si matrix. • Band gap values, E{sub Tauc} and E{sub 04} (E{sub 04} > E{sub Tauc}) decreases with increase in B{sub 2}H{sub 6} flow rate. - Abstract: Boron doped nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) films have been prepared by HW-CVD using silane (SiH{sub 4})/methane (CH{sub 4})/diborane (B{sub 2}H{sub 6}) gas mixture. The influence of boron doping on structural, optical, morphological and electrical properties have been investigated. The formation of 3C-SiC films have been confirmed by low angle XRD, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis whereas effective boron doping in nc-3C-SiC have been confirmed by conductivity, charge carrier activation energy, and Hall measurements. Raman spectroscopy and HR-TEM analysis revealed that introduction of boron into the SiC matrix retards the crystallanity in the film structure. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and non contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) results signify that 3C-SiC film contain well resolved, large number of silicon carbide (SiC) nanocrystallites embedded in the a-Si matrix having rms surface roughness ∼1.64 nm. Hydrogen content in doped films are found smaller than that of un-doped films. Optical band gap values, E{sub Tauc} and E{sub 04} decreases with increase in B{sub 2}H{sub 6} flow rate.

  9. Effect of initial porosity on mechanical properties of C/SiC composites fabricated by silicon melt infiltration process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bae, D.S.; Son, D.Y. [Dept. of Materials and Metallurgical Eng., Dong-Eui Univ., Busan (Korea); Lee, S.P. [Dept. of Mechanical Eng., Dong-Eui Univ., Busan (Korea); Park, H.S.; Kim, K.S. [Dreaming and Challenging Co., Changwon (Korea); Jeon, J.H. [Korea Inst. of Machinery and Materials, Changwon (Korea)

    2004-07-01

    Four kinds of raw C/C composites with a density between 1.25{proportional_to}1.66 g/cm{sup 3} were used in order to investigate the effect of the initial porosity of C/C composites on mechanical properties of liquid silicon infiltrated C/SiC composites. The microstructure observation, image analysis and flexural strength test of the composites were performed. The density and microstructural changes with the variation of the initial porosity was discussed in the terms of the infiltration behavior of liquid silicon and the reaction between liquid silicon and matrix carbon. (orig.)

  10. Effect of Ion Beam Irradiation on Silicon Carbide with Different Microstructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kyeong Hwan; Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon Ju; Jung, Choong Hwan; Ryu, Woo Seog

    2006-01-01

    SiC and SiC/SiC composites are one of promising candidates for structural materials of the next generation energy systems such as the gas-cooled reactors and fusion reactors. This anticipation yields many material issues, and radiation effects of silicon carbide are recognized as an important research subject. Silicon carbide has diverse crystal structures (called polytypes), such as α-SiC (hexagonal structure), β-SiC (cubic structure) and amorphous SiC. Among these polytypes, β-SiC has been studied as matrix material in SiC/SiC composites. Near-stoichiometric β-SiC with high crystallinity and purity is considered as suitable material in the next generation energy system and matrix material in SiC/SiC composites because of its excellent radiation resistance. Highly pure and crystalline β-SiC and SiC/SiC composites could be obtained by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and Infiltration (CVI) process using a gas mixture of methyltrichlorosilane (CH 3 SiCl 3 , MTS) and purified H 2 . SiC produced by the CVD method has different grain size and microstructural morphology depended on the process conditions such as temperature, pressure and the input gas ratio. In this work, irradiation effects of silicon carbide were investigated using ion beam irradiation with emphasis on the influence of grain size and grain boundary. MeV ion irradiation at low temperature makes amorphous phase in silicon carbide. The microstructures and mechanical property changes of silicon carbide with different structures were analyzed after ion beam irradiation

  11. Fast determination of the current loss mechanisms in textured crystalline Si-based solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakane, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Shohei; Fujiwara, Hiroyuki

    2017-11-01

    A quite general device analysis method that allows the direct evaluation of optical and recombination losses in crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based solar cells has been developed. By applying this technique, the current loss mechanisms of the state-of-the-art solar cells with ˜20% efficiencies have been revealed. In the established method, the optical and electrical losses are characterized from the analysis of an experimental external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectrum with very low computational cost. In particular, we have performed the EQE analyses of textured c-Si solar cells by employing the experimental reflectance spectra obtained directly from the actual devices while using flat optical models without any fitting parameters. We find that the developed method provides almost perfect fitting to EQE spectra reported for various textured c-Si solar cells, including c-Si heterojunction solar cells, a dopant-free c-Si solar cell with a MoOx layer, and an n-type passivated emitter with rear locally diffused solar cell. The modeling of the recombination loss further allows the extraction of the minority carrier diffusion length and surface recombination velocity from the EQE analysis. Based on the EQE analysis results, the current loss mechanisms in different types of c-Si solar cells are discussed.

  12. Mo-based compounds for SiC-SiC joints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magnani, G.; Beaulardi, L.; Mingazzini, C. [ENEA-Faenza (Italy). New Material Div.; Marmo, E. [Fabbricazioni Nucleari S.p.A., Bosco Mavengo (Italy)

    2002-07-01

    New method to joint silicon carbide-based material was developed. It was based on mixture composed mainly by molybdenum silicides. This mixture was tested as brazing mixture with several types of silicon carbide-based material. Microstructural examination of the joint showed that brazing mixture reacted with substrate to form silicon carbide on the surface, while two different molybdenum silicides were identified inside the joint (MoSi{sub 2} and Mo{sub 4.8}Si{sub 3}C{sub 0.6}). Preliminary oxidation tests performed by means of TGA showed high oxidation resistance of this joint over 1000 C making it very promising for high temperature application like ceramic heat exchanger. (orig.)

  13. Hydrogen molecules and hydrogen-related defects in crystalline silicon

    OpenAIRE

    Fukata, N.; Sasak, S.; Murakami, K.; Ishioka, K.; Nakamura, K. G.; Kitajima, M.; Fujimura, S.; Kikuchi, J.; Haneda, H.

    1997-01-01

    We have found that hydrogen exists in molecular form in crystalline silicon treated with hydrogen atoms in the downstream of a hydrogen plasma. The vibrational Raman line of hydrogen molecules is observed at 4158cm-1 for silicon samples hydrogenated between 180 and 500 °C. The assignment of the Raman line is confirmed by its isotope shift to 2990cm-1 for silicon treated with deuterium atoms. The Raman intensity has a maximum for hydrogenation at 400 °C. The vibrational Raman line of the hydro...

  14. Hydrogen activated axial inter-conversion in SiC nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruemmeli, Mark H.; Adebimpe, David B.; Borowiak-Palen, Ewa; Gemming, Thomas; Ayala, Paola; Ioannides, Nicholas; Pichler, Thomas; Huczko, Andrzej; Cudzilo, Stanislaw; Knupfer, Martin; Buechner, Bernd

    2009-01-01

    A facile low pressure annealing route using NH 3 as a hydrogen source for the structural and chemical modification of SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) is presented. The developed route transforms SiCNWs into tubular SiC nanostructures while coaxial SiO 2 /SiCNWs reverse their sheath/core structure. Our findings suggest a decomposition process induced via the preferential substitution of silicon by hydrogen and via the difference in diffusion rates of available atomic species, which leads to axial structural rearrangement. In addition to these effects, the procedure improves the crystallinity of the samples. The process could be exploited as a viable route to manipulate a variety of nanostructures and films for doping and etching and structural manipulation. - Graphical abstract: SiC and SiO 2 /SiCNWs are shown to be structurally modified through a hydrogen activated replacement route which can even lead to the axial inter-conversion of species. The process could be exploited as a viable route to manipulate a variety of nanostructures and films for doping and etching and structural manipulation

  15. Cat-CVD-prepared oxygen-rich μc-Si:H for wide-bandgap material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Yasuhiro; Ortega, Mauricio; Peza, Juan-Manuel; Reyes, Mario-Alfredo; Escobosa, Arturo

    2005-01-01

    Microcrystalline phase-involved oxygen-rich a-Si:H (hydrogenated amorphous silicon) films have been obtained using catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) process. Pure SiH 4 (silane), H 2 (hydrogen), and O 2 (oxygen) gases were introduced in the chamber by maintaining a pressure of 0.1 Torr. A tungsten catalyzer was fixed at temperatures of 1750 and 1950 deg. C for film deposition on glass and crystalline silicon substrates at 200 deg. C. As revealed from X-ray diffraction spectra, the microcrystalline phase appears for oxygen-rich a-Si:H samples deposited at a catalyzer temperature of 1950 deg. C. However, this microcrystalline phase tends to disappear for further oxygen incorporation. The oxygen content in the deposited films was corroborated by FTIR analysis revealing Si-O-Si bonds and typical Si-H bonding structures. The optical bandgap of the sample increases from 2.0 to 2.7 eV with oxygen gas flow and oxygen incorporation to the deposited films. In the present thin film deposition conditions, no strong tungsten filament degradation was observed after a number of sample preparations

  16. Increasing the efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells and modules by light soaking

    KAUST Repository

    Kobayashi, Eiji; De Wolf, Stefaan; Levrat, Jacques; Descoeudres, Antoine; Despeisse, Matthieu; Haug, Franz-Josef; Ballif, Christophe

    2017-01-01

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells use crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers as optical absorbers and employ bilayers of doped/intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) to form passivating contacts. Recently, we demonstrated that such solar

  17. Epitaxial growth of 3C-SiC by using C{sub 60} as a carbon source; Untersuchungen zum epitaktischen Wachstum von 3C-SiC bei Verwendung einer C{sub 60}-Kohlenstoffquelle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreiber, Sascha

    2006-01-15

    Within this work epitaxial 3C-SiC-films were grown on Si(001) substrates and on ion beam synthesized 3C-SiC(001) pseudo substrates. A rather new process was used which is based on the simultaneous deposition of C60 and Si. In order to set up the necessary experimental conditions an ultra-high vacuum chamber has been designed and built. A RHEED system was used to examine SiC film growth in-situ. Using the described technique 3C-SiC films were grown void-free on Si(001) substrates. Deposition rates of C60 and Si were chosen adequately to maintain a Si:C ratio of approximately one during the deposition process. It was shown that stoichiometric and epitaxial 3C-SiC growth with the characteristic relationship (001)[110]Si(001)[110]3C-SiC could be achieved. TEM investigations revealed that the grown 3C-SiC films consist of individual grains that extend from the Si substrate to the film surface. Two characteristic grain types could be identified. The correlation between structure and texture of void-free grown 3C-SiC films and film thickness was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Pole figure measurements showed that thin films only contain first-order 3C-SiC twins. With higher film thickness also second-order twins are found which are located as twin lamellae in grain type 2. Improvement of polar texture with increasing film thickness couldn't be observed in the investigated range of up to 550 nm. On ion beam synthesized 3C-SiC pseudo substrates homoepitaxial 3C-SiC growth could be demonstrated for the first time by using a C{sub 60} carbon source. In respect to the crystalline quality of the grown films the surface quality of the used substrates was identified as a crucial factor. Furthermore a correlation between the ratio of deposition rates of C{sub 60} and Si and 3C-SiC film quality could be found. Under silicon-rich conditions, i.e. with a Si:C ratio of slightly greater one, homoepitaxial 3C-SiC layer-by-layer growth can be achieved. Films grown under these

  18. Detection of Potential Induced Degradation in c-Si PV Panels Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oprea, Matei-lon; Spataru, Sergiu; Sera, Dezso

    2016-01-01

    This work, for the first time, investigates an Impedance Spectroscopy (IS) based method for detecting potential-induced degradation (PID) in crystalline silicon photovoltaic (c-Si PV) panels. The method has been experimentally tested on a set of panels that were confirmed to be affected by PID...

  19. Attenuation of Thermal Neutrons by Crystalline Silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adib, M.; Habib, N.; Ashry, A.; Fathalla, M.

    2002-01-01

    A simple formula is given which allows to calculate the contribution of the total neutron cross - section including the Bragg scattering from different (hkt) planes to the neutron * transmission through a solid crystalline silicon. The formula takes into account the silicon form of poly or mono crystals and its parameters. A computer program DSIC was developed to provide the required calculations. The calculated values of the total neutron cross-section of perfect silicon crystal at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures were compared with the experimental ones. The obtained agreement shows that the simple formula fits the experimental data with sufficient accuracy .A good agreement was also obtained between the calculated and measured values of polycrystalline silicon in the energy range from 5 eV to 500μ eV. The feasibility study on using a poly-crystalline silicon as a cold neutron filter and mono-crystalline as a thermal neutron one is given. The optimum crystal thickness, mosaic spread, temperature and cutting plane for efficiently transmitting the thermal reactor neutrons, while rejecting both fast neutrons and gamma rays accompanying the thermal ones for the mono crystalline silicon are also given

  20. Formation of iron disilicide on amorphous silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlesand, U.; Östling, M.; Bodén, K.

    1991-11-01

    Thin films of iron disilicide, β-FeSi 2 were formed on both amorphous silicon and on crystalline silicon. The β-phase is reported to be semiconducting with a direct band-gap of about 0.85-0.89 eV. This phase is known to form via a nucleation-controlled growth process on crystalline silicon and as a consequence a rather rough silicon/silicide interface is usually formed. In order to improve the interface a bilayer structure of amorphous silicon and iron was sequentially deposited on Czochralski silicon in an e-gun evaporation system. Secondary ion mass spectrometry profiling (SIMS) and scanning electron micrographs revealed an improvement of the interface sharpness. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and X-ray diffractiometry showed β-FeSi 2 formation already at 525°C. It was also observed that the silicide growth was diffusion-controlled, similar to what has been reported for example in the formation of NiSi 2 for the reaction of nickel on amorphous silicon. The kinetics of the FeSi 2 formation in the temperature range 525-625°C was studied by RBS and the activation energy was found to be 1.5 ± 0.1 eV.

  1. Flash-lamp-crystallized polycrystalline silicon films with high hydrogen concentration formed from Cat-CVD a-Si films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohdaira, Keisuke; Tomura, Naohito; Ishii, Shohei; Matsumura, Hideki

    2011-01-01

    We investigate residual forms of hydrogen (H) atoms such as bonding configuration in poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si) films formed by the flash-lamp-induced crystallization of catalytic chemical vapor deposited (Cat-CVD) a-Si films. Raman spectroscopy reveals that at least part of H atoms in flash-lamp-crystallized (FLC) poly-Si films form Si-H 2 bonds as well as Si-H bonds with Si atoms even using Si-H-rich Cat-CVD a-Si films, which indicates the rearrangement of H atoms during crystallization. The peak desorption temperature during thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) is as high as 900 o C, similar to the reported value for bulk poly-Si.

  2. Defect formation and recrystallization in the silicon on sapphire films under Si{sup +} irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shemukhin, A.A., E-mail: shemuhin@gmail.com [Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Nazarov, A.V.; Balakshin, Yu. V. [Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Chernysh, V.S. [Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation); Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2015-07-01

    Silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) is one of the most promising silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technologies. SOS structures are widely used in microelectronics, but to meet modern requirements the silicon layer should be 100 nm thick or less. The problem is in amount of damage in the interface layer, which decreases the quality of the produced devices. In order to improve the crystalline structure quality SOS samples with 300 nm silicon layers were implanted with Si{sup +} ions with energies in the range from 180 up to 230 keV with fluences in the range from 10{sup 14} up to 5 × 10{sup 15} cm{sup −2} at 0 °C. The crystalline structure of the samples was studied with RBS and the interface layer was studied with SIMS after subsequent annealing. It has been found out that to obtain silicon films with high lattice quality it is necessary to damage the sapphire lattice near the silicon–sapphire interface. Complete destruction of the strongly defected area and subsequent recrystallization depends on the energy of implanted ions and the substrate temperature. No significant mixing in the interface layer was observed with the SIMS.

  3. Characterization of thin-film silicon materials and solar cells through numerical modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters, B.E.

    2008-01-01

    At present most commercially available solar cells are made of crystalline silicon (c-Si). The disadvantages of crystalline silicon solar cells are the high material cost and energy consumption during production. A cheaper alternative can be found in thin-film silicon solar cells. The thin-film

  4. Life cycle assessment of grid-connected photovoltaic power generation from crystalline silicon solar modules in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou, Guofu; Sun, Honghang; Jiang, Ziying; Pan, Ziqiang; Wang, Yibo; Zhang, Xiaodan; Zhao, Ying; Yao, Qiang

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Comparison of life cycle GHG emissions of various power sources. - Highlights: • The LCA study of grid-connected PV generation with silicon solar modules in China has been performed. • The energy payback times range from 1.6 to 2.3 years. • The GHG emissions are in the range of 60.1–87.3 g-CO_2,eq/kW h. • The PV manufacturing process occupied about 85% or higher of total energy usage and total GHG emission. • The SoG-Si production process accounted for more than 35% of total energy consumption and GHG emissions. - Abstract: The environmental impacts of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power generation from crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar modules in China have been investigated using life cycle assessment (LCA). The life cycle inventory was first analyzed. Then the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission during every process were estimated in detail, and finally the life-cycle value was calculated. The results showed that the energy payback time (T_E_P_B_T) of grid-connected PV power with crystalline silicon solar modules ranges from 1.6 to 2.3 years, while the GHG emissions now range from 60.1 to 87.3 g-CO_2,eq/kW h depending on the installation methods. About 84% or even more of the total energy consumption and total GHG emission occupied during the PV manufacturing process. The solar grade silicon (SoG-Si) production is the most energy-consuming and GHG-emitting process, which accounts for more than 35% of the total energy consumption and the total GHG emission. The results presented in this study are expected to provide useful information to enact reasonable policies, development targets, as well as subsidies for PV technology in China.

  5. Ion-beam synthesis and photoluminescence of SiC nanocrystals assisted by MeV-heavy-ion-beam annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khamsuwan, J.; Intarasiri, S.; Kirkby, K.; Chu, P.K.; Singkarat, S.; Yu, L.D.

    2012-01-01

    This work explored a novel way to synthesize silicon carbide (SiC) nanocrystals for photoluminescence. Carbon ions at 90 keV were implanted in single crystalline silicon wafers at elevated temperature, followed by irradiation using xenon ion beams at an energy of 4 MeV with two low fluences of 5 × 10 13 and 1 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 at elevated temperatures for annealing. X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the formation of nanocrystalline SiC. Photoluminescence was measured from the samples. The results demonstrated that MeV-heavy-ion-beam annealing could indeed induce crystallization of SiC nanocrystals and enhance emission of photoluminescence with violet bands dominance due to the quantum confinement effect.

  6. Metallization of ion beam synthesized Si/3C-SiC/Si layer systems by high-dose implantation of transition metal ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindner, J.K.N.; Wenzel, S.; Stritzker, B.

    2001-01-01

    The formation of metal silicide layers contacting an ion beam synthesized buried 3C-SiC layer in silicon by means of high-dose titanium and molybdenum implantations is reported. Two different strategies to form such contact layers are explored. The titanium implantation aims to convert the Si top layer of an epitaxial Si/SiC/Si layer sequence into TiSi 2 , while Mo implantations were performed directly into the SiC layer after selectively etching off all capping layers. Textured and high-temperature stable C54-TiSi 2 layers with small additions of more metal-rich silicides are obtained in the case of the Ti implantations. Mo implantations result in the formation of the high-temperature phase β-MoSi 2 , which also grows textured on the substrate. The formation of cavities in the silicon substrate at the lower SiC/Si interface due to the Si consumption by the growing silicide phase is observed in both cases. It probably constitutes a problem, occurring whenever thin SiC films on silicon have to be contacted by silicide forming metals independent of the deposition technique used. It is shown that this problem can be solved with ion beam synthesized contact layers by proper adjustment of the metal ion dose

  7. Enhancing crystalline silicon solar cell efficiency with SixGe1-x layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Adnan; Cheow, S. L.; Azhari, A. W.; Sopian, K.; Zaidi, Saleem H.

    Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell represents a cost effective, environment-friendly, and proven renewable energy resource. Industrially manufacturing of c-Si solar has now matured in terms of efficiency and cost. Continuing cost-effective efficiency enhancement requires transition towards thinner wafers in near term and thin-films in the long term. Successful implementation of either of these alternatives must address intrinsic optical absorption limitation of Si. Bandgap engineering through integration with SixGe1-x layers offers an attractive, inexpensive option. With the help of PC1D software, role of SixGe1-x layers in conventional c-Si solar cells has been intensively investigated in both wafer and thin film configurations by varying Ge concentration, thickness, and placement. In wafer configuration, increase in Ge concentration leads to enhanced absorption through bandgap broadening with an efficiency enhancement of 8% for Ge concentrations of less than 20%. At higher Ge concentrations, despite enhanced optical absorption, efficiency is reduced due to substantial lowering of open-circuit voltage. In 5-25-μm thickness, thin-film solar cell configurations, efficiency gain in excess of 30% is achievable. Therefore, SixGe1-x based thin-film solar cells with an order of magnitude reduction in costly Si material are ideally-suited both in terms of high efficiency and cost. Recent research has demonstrated significant improvement in epitaxially grown SixGe1-x layers on nanostructured Si substrates, thereby enhancing potential of this approach for next generation of c-Si based photovoltaics.

  8. Development and Property Evaluation of Selected HfO2-Silicon and Rare Earth-Silicon Based Bond Coats and Environmental Barrier Coating Systems for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Dongming

    2016-01-01

    Ceramic environmental barrier coatings (EBC) and SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) will play a crucial role in future aircraft propulsion systems because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, improve component durability, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. Advanced EBC systems for SiC/SiC CMC turbine and combustor hot section components are currently being developed to meet future turbine engine emission and performance goals. One of the significant material development challenges for the high temperature CMC components is to develop prime-reliant, high strength and high temperature capable environmental barrier coating bond coat systems, since the current silicon bond coat cannot meet the advanced EBC-CMC temperature and stability requirements. In this paper, advanced NASA HfO2-Si and rare earth Si based EBC bond coat EBC systems for SiC/SiC CMC combustor and turbine airfoil applications are investigated. High temperature properties of the advanced EBC systems, including the strength, fracture toughness, creep and oxidation resistance have been studied and summarized. The advanced NASA EBC systems showed some promise to achieve 1500C temperature capability, helping enable next generation turbine engines with significantly improved engine component temperature capability and durability.

  9. Nanomechanical properties of thick porous silicon layers grown on p- and p+-type bulk crystalline Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charitidis, C.A.; Skarmoutsou, A.; Nassiopoulou, A.G.; Dragoneas, A.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → The nanomechanical properties of bulk crystalline Si. → The nanomechanical properties of porous Si. → The elastic-plastic deformation of porous Si compared to bulk crystalline quantified by nanoindentation data analysis. - Abstract: The nanomechanical properties and the nanoscale deformation of thick porous Si (PSi) layers of two different morphologies, grown electrochemically on p-type and p+-type Si wafers were investigated by the depth-sensing nanoindentation technique over a small range of loads using a Berkovich indenter and were compared with those of bulk crystalline Si. The microstructure of the thick PSi layers was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy. PSi layers on p+-type Si show an anisotropic mesoporous structure with straight vertical pores of diameter in the range of 30-50 nm, while those on p-type Si show a sponge like mesoporous structure. The effect of the microstructure on the mechanical properties of the layers is discussed. It is shown that the hardness and Young's modulus of the PSi layers exhibit a strong dependence on their microstructure. In particular, PSi layers with the anisotropic straight vertical pores show higher hardness and elastic modulus values than sponge-like layers. However, sponge-like PSi layers reveal less plastic deformation and higher wear resistance compared with layers with straight vertical pores.

  10. Thermochemical instability effects in SiC-based fibers and SiC{sub f}/SiC composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Youngblood, G.E.; Henager, C.H.; Jones, R.H. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (United States)

    1997-08-01

    Thermochemical instability in irradiated SiC-based fibers with an amorphous silicon oxycarbide phase leads to shrinkage and mass loss. SiC{sub f}/SiC composites made with these fibers also exhibit mass loss as well as severe mechanical property degradation when irradiated at 800{degrees}C, a temperature much below the generally accepted 1100{degrees}C threshold for thermomechanical degradation alone. The mass loss is due to an internal oxidation mechanism within these fibers which likely degrades the carbon interphase as well as the fibers in SiC{sub f}/SiC composites even in so-called {open_quotes}inert{close_quotes} gas environments. Furthermore, the mechanism must be accelerated by the irradiation environment.

  11. Surface passivation of n-type doped black silicon by atomic-layer-deposited SiO2/Al2O3 stacks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Loo, B.W.H.; Ingenito, A.; Verheijen, M.A.; Isabella, O.; Zeman, M.; Kessels, W.M.M.

    2017-01-01

    Black silicon (b-Si) nanotextures can significantly enhance the light absorption of crystalline silicon solar cells. Nevertheless, for a successful application of b-Si textures in industrially relevant solar cell architectures, it is imperative that charge-carrier recombination at particularly

  12. Damage accumulation and annealing in 6H-SiC irradiated with Si+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, W.; Weber, W.J.; Thevuthasan, S.; McCready, D.E.

    1998-01-01

    Damage accumulation and annealing in 6H-silicon carbide (α-SiC) single crystals have been studied in situ using 2.0 MeV He + RBS in a left angle 0001 right angle -axial channeling geometry (RBS/C). The damage was induced by 550 keV Si + ion implantation (30 off normal) at a temperature of -110 C, and the damage recovery was investigated by subsequent isochronal annealing (20 min) over the temperature range from -110 C to 900 C. At ion fluences below 7.5 x 10 13 Si + /cm 2 (0.04 dpa in the damage peak), only point defects appear to be created. Furthermore, the defects on the Si sublattice can be completely recovered by thermal annealing at room temperature (RT), and recovery of defects on the C sublattice is suggested. At higher fluences, amorphization occurs; however, partial damage recovery at RT is still observed, even at a fluence of 6.6 x 10 14 Si + /cm 2 (0.35 dpa in the damage peak) where a buried amorphous layer is produced. At an ion fluence of 6.0 x 10 15 Si + /cm 2 (-90 C), an amorphous layer is created from the surface to a depth of 0.6 μm. Because of recovery processes at the buried crystalline-amorphous interface, the apparent thickness of this amorphous layer decreases slightly (<10%) with increasing temperature over the range from -90 C to 600 C. (orig.)

  13. Selective deposition contact patterning using atomic layer deposition for the fabrication of crystalline silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Young Joon; Shin, Woong-Chul; Chang, Hyo Sik

    2014-01-01

    Selective deposition contact (SDC) patterning was applied to fabricate the rear side passivation of crystalline silicon (Si) solar cells. By this method, using screen printing for contact patterning and atomic layer deposition for the passivation of Si solar cells with Al 2 O 3 , we produced local contacts without photolithography or any laser-based processes. Passivated emitter and rear-contact solar cells passivated with ozone-based Al 2 O 3 showed, for the SDC process, an up-to-0.7% absolute conversion-efficiency improvement. The results of this experiment indicate that the proposed method is feasible for conversion-efficiency improvement of industrial crystalline Si solar cells. - Highlights: • We propose a local contact formation process. • Local contact forms a screen print and an atomic layer deposited-Al 2 O 3 film. • Ozone-based Al 2 O 3 thin film was selectively deposited onto patterned silicon. • Selective deposition contact patterning method can increase cell-efficiency by 0.7%

  14. The morphology of ceramic phases in B x C-SiC-Si infiltrated composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayun, S.; Frage, N.; Dariel, M.P.

    2006-01-01

    The present communication is concerned with the effect of the carbon source on the morphology of reaction bonded boron carbide (B 4 C). Molten silicon reacts strongly and rapidly with free carbon to form large, faceted, regular polygon-shaped SiC particles, usually embedded in residual silicon pools. In the absence of free carbon, the formation of SiC relies on carbon that originates from within the boron carbide particles. Examination of the reaction bonded boron carbide revealed a core-rim microstructure consisting of boron carbide particles surrounded by secondary boron carbide containing some dissolved silicon. This microstructure is generated as the outcome of a dissolution-precipitation process. In the course of the infiltration process molten Si dissolves some boron carbide until its saturation with B and C. Subsequently, precipitation of secondary boron carbide enriched with boron and silicon takes place. In parallel, elongated, strongly twinned, faceted SiC particles are generated by rapid growth along preferred crystallographic directions. This sequence of events is supported by X-ray diffraction and microcompositional analysis and well accounted for by the thermodynamic analysis of the ternary B-C-Si system. - Graphical abstract: Bright field TEM image of the rim area between two boron carbide grains

  15. Potential-Induced Degradation-Delamination Mode in Crystalline Silicon Modules: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hacke, Peter L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kempe, Michael D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wohlgemuth, John [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Li, Jichao [SunPower Corporation; Shen, Yu-Chen [SunPower Corporation

    2018-03-21

    A test sequence producing potential-induced degradation-delamination (PID-d) in crystalline silicon modules has been tested and found comparable under visual inspection to cell/encapsulant delamination seen in some fielded modules. Four commercial modules were put through this sequence, 85 degrees C, 85%, 1000 h damp heat, followed by an intensive PID stress sequence of 72 degrees C, 95% RH, and -1000 V, with the module face grounded using a metal foil. The 60 cell c-Si modules exhibiting the highest current transfer (4.4 center dot 10-4 A) exhibited PID-d at the first inspection after 156 h of PID stress. Effects promoting PID-d are reduced adhesion caused by damp heat, sodium migration further reducing adhesion to the cells, and gaseous products of electrochemical reactions driven by the applied system voltage. A new work item proposal for an IEC test standard to evaluate for PID-d is anticipated.

  16. Amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunctions for nuclear radiation detector applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walton, J.T.; Hong, W.S.; Luke, P.N.; Wang, N.W.; Ziemba, F.P.

    1996-10-01

    Results on characterization of electrical properties of amorphous Si films for the 3 different growth methods (RF sputtering, PECVD [plasma enhanced], LPCVD [low pressure]) are reported. Performance of these a-Si films as heterojunctions on high resistivity p-type and n- type crystalline Si is examined by measuring the noise, leakage current, and the alpha particle response of 5mm dia detector structures. It is demonstrated that heterojunction detectors formed by RF sputtered films and PECVD films are comparable in performance with conventional surface barrier detectors. Results indicate that the a-Si/c-Si heterojunctions have the potential to greatly simplify detector fabrication. Directions for future avenues of nuclear particle detector development are indicated

  17. Wet-chemical passivation of atomically flat and structured silicon substrates for solar cell application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angermann, H.; Rappich, J.; Korte, L.; Sieber, I.; Conrad, E.; Schmidt, M.; Hübener, K.; Polte, J.; Hauschild, J.

    2008-04-01

    Special sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of differently oriented silicon to prepare very smooth silicon interfaces with excellent electronic properties on mono- and poly-crystalline substrates. Surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations were utilised to develop wet-chemical smoothing procedures for atomically flat and structured surfaces, respectively. Hydrogen-termination as well as passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological processing. Compared to conventional pre-treatments, significantly lower micro-roughness and densities of surface states were achieved on mono-crystalline Si(100), on evenly distributed atomic steps, such as on vicinal Si(111), on silicon wafers with randomly distributed upside pyramids, and on poly-crystalline EFG ( Edge-defined Film-fed- Growth) silicon substrates. The recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces prepared on c-Si substrates with randomly distributed upside pyramids was markedly reduced by an optimised wet-chemical smoothing procedure, as determined by PL measurements. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H(n)/c-Si(p)/Al) with textured c-Si substrates the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current Isc, fill factor and efficiency η. The scatter in the cell parameters for measurements on different cells is much narrower, as compared to conventional pre-treatments, indicating more well-defined and reproducible surface conditions prior to a-Si:H emitter deposition and/or a higher stability of the c-Si surface against variations in the a-Si:H deposition conditions.

  18. Betavoltaic device in por-SiC/Si C-Nuclear Energy Converter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akimchenko Alina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The miniature and low-power devices with long service life in hard operating conditions like the Carbon-14 beta-decay energy converters indeed as eternal resource for integrated MEMS and NEMS are considered. Authors discuss how to create the power supply for MEMS/NEMS devices, based on porous SiC/Si structure, which are tested to be used as the beta-decay energy converters of radioactive C-14 into electrical energy. This is based on the silicon carbide obtaining by self-organizing mono 3C-SiC endotaxy on the Si substrate. The new idea is the C-14 atoms including in molecules in the silicon carbide porous structure by this technology, which will increase the efficiency of the converter due to the greater intensity of electron-hole pairs generation rate in the space charge region. The synthesis of C-14 can be also performed by using the electronically controlled magneto-optic chamber.

  19. Controllable Nanoscale Inverted Pyramids for High-Efficient Quasi-Omnidirectional Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Haiyuan; Zhong, Sihua; Zhuang, Yufeng; Shen, Wenzhong

    2017-11-14

    Nanoscale inverted pyramid structures (NIPs) have always been regarded as one of the most paramount light management schemes to achieve the extraordinary performance in various devices, especially in solar cells, due to their outstanding antireflection ability with relative lower surface enhancement ratio. However, the current approaches to fabricating the NIPs are complicated and not cost-effective for the massive cell production in the photovoltaic industry. Here, controllable NIPs are fabricated on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers by Ag catalyzed chemical etching and alkaline modification, which is a preferable all-solution-processed method. Through applying the NIPs to c-Si solar cells and optimizing the cell design, we have successfully achieved highly efficient NIPs textured solar cells with the champion efficiency of 20.5%. Importantly, the NIPs textured solar cells are further demonstrated to possess the quasi-omnidirectional property over the broad sunlight incident angles of approximately 0°-60°. Moreover, the NIPs are theoretically revealed to offer light trapping advantage for ultrathin c-Si solar cells. Hence, the NIPs formed by the controllable method exhibit a great potential to be used in the future photovoltaic industry as surface texture. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  20. Process-property relationships of SiC chemical vapor deposition in the Si/H/C/O system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, C.; Takoudis, C.G.

    1999-01-01

    The thermal, chemical, and physical properties of SiC make it an attractive material for a wide range of applications from wear resistant coatings on tools to high temperature microelectronics operations. A comprehensive thermodynamic analysis has been performed for the Si/H/C/O system from which a priori process-property relationships of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon carbide (SiC) are obtained. The parameter space for pure silicon carbide growth is reported for five orders of magnitude of the system water vapor level (1 ppb--100 ppm), four orders of magnitude of system pressure (0.1--760 Torr), and two orders of magnitude of C/Si feed ratio (0.25--20) and H 2 /Si feed ratio (50--10,000). Lower growth temperatures for pure SiC are predicted in clean systems with low system water vapor levels, at stoichiometric to near carbon excess conditions (C/Si ≅ 1 to C/Si > 1), at high carrier gas flow rates (large H 2 /Si feed ratios), and at low operating pressures. Because relative C/Si and H 2 /Si feed ratios have been considered, the predictions in this study are applicable to both multiple and single precursor systems. Further, these results are valid for the CVD of α-SiC as well as β-SiC. Experimental data reported on the growth of α-SiC and β-SiC are found to be in satisfactory agreement with the theoretical predictions, for numerous systems that include multiple and single source, silicon and carbon, species

  1. The kinetics of dewetting ultra-thin Si layers from silicon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aouassa, M; Favre, L; Ronda, A; Berbezier, I; Maaref, H

    2012-01-01

    In this study, we investigate the kinetically driven dewetting of ultra-thin silicon films on silicon oxide substrate under ultra-high vacuum, at temperatures where oxide desorption and silicon lost could be ruled out. We show that in ultra-clean experimental conditions, the three different regimes of dewetting, namely (i) nucleation of holes, (ii) film retraction and (iii) coalescence of holes, can be quantitatively measured as a function of temperature, time and thickness. For a nominal flat clean sample these three regimes co-exist during the film retraction until complete dewetting. To discriminate their roles in the kinetics of dewetting, we have compared the dewetting evolution of flat unpatterned crystalline silicon layers (homogeneous dewetting), patterned crystalline silicon layers (heterogeneous dewetting) and amorphous silicon layers (crystallization-induced dewetting). The first regime (nucleation) is described by a breaking time which follows an exponential evolution with temperature with an activation energy E H ∼ 3.2 eV. The second regime (retraction) is controlled by surface diffusion of matter from the edges of the holes. It involves a very fast redistribution of matter onto the flat Si layer, which prevents the formation of a rim on the edges of the holes during both heterogeneous and homogeneous dewetting. The time evolution of the linear dewetting front measured during heterogeneous dewetting follows a characteristic power law x ∼ t 0.45 consistent with a surface diffusion-limited mechanism. It also evolves as x ∼ h -1 as expected from mass conservation in the absence of thickened rim. When the surface energy is isotropic (during dewetting of amorphous Si) the dynamics of dewetting is considerably modified: firstly, there is no measurable breaking time; secondly, the speed of dewetting is two orders of magnitude larger than for crystalline Si; and thirdly, the activation energy of dewetting is much smaller due to the different driving

  2. SiC/SiC Cladding Materials Properties Handbook

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snead, Mary A. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Katoh, Yutai [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Koyanagi, Takaaki [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Singh, Gyanender P. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-08-01

    When a new class of material is considered for a nuclear core structure, the in-pile performance is usually assessed based on multi-physics modeling in coordination with experiments. This report aims to provide data for the mechanical and physical properties and environmental resistance of silicon carbide (SiC) fiber–reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites for use in modeling for their application as accidenttolerant fuel cladding for light water reactors (LWRs). The properties are specific for tube geometry, although many properties can be predicted from planar specimen data. This report presents various properties, including mechanical properties, thermal properties, chemical stability under normal and offnormal operation conditions, hermeticity, and irradiation resistance. Table S.1 summarizes those properties mainly for nuclear-grade SiC/SiC composites fabricated via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). While most of the important properties are available, this work found that data for the in-pile hydrothermal corrosion resistance of SiC materials and for thermal properties of tube materials are lacking for evaluation of SiC-based cladding for LWR applications.

  3. Phosphorous Doping of Nanostructured Crystalline Silicon

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Plakhotnyuk, Maksym; Davidsen, Rasmus Schmidt; Steckel, André

    Nano-textured silicon, known as black silicon (bSi), is attractive with excellent photon trapping properties. bSi can be produced using simple one-step fabrication reactive ion etching (RIE) technique. However, in order to use bSi in photovoltaics doping process should be developed. Due to high s...

  4. Electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of SiC/Si ecoceramics prepared from sapele wood biocarbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parfen'eva, L. S.; Orlova, T. S.; Smirnov, B. I.; Smirnov, I. A.; Misiorek, H.; Mucha, J.; Jezowski, A.; Gutierrez-Pardo, A.; Ramirez-Rico, J.

    2012-10-01

    Samples of β-SiC/Si ecoceramics with a silicon concentration of ˜21 vol % have been prepared using a series of consecutive procedures (carbonization of sapele wood biocarbon, synthesis of high-porosity biocarbon with channel-type pores, infiltration of molten silicon into empty channels of the biocarbon, formation of β-SiC, and retention of residual silicon in channels of β-SiC). The electrical resistivity ρ and thermal conductivity κ of the β-SiC/Si ecoceramic samples have been measured in the temperature range 5-300 K. The values of ρ{Si/chan}( T) and κ{Si/chan}( T) have been determined for silicon Sichan located in β-SiC channels of the synthesized β-SiC/Si ecoceramics. Based on the performed analysis of the obtained results, the concentration of charge carriers (holes) in Sichan has been estimated as p ˜ 1019 cm-3. The factors that can be responsible for such a high value of p have been discussed. The prospects for practical application of β-SiC/Si ecoceramics have been considered.

  5. Electrical response of electron selective atomic layer deposited TiO2‑x heterocontacts on crystalline silicon substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahiboz, Doğuşcan; Nasser, Hisham; Aygün, Ezgi; Bek, Alpan; Turan, Raşit

    2018-04-01

    Integration of oxygen deficient sub-stoichiometric titanium dioxide (TiO2‑x) thin films as the electron transporting-hole blocking layer in solar cell designs are expected to reduce fabrication costs by eliminating high temperature processes while maintaining high conversion efficiencies. In this paper, we conducted a study to reveal the electrical properties of TiO2‑x thin films grown on crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. Effect of ALD substrate temperature, post deposition annealing, and doping type of the c-Si substrate on the interface states and TiO2‑x bulk properties were extracted by performing admittance (C-V, G-V) and current-voltage (J-V) measurements. Moreover, the asymmetry in C-V and J-V measurements between the p-n type and n-n TiO2‑x-c-Si heterojunction types were examined and the electron transport selectivity of TiO2‑x was revealed.

  6. Self-diffusion in single crystalline silicon nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Südkamp, T.; Hamdana, G.; Descoins, M.; Mangelinck, D.; Wasisto, H. S.; Peiner, E.; Bracht, H.

    2018-04-01

    Self-diffusion experiments in single crystalline isotopically controlled silicon nanowires with diameters of 70 and 400 nm at 850 and 1000 °C are reported. The isotope structures were first epitaxially grown on top of silicon substrate wafers. Nanowires were subsequently fabricated using a nanosphere lithography process in combination with inductively coupled plasma dry reactive ion etching. Three-dimensional profiling of the nanosized structure before and after diffusion annealing was performed by means of atom probe tomography (APT). Self-diffusion profiles obtained from APT analyses are accurately described by Fick's law for self-diffusion. Data obtained for silicon self-diffusion in nanowires are equal to the results reported for bulk silicon crystals, i.e., finite size effects and high surface-to-volume ratios do not significantly affect silicon self-diffusion. This shows that the properties of native point defects determined from self-diffusion in bulk crystals also hold for nanosized silicon structures with diameters down to 70 nm.

  7. Improvement in IBC-silicon solar cell performance by insertion of highly doped crystalline layer at heterojunction interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bashiri, Hadi; Azim Karami, Mohammad; Mohammadnejad, Shahramm

    2017-01-01

    By inserting a thin highly doped crystalline silicon layer between the base region and amorphous silicon layer in an interdigitated back-contact (IBC) silicon solar cell, a new passivation layer is investigated. The passivation layer performance is characterized by numerical simulations. Moreover, the dependence of the output parameters of the solar cell on the additional layer parameters (doping concentration and thickness) is studied. By optimizing the additional passivation layer in terms of doping concentration and thickness, the power conversion efficiency could be improved by a factor of 2.5%, open circuit voltage is increased by 30 mV and the fill factor of the solar cell by 7.4%. The performance enhancement is achieved due to the decrease of recombination rate, a decrease in solar cell resistivity and improvement of field effect passivation at heterojunction interface. The above-mentioned results are compared with reported results of the same conventional interdigitated back-contact silicon solar cell structure. Furthermore, the effect of a-Si:H/c-Si interface defect density on IBC silicon solar cell parameters with a new passivation layer is studied. The additional passivation layer also reduces the sensitivity of output parameter of solar cell to interface defect density. (paper)

  8. Effects of Preform Density on Structure and Property of C/C-SiC Composites Fabricated by Gaseous Silicon Infiltration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CAO Yu

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The 3-D needled C/C preforms with different densities deposited by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI method were used to fabricate C/C-SiC composites by gaseous silicon infiltration (GSI. The porosity and CVI C thickness of the preforms were studied, and the effects of preform density on the mechanical and thermal properties of C/C-SiC composites were analyzed. The results show that with the increase of preform density, the preform porosity decreases and the CVI C thickness increases from several hundred nanometers to several microns. For the C/C-SiC composites, as the preform density increases, the residual C content increases while the density and residual Si content decreases. The SiC content first keeps at a high level of about 40% (volume fraction, which then quickly reduces. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties increase to the highest values when the preform density is 1.085g/cm3, with the flexure strength up to 308.31MP and fracture toughness up to 11.36MPa·m1/2, which then decrease as the preform density further increases. The thermal conductivity and CTE of the composites, however, decrease with the increase of preform density. It is found that when the preform porosity is too high, sufficient infiltration channels lead to more residual Si, and thinner CVI C thickness results in the severe corrosion of the reinforcing fibers by Si and lower mechanical properties. When the preform porosity is relatively low, the contents of Si and SiC quickly reduce since the infiltration channels are rapidly blocked, resulting in the formation of large closed pores and not high mechanical properties.

  9. An overview of crystalline silicon solar cell technology: Past, present, and future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sopian, K.; Cheow, S. L.; Zaidi, S. H.

    2017-09-01

    Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell, ever since its inception, has been identified as the only economically and environmentally sustainable renewable resource to replace fossil fuels. Performance c-Si based photovoltaic (PV) technology has been equal to the task. Its price has been reduced by a factor of 250 over last twenty years (from ˜ 76 USD to ˜ 0.3 USD); its market growth is expected to reach 100 GWP by 2020. Unfortunately, it is still 3-4 times higher than carbon-based fuels. With the matured PV manufacturing technology as it exists today, continuing price reduction poses stiff challenges. Alternate manufacturing approaches in combination with thin wafers, low (< 10 x) optical enhancement with Fresnel lenses, band-gap engineering for enhanced optical absorption, and newer, advanced solar cell configurations including partially transparent bifacial and back contact solar cells will be required. This paper will present a detailed, cost-based analysis of advanced solar cell manufacturing technologies aimed at higher (˜ 22 %) efficiency with existing equipment and processes.

  10. Neutron tolerance of advanced SiC-fiber/CVI-SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katoh, Y.; Kohyama, A.; Snead, L.L.; Hinoki, T.; Hasegawa, A.

    2003-01-01

    Fusion blankets employing a silicon carbide (SiC) fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composite (SiC/SiC composite) as the structural material provide attractive features represented by high cycle efficiency and extremely low induced radioactivity. Recent advancement in processing and utilization techniques and application studies in ceramic gas turbine and advanced transportation systems, SiC/SiC composites are steadily getting matured as industrial materials. Reference SiC/SiC composites for fusion structural applications have been produced by a forced-flow chemical vapor infiltration (FCVI) method using conventional and advanced near-stoichiometric SiC fibers and extensively evaluated primarily in Japan-US collaborative JUPITER program. In this work, effect of neutron irradiation at elevated temperatures on mechanical property of these composites is characterized. Unlike in conventional SiC/SiC composites, practically no property degradation was identified in advanced composites with a thin carbon interphase by a neutron fluence level of approximately 8dpa at 800C. (author)

  11. Progress in the medicinal chemistry of silicon: C/Si exchange and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujii, Shinya; Hashimoto, Yuichi

    2017-04-01

    Application of silyl functionalities is one of the most promising strategies among various 'elements chemistry' approaches for the development of novel and distinctive drug candidates. Replacement of one or more carbon atoms of various biologically active compounds with silicon (so-called sila-substitution) has been intensively studied for decades, and is often effective for alteration of activity profile and improvement of metabolic profile. In addition to simple C/Si exchange, several novel approaches for utilizing silicon in medicinal chemistry have been suggested in recent years, focusing on the intrinsic differences between silicon and carbon. Sila-substitution offers great potential for enlarging the chemical space of medicinal chemistry, and provides many options for structural development of drug candidates.

  12. Specific features of the current–voltage characteristics of SiO{sub 2}/4H-SiC MIS structures with phosphorus implanted into silicon carbide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikhaylova, A. I., E-mail: m.aleksey.spb@gmail.com; Afanasyev, A. V.; Ilyin, V. A.; Luchinin, V. V. [St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University LETI (Russian Federation); Sledziewski, T. [Friedrich–Alexander–Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (Germany); Reshanov, S. A.; Schöner, A. [Ascatron AB (Sweden); Krieger, M. [Friedrich–Alexander–Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (Germany)

    2016-01-15

    The effect of phosphorus implantation into a 4H-SiC epitaxial layer immediately before the thermal growth of a gate insulator in an atmosphere of dry oxygen on the reliability of the gate insulator is studied. It is found that, together with passivating surface states, the introduction of phosphorus ions leads to insignificant weakening of the dielectric breakdown field and to a decrease in the height of the energy barrier between silicon carbide and the insulator, which is due to the presence of phosphorus atoms at the 4H-SiC/SiO{sub 2} interface and in the bulk of silicon dioxide.

  13. Self-assembled infrared-luminescent Er-Si-O crystallites on silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isshiki, H.; Dood, M.J.A. de; Polman, A.; Kimura, T.

    2004-01-01

    Optically active and electrically excitable erbium complexes on silicon are made by wet-chemical synthesis. The single-crystalline Er-Si-O compound is formed by coating a Si(100) substrate with an ErCl 3 /ethanol solution, followed by rapid thermal oxidation and annealing. Room-temperature Er-related 1.53 μm photoluminescence is observed with a peak linewidth as small as 4 meV. The complexes can be excited directly into the Er intra-4f states, or indirectly, through photocarriers. Er concentrations as high as 14 at. % are achieved, incorporated in a crystalline lattice with a 0.9 nm periodicity. Thermal quenching at room temperature is only a factor 5, and the lifetime at 1.535 μm is 200 μs

  14. Atomic-layer deposited Nb2O5 as transparent passivating electron contact for c-Si solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Macco, Bart; Black, Lachlan E.; Melskens, Jimmy; van de Loo, Bas W.H.; Berghuis, Willem Jan H.; Verheijen, Marcel A.; Kessels, Wilhelmus M.M.

    2018-01-01

    Passivating contacts based on metal oxides have proven to enable high energy conversion efficiencies for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells at low processing complexity. In this work, the potential of atomic-layer deposited (ALD) Nb2O5 as novel electron-selective passivating contact is explored

  15. Statistical characterization of surface defects created by Ar ion bombardment of crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghazisaeidi, M.; Freund, J. B.; Johnson, H. T.

    2008-01-01

    Ion bombardment of crystalline silicon targets induces pattern formation by the creation of mobile surface species that participate in forming nanometer-scale structures. The formation of these mobile species on a Si(001) surface, caused by sub-keV argon ion bombardment, is investigated through molecular dynamics simulation of Stillinger-Weber [Phys. Rev. B 31, 5262 (1985)] silicon. Specific criteria for identifying and classifying these mobile atoms based on their energy and coordination number are developed. The mobile species are categorized based on these criteria and their average concentrations are calculated

  16. Current status and recent research achievements in SiC/SiC composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katoh, Y., E-mail: katohy@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Snead, L.L. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Henager, C.H. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (United States); Nozawa, T. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Rokkasho, Aomori (Japan); Hinoki, T. [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Iveković, A.; Novak, S. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Gonzalez de Vicente, S.M. [EFDA Close Support Unit, Garching (Germany)

    2014-12-15

    The silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composite system for fusion applications has seen a continual evolution from development a fundamental understanding of the material system and its behavior in a hostile irradiation environment to the current effort which is directed at a broad-based program of technology maturation program. In essence, over the past few decades this material system has steadily moved from a laboratory curiosity to an engineering material, both for fusion structural applications and other high performance application such as aerospace. This paper outlines the recent international scientific and technological achievements towards the development of SiC/SiC composite material technologies for fusion application and discusses future research directions. It also reviews the materials system in the larger context of progress to maturity as an engineering material for both the larger nuclear community and broader engineering applications.

  17. Current status and recent research achievements in SiC/SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katoh, Y.; Snead, L.L.; Henager, C.H.; Nozawa, T.; Hinoki, T.; Iveković, A.; Novak, S.; Gonzalez de Vicente, S.M.

    2014-01-01

    The silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composite system for fusion applications has seen a continual evolution from development a fundamental understanding of the material system and its behavior in a hostile irradiation environment to the current effort which is directed at a broad-based program of technology maturation program. In essence, over the past few decades this material system has steadily moved from a laboratory curiosity to an engineering material, both for fusion structural applications and other high performance application such as aerospace. This paper outlines the recent international scientific and technological achievements towards the development of SiC/SiC composite material technologies for fusion application and discusses future research directions. It also reviews the materials system in the larger context of progress to maturity as an engineering material for both the larger nuclear community and broader engineering applications

  18. Current status and recent research achievements in SiC/SiC composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoh, Y.; Snead, L. L.; Henager, C. H.; Nozawa, T.; Hinoki, T.; Iveković, A.; Novak, S.; Gonzalez de Vicente, S. M.

    2014-12-01

    The silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composite system for fusion applications has seen a continual evolution from development a fundamental understanding of the material system and its behavior in a hostile irradiation environment to the current effort which is directed at a broad-based program of technology maturation program. In essence, over the past few decades this material system has steadily moved from a laboratory curiosity to an engineering material, both for fusion structural applications and other high performance application such as aerospace. This paper outlines the recent international scientific and technological achievements towards the development of SiC/SiC composite material technologies for fusion application and discusses future research directions. It also reviews the materials system in the larger context of progress to maturity as an engineering material for both the larger nuclear community and broader engineering applications.

  19. Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit (PPU) for Hall Effect Thrusters, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In this SBIR project, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a high efficiency, rad-hard 3.8 kW silicon carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit (PPU) for Hall Effect...

  20. Influence of N-type μc-SiOx:H intermediate reflector and top cell material properties on the electrical performance of "micromorph" tandem solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, P.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P.

    2018-01-01

    Amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) / micro-crystalline siliconc-Si:H), "micromorph" tandem solar cells have been investigated using a detailed electrical - optical model. Although such a tandem has good light absorption over the entire visible spectrum, the a-Si:H top cell suffers from strong light-induced degradation (LID). To improve matters, we have replaced a-Si:H by hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H), a nano-structured silicon thin film with lower LID than a-Si:H. But the latter's low current carrying capacity necessitates a thicker top cell for current-matching, again leading to LID problems. The solution is to introduce a suitable intermediate reflector (IR) at the junction between the sub-cells, to concentrate light of the shorter visible wavelengths into the top cell. Here we assess the suitability of N-type micro-crystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiOx:H) as an IR. The sensitivity of the solar cell performance to the complex refractive index, thickness and texture of such a reflector is studied. We conclude that N-μc-SiOx:H does concentrate light into the top sub-cell, thus reducing its required thickness for current-matching. However the IR also reflects light right out of the device; so that the initial efficiency suffers. The advantage of such an IR is ultimately seen in the stabilized state since the LID of a thin top cell is low. We also find that for high stabilized efficiencies, the IR should be flat (having no texture of its own). Our study indicates that we may expect to reach 15% stable tandem micromorph efficiency.

  1. The role of extra-atomic relaxation in determining Si2p binding energy shifts at silicon/silicon oxide interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, K.Z.; Greeley, J.N.; Banaszak Holl, M.M.; McFeely, F.R.

    1997-01-01

    The observed binding energy shift for silicon oxide films grown on crystalline silicon varies as a function of film thickness. The physical basis of this shift has previously been ascribed to a variety of initial state effects (Si endash O ring size, strain, stoichiometry, and crystallinity), final state effects (a variety of screening mechanisms), and extrinsic effects (charging). By constructing a structurally homogeneous silicon oxide film on silicon, initial state effects have been minimized and the magnitude of final state stabilization as a function of film thickness has been directly measured. In addition, questions regarding the charging of thin silicon oxide films on silicon have been addressed. From these studies, it is concluded that initial state effects play a negligible role in the thickness-dependent binding energy shift. For the first ∼30 Angstrom of oxide film, the thickness-dependent binding energy shift can be attributed to final state effects in the form of image charge induced stabilization. Beyond about 30 Angstrom, charging of the film occurs. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  2. Role of the interface region on the optoelectronic properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daldosso, N.; Dalba, G.; Fornasini, P.; Grisenti, R.; Pavesi, L.; Luppi, M.; Magri, R.; Ossicini, S.; Degoli, E.; Rocca, F.; Boninelli, S.; Priolo, F.; Spinella, C.; Iacona, F.

    2003-01-01

    Light-emitting silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO 2 have been investigated by x-ray absorption measurements in total electron and photoluminescence yields, by energy filtered transmission electron microscopy and by ab initio total energy calculations. Both experimental and theoretical results show that the interface between the silicon nanocrystals and the surrounding SiO 2 is not sharp: an intermediate region of amorphous nature and variable composition links the crystalline Si with the amorphous stoichiometric SiO 2 . This region plays an active role in the light-emission process

  3. 76 FR 78313 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-16

    ...)] Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China Determinations On the basis of the record \\1... injured by reason of imports from China of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided... imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. Accordingly, effective October...

  4. Laterally inherently thin amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chowdhury, Zahidur R., E-mail: zr.chowdhury@utoronto.ca; Kherani, Nazir P., E-mail: kherani@ecf.utoronto.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4 (Canada)

    2014-12-29

    This article reports on an amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell concept wherein the heterojunction regions are laterally narrow and distributed amidst a backdrop of well-passivated crystalline silicon surface. The localized amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunctions consisting of the laterally thin emitter and back-surface field regions are precisely aligned under the metal grid-lines and bus-bars while the remaining crystalline silicon surface is passivated using the recently proposed facile grown native oxide–plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited silicon nitride passivation scheme. The proposed cell concept mitigates parasitic optical absorption losses by relegating amorphous silicon to beneath the shadowed metallized regions and by using optically transparent passivation layer. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 13.6% is obtained for an untextured proof-of-concept cell illuminated under AM 1.5 global spectrum; the specific cell performance parameters are V{sub OC} of 666 mV, J{sub SC} of 29.5 mA-cm{sup −2}, and fill-factor of 69.3%. Reduced parasitic absorption, predominantly in the shorter wavelength range, is confirmed with external quantum efficiency measurement.

  5. Suppression of nanoindentation-induced phase transformation in crystalline silicon implanted with hydrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jelenković, Emil V.; To, Suet

    2017-09-01

    In this paper the effect of hydrogen implantation in silicon on nanoindentation-induced phase transformation is investigated. Hydrogen ions were implanted in silicon through 300 nm thick oxide with double energy implantation (75 and 40 keV). For both energies implantation dose was 4 × 1016 cm-2. Some samples were thermally annealed at 400 °C. The micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied on nanoindentation imprints and the obtained results were related to the pop out/elbow appearances in nanoindentatioin unloading-displacement curves. The Raman spectroscopy revealed a suppression of Si-XII and Si-III phases and formation of a-Si in the indents of hydrogen implanted Si. The high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements were taken to support the analysis of silicon phase formation during nanoindentation. Implantation induced strain, high hydrogen concentration, and platelets generation were found to be the factors that control suppression of c-Si phases Si-XII and Si-III, as well as a-Si phase enhancement during nanoindentation. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  6. Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Processing Unit (PPU) for Hall Effect Thrusters, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In this SBIR project, APEI, Inc. is proposing to develop a high efficiency, rad-hard 3.8 kW silicon carbide (SiC) power supply for the Power Processing Unit (PPU) of...

  7. Investigation of mechanical properties and operative deformation mechanism in nano-crystalline Ni–Co/SiC electrodeposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lari Baghal, S.M.; Amadeh, A.; Heydarzadeh Sohi, M.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The tensile properties of Ni–Co and Ni–Co/SiC deposits were investigated. ► The SiC particles enhanced tensile strength and ductility of nano-structured composites. ► The deformation mechanism at low and high strain rates were studied. - Abstract: Ni–Co/SiC nano-composites were prepared via electrodeposition from a modified Watts bath containing SiC particles with average particle size of 50 nm, SDS as surfactant and saccharin as grain refiner in appropriate amounts. The effect of nano-particle incorporation on microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation mechanism of electrodeposits were investigated. The mechanical properties of electrodeposits were investigated by Vickers microhardness and tensile tests. The results indicated that incorporation of SiC particles into a 15 nm Ni–Co matrix had no considerable effect on its microhardness and yield strength, that is, dispersion hardening did not operate in this range of grain size. However it was observed that co-deposition of uniform distributed SiC particles can significantly improve the ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure of the deposits. Calculation of apparent activation volume from tensile test results at different strain rates proved that incorporation of SiC nano-particles are responsible for stress-assisted activation of GB atoms mechanism that can significantly increase the plasticity. Nano-crystalline Ni–Co matrix showed a mixed mod behavior of ductile and brittle fracture whereas incorporation of SiC particles and increasing the strain rate promoted ductile fracture mode.

  8. Effect of grain alignment on interface trap density of thermally oxidized aligned-crystalline silicon films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Woong; Lee, Jung-Kun; Findikoglu, Alp T.

    2006-12-01

    The authors report studies of the effect of grain alignment on interface trap density of thermally oxidized aligned-crystalline silicon (ACSi) films by means of capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. C-V curves were measured on metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors fabricated on ⟨001⟩-oriented ACSi films on polycrystalline substrates. From high-frequency C-V curves, the authors calculated a decrease of interface trap density from 2×1012to1×1011cm-2eV-1 as the grain mosaic spread in ACSi films improved from 13.7° to 6.5°. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of grain alignment as a process technique to achieve significantly enhanced performance in small-grained (⩽1μm ) polycrystalline Si MOS-type devices.

  9. Stable electroluminescence from passivated nano-crystalline porous silicon using undecylenic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelloz, B.; Sano, H.; Boukherroub, R.; Wayner, D. D. M.; Lockwood, D. J.; Koshida, N.

    2005-06-01

    Stabilization of electroluminescence from nanocrystalline porous silicon diodes has been achieved by replacing silicon-hydrogen bonds terminating the surface of nanocrystalline silicon with more stable silicon-carbon (Si-C) bonds. Hydrosilylation of the surface of partially and anodically oxidized porous silicon samples was thermally induced at about 90 °C using various different organic molecules. Devices whose surface have been modified with stable covalent bonds shows no degradation in the EL efficiency and EL output intensity under DC operation for several hours. The enhanced stability can be attributed to the high chemical resistance of Si-C bonds against current-induced surface oxidation associated with the generation of nonradiative defects. Although devices treated with 1-decene exhibit reduced EL efficiency and brightness compared to untreatred devices, other molecules, such as ethyl-undecylenate and particularly undecylenic acid provide stable and more efficient visible electroluminescence at room temperature. Undecylenic acid provides EL brightness as high as that of an untreated device.

  10. "Silicon millefeuille": From a silicon wafer to multiple thin crystalline films in a single step

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, David; Trifonov, Trifon; Garín, Moisés; Alcubilla, Ramon

    2013-04-01

    During the last years, many techniques have been developed to obtain thin crystalline films from commercial silicon ingots. Large market applications are foreseen in the photovoltaic field, where important cost reductions are predicted, and also in advanced microelectronics technologies as three-dimensional integration, system on foil, or silicon interposers [Dross et al., Prog. Photovoltaics 20, 770-784 (2012); R. Brendel, Thin Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany 2003); J. N. Burghartz, Ultra-Thin Chip Technology and Applications (Springer Science + Business Media, NY, USA, 2010)]. Existing methods produce "one at a time" silicon layers, once one thin film is obtained, the complete process is repeated to obtain the next layer. Here, we describe a technology that, from a single crystalline silicon wafer, produces a large number of crystalline films with controlled thickness in a single technological step.

  11. Interaction in polysilazane/SiC powder systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boiteux, Y.P.

    1992-07-01

    Consolidation of ceramic precursor ceramic powder systems upon heating is investigated. A polysilazane (silicon nitride precursor) is chosen as ceramic precursor with a filler of a sub-micron SiC powder. A scheme to optimize the volume fraction of precursor is developed in order to maximize the density of the compacted samples in the green state. Different techniques are presented to improve the homogeneity of precursor distribution in the mixture. A microencapsulation technique is developed that leads to a uniform coating of precursor on individual SiC particles. Upon pyrolysis of systems with 20 wt% polysilazane, little shrinkage occurs. The SiC particles do not coarsen during the heat treatment. The precursor, upon pyrolysis, transforms into an amorphous ceramic phase that acts as a cement between SiC particles. This cement phase can remain amorphous up to 1500{degrees}C; and is best described as a siliconoxycarbide with or without traces of nitrogen. Elimination of nitrogen in the amorphous phase indicates that the filler material (SiC) has a strong influence on the pyrolysis behavior of the chosen polysilazane. The amorphous ceramic phase may crystallize between 1400 and 1500{degrees}C, and depending on the nature of the gas environment, the crystalline phases are SiC, Si or Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. Mechanisms explaining the strength increase upon heat treatment are proposed. Redistribution of the precursor occurs by capillary forces or vapor phase diffusion and recondensation of volatile monomers. The confined pyrolysis of the precursor results in an increase of residual ceramic matter being decomposed inside the sample. Interfacial reaction between the native silica-rich surface layer on SiC particles and the precursor derived phase explains the high strength of the materials.

  12. Development of Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon-Germanium Alloys for Improving Long-Wavelength Absorption in Si-Based Thin-Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen-Tang Huang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon-germanium (μc-Si1-xGex:H alloys were developed for application in Si-based thin-film solar cells. The effects of the germane concentration (RGeH4 and the hydrogen ratio (RH2 on the μc-Si1-xGex:H alloys and the corresponding single-junction thin-film solar cells were studied. The behaviors of Ge incorporation in a-Si1-xGex:H and μc-Si1-xGex:H were also compared. Similar to a-Si1-xGex:H, the preferential Ge incorporation was observed in μc-Si1-xGex:H. Moreover, a higher RH2 significantly promoted Ge incorporation for a-Si1-xGex:H, while the Ge content was not affected by RH2 in μc-Si1-xGex:H growth. Furthermore, to eliminate the crystallization effect, the 0.9 μm thick absorbers with a similar crystalline volume fraction were applied. With the increasing RGeH4, the accompanied increase in Ge content of μc-Si1-xGex:H narrowed the bandgap and markedly enhanced the long-wavelength absorption. However, the bias-dependent EQE measurement revealed that too much Ge incorporation in absorber deteriorated carrier collection and cell performance. With the optimization of RH2 and RGeH4, the single-junction μc-Si1-xGex:H cell achieved an efficiency of 5.48%, corresponding to the crystalline volume fraction of 50.5% and Ge content of 13.2 at.%. Compared to μc-Si:H cell, the external quantum efficiency at 800 nm had a relative increase by 33.1%.

  13. Improvement of μc-Si:H n–i–p cell efficiency with an i-layer made by hot-wire CVD by reverse H2-profiling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, H. B. T.; Franken, R.H.; Stolk, R.L.; van der Werf, C.H.M.; Rath, J.K.; Schropp, R.E.I.

    2008-01-01

    The technique of maintaining a proper crystalline ratio in microcrystalline siliconc-Si:H) layers along the thickness direction by decreasing the H2 dilution ratio during deposition (H2 profiling) was introduced by several laboratories while optimizing either n–i–p or p–i–n μc-Si:H cells made by

  14. Low dose irradiation performance of SiC interphase SiC/SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snead, L.L.; Lowden, R.A.; Strizak, J.; More, K.L.; Eatherly, W.S.; Bailey, J.; Williams, A.M.; Osborne, M.C.; Shinavski, R.J.

    1998-01-01

    Reduced oxygen Hi-Nicalon fiber reinforced composite SiC materials were densified with a chemically vapor infiltrated (CVI) silicon carbide (SiC) matrix and interphases of either 'porous' SiC or multilayer SiC and irradiated to a neutron fluence of 1.1 x 10 25 n m -2 (E>0.1 MeV) in the temperature range of 260 to 1060 C. The unirradiated properties of these composites are superior to previously studied ceramic grade Nicalon fiber reinforced/carbon interphase materials. Negligible reduction in the macroscopic matrix microcracking stress was observed after irradiation for the multilayer SiC interphase material and a slight reduction in matrix microcracking stress was observed for the composite with porous SiC interphase. The reduction in strength for the porous SiC interfacial material is greatest for the highest irradiation temperature. The ultimate fracture stress (in four point bending) following irradiation for the multilayer SiC and porous SiC interphase materials was reduced by 15% and 30%, respectively, which is an improvement over the 40% reduction suffered by irradiated ceramic grade Nicalon fiber materials fabricated in a similar fashion, though with a carbon interphase. The degradation of the mechanical properties of these composites is analyzed by comparison with the irradiation behavior of bare Hi-Nicalon fiber and Morton chemically vapor deposited (CVD) SiC. It is concluded that the degradation of these composites, as with the previous generation ceramic grade Nicalon fiber materials, is dominated by interfacial effects, though the overall degradation of fiber and hence composite is reduced for the newer low-oxygen fiber. (orig.)

  15. Nanowire decorated, ultra-thin, single crystalline silicon for photovoltaic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurang, Pantea; Turan, Rasit; Unalan, Husnu Emrah

    2017-10-06

    Reducing silicon (Si) wafer thickness in the photovoltaic industry has always been demanded for lowering the overall cost. Further benefits such as short collection lengths and improved open circuit voltages can also be achieved by Si thickness reduction. However, the problem with thin films is poor light absorption. One way to decrease optical losses in photovoltaic devices is to minimize the front side reflection. This approach can be applied to front contacted ultra-thin crystalline Si solar cells to increase the light absorption. In this work, homojunction solar cells were fabricated using ultra-thin and flexible single crystal Si wafers. A metal assisted chemical etching method was used for the nanowire (NW) texturization of ultra-thin Si wafers to compensate weak light absorption. A relative improvement of 56% in the reflectivity was observed for ultra-thin Si wafers with the thickness of 20 ± 0.2 μm upon NW texturization. NW length and top contact optimization resulted in a relative enhancement of 23% ± 5% in photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

  16. Relationship Between Crystalline Structure and Hardness of Ti-Si-N-O Coatings Fabricated by dc Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-González, Leandro; Hernández-Torres, Julián; Mendoza-Barrera, Claudia; Meléndez-Lira, Miguel; García-Ramírez, Pedro J.; Martínez-Castillo, Jaime; Sauceda, Ángel; Herrera-May, Agustin L.; Muñoz Saldaña, Juan; Espinoza-Beltrán, Francisco J.

    2008-08-01

    Ti-Si-N-O coatings were deposited on AISI D2 tool steel and silicon substrates by dc reactive magnetron co-sputtering using a target of Ti-Si with a constant area ratio of 0.2. The substrate temperature was 400 °C and reactive atmosphere of nitrogen and argon. For all samples, argon flow was maintained constant at 25 sccm, while the flow of the nitrogen was varied to analyze the structural changes related to chemical composition and resistivity. According to results obtained by x-ray diffraction and stoichiometry calculations by x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy the Ti-Si-N-O coatings contain two solid solutions. The higher crystalline part corresponds to titanium oxynitrure. Hardness tests on the coatings were carried out using the indentation work model and the hardness value was determined. Finally, the values of hardness were corroborated by nanoindentation test, and values of Young’s modulus and elastic recovery were discussed. We concluded that F2TSN sample ( F Ar = 25 sccm, F N = 5 sccm, P = 200 W, and P W = 8.9 × 10-3 mbar) presented the greatest hardness and the lowest resistivity values, due to its preferential crystalline orientation.

  17. EFFECT OF THE Si POWDER ADDITIONS ON THE PROPERTIES OF SiC COMPOSITES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GUOGANG XU

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available By means of transient plastic phase process, the SiC silicon carbide kiln furniture materials were produced through adding Si powder to SiC materials. At the condition of the same additions of SiO2 powder, the effect of the Si powder additions on properties of silicon carbide materials after sintered at 1450°C for 3 h in air atmosphere was studied by means of SEM and other analysis methods. The results showed that silicon powder contributes to both sintering by liquid state and plastic phase combination to improve the strength of samples. When the Si powder additions is lower than 3.5 %, the density and strength of samples increase and porosity decrease with increasing Si powder additions. However when the Si powder additions is higher than 3.5 %, the density and strength of samples decrease and porosity increase with increasing Si powder additions. With increasing of Si additions, the residual strength of sample after thermal shocked increased and linear change rate decreased, and get to boundary value when Si additions is 4.5 %. The results also indicated that at the same sintering temperature, the sample with 3.5 % silicon powder has maximum strength.

  18. Mechanoactivation of chromium silicide formation in the SiC-Cr-Si system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlasova M.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The processes of simultaneous grinding of the components of a SiC-Cr-Si mixture and further temperature treatment in the temperature range 1073-1793 K were studied by X-ray phase analysis, IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. It was established that, during grinding of the mixture, chromium silicides form. A temperature treatment completes the process. Silicide formation proceeds within the framework of the diffusion of silicon into chromium. In the presence of SiO2 in the mixture, silicide formation occurs also as a result of the reduction of silica by silicon and silicon carbide. The sintering of synthesized composite SiC-chromium silicides powders at a high temperature under a high pressure (T = 2073 K, P = 5 GPa is accompanied by the destruction of cc-SiC particles, the cc/3 transition in silicon carbide and deformation distortions of the lattices of chromium silicides.

  19. Electroless siliconizing Fe-3% Cr-3% Si alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nurlina, Enung; Darmono, Budy; Purwadaria, Sunara

    2000-01-01

    In this research Fe-3%Cr-3%Mo-3%Si and Fe-3%Cr-3%Cu-3%Si alloys had been coated by silicon metal without electricity current which knows as electroless siliconizing. Coating was conducted by immersed sampler into melt fluoride-chloride salt bath at temperature of 750 o C for certain period. The layer consisted of Fe3Si phase. Observation by microscope optic and EDAX showed that the silicide layer were thick enough, adherent, free for crack and had silicon content on the surface more than 15%. The growth rate of silicide layer followed parabolic rate law, where the process predominantly controlled by interdiffusion rate in the solid phase. Key words : electroless siliconizing, the melt fluoride- chloride salt mix, silicide layer

  20. Fracture behavior of C/SiC composites at elevated temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Dong Hyun; Lee, Jeong Won; Kim, Jae Hoon; Shin, Ihn Cheol; Lim, Byung Joo [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-08-15

    The fracture behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites used in rocket nozzles has been investigated under tension, compression, and fracture conditions at room temperature, 773 K and 1173 K. The C/SiC composites used in this study were manufactured by liquid silicon infiltration process at ~1723 K. All experiments were conducted using two types of specimens, considering fiber direction and oxidation condition. Experimental results show that temperature, fiber direction, and oxidation condition affect the behavior of C/SiC composites. Oxidation was found to be the main factor that changes the strength of C/SiC composites. By applying an anti-oxidation coating, the tensile and compressive strengths of the C/SiC composites increased with temperature. The fracture toughness of the C/SiC composites also increased with increase temperature. A fractography analysis of the fractured specimens was conducted using a scanning electron microscope.

  1. Investigation on fabrication of SiC/SiC composite as a candidate material for fuel sub-assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae-Kwang; Naganuma, Masayuki; Park, Joon-Soo; Kohyama, Akira

    2005-01-01

    The possibility of SiC/SiC (Silicon carbide fiber reinforced Silicon carbide) composites application for fuel sub-assembly of Fast Breeder Reactor was investigated. To select a raw material of SiC/SiC composites, a few kinds of SiC nano powder was estimated by SEM observation and XRD analysis. Furthermore, SiC monolithic was sintered from them and estimated by flexural test. SiC nano-powder which showed good sinterability, it was used for fabrication of SiC/SiC composites by Hot Pressing method. From the sintering condition of 1800, 1820degC temperature and 15, 20 MPa pressure, SiC/SiC composite was fabricated and then estimated by tensile test. SiC/SiC composite, which made by 1820degC and 20 MPa condition, showed the highest mechanical strength by the monotonic tensile test. SiC/SiC composite, which made by 1800degC and 15 MPa condition, showed a stable fracture behavior at the monotonic and cyclic tensile test. And then, the hoop stress of ideal model of SiC/SiC composites was discussed. It was confirmed that applicability of SiC/SiC composites by Hot Pressing method for fuel sub-assembly structural material. To make it real attractive one, to maintain the reliability and safety as a high temperature structural material, the design and process study on SiC/Sic composites material will be continued. (author)

  2. Raman crystallinity and Hall Effect studies of microcrystalline silicon ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aluminium induced crystallization (AIC) was used to crystallize sputtered amorphous silicon thin films on aluminium‐coated glass at annealing temperatures ranging from 250‐520°C in vacuum. Crystalline volume fractions were measured by Raman spectrometry as a function of annealing temperature. It was shown that the ...

  3. Effect of Silicon Nanowire on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Characteristics

    OpenAIRE

    Zahra Ostadmahmoodi Do; Tahereh Fanaei Sheikholeslami; Hassan Azarkish

    2016-01-01

    Nanowires (NWs) are recently used in several sensor or actuator devices to improve their ordered characteristics. Silicon nanowire (Si NW) is one of the most attractive one-dimensional nanostructures semiconductors because of its unique electrical and optical properties. In this paper, silicon nanowire (Si NW), is synthesized and characterized for application in photovoltaic device. Si NWs are prepared using wet chemical etching method which is commonly used as a simple and low cost method fo...

  4. Meniscus-force-mediated layer transfer technique using single-crystalline silicon films with midair cavity: Application to fabrication of CMOS transistors on plastic substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaike, Kohei; Akazawa, Muneki; Nakagawa, Akitoshi; Higashi, Seiichiro

    2015-04-01

    A novel low-temperature technique for transferring a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer with a midair cavity (supported by narrow SiO2 columns) by meniscus force has been proposed, and a single-crystalline Si (c-Si) film with a midair cavity formed in dog-bone shape was successfully transferred to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate at its heatproof temperature or lower. By applying this proposed transfer technique, high-performance c-Si-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors were successfully fabricated on the PET substrate. The key processes are the thermal oxidation and subsequent hydrogen annealing of the SOI layer on the midair cavity. These processes ensure a good MOS interface, and the SiO2 layer works as a “blocking” layer that blocks contamination from PET. The fabricated n- and p-channel c-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) on the PET substrate showed field-effect mobilities of 568 and 103 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively.

  5. Damage-free laser patterning of silicon nitride on textured crystalline silicon using an amorphous silicon etch mask for Ni/Cu plated silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bailly, Mark S., E-mail: mbailly@asu.edu; Karas, Joseph; Jain, Harsh; Dauksher, William J.; Bowden, Stuart

    2016-08-01

    We investigate the optimization of laser ablation with a femtosecond laser for direct and indirect removal of SiN{sub x} on alkaline textured c-Si. Our proposed resist-free indirect removal process uses an a-Si:H etch mask and is demonstrated to have a drastically improved surface quality of the laser processed areas when compared to our direct removal process. Scanning electron microscope images of ablated sites show the existence of substantial surface defects for the standard direct removal process, and the reduction of those defects with our proposed process. Opening of SiN{sub x} and SiO{sub x} passivating layers with laser ablation is a promising alternative to the standard screen print and fire process for making contact to Si solar cells. The potential for small contacts from laser openings of dielectrics coupled with the selective deposition of metal from light induced plating allows for high-aspect-ratio metal contacts for front grid metallization. The minimization of defects generated in this process would serve to enhance the performance of the device and provides the motivation for our work. - Highlights: • Direct laser removal of silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) damages textured silicon. • Direct laser removal of amorphous silicon (a-Si) does not damage textured silicon. • a-Si can be used as a laser patterned etch mask for SiN{sub x}. • Chemically patterned SiN{sub x} sites allow for Ni/Cu plating.

  6. Forming of nanocrystal silicon films by implantation of high dose of H+ in layers of silicon on isolator and following fast thermal annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyschenko, I.E.; Popov, V.P.; Talochkin, A.B.; Gutakovskij, A.K.; Zhuravlev, K.S.

    2004-01-01

    Formation of nanocrystalline silicon films during rapid thermal annealing of the high-dose H + ion implanted silicon-on-insulator structures was studied. It was found, that Si nanocrystals had formed alter annealings at 300-400 deg C, their formation being strongly limited by the hydrogen content in silicon and also by the annealing time. It was supposed that the nucleation of crystalline phase occurred inside the silicon islands between micropores. It is conditioned by ordering Si-Si bonds as hydrogen atoms are leaving their sites in silicon network. No coalescence of micropores takes place during the rapid thermal annealing at the temperatures up to ∼ 900 deg C. Green-orange photoluminescence was observed on synthesized films at room temperature [ru

  7. Study on the substrate-induced crystallisation of amorphous SiC-precursor ceramics. TIB/A; Untersuchungen zur substratinduzierten Kristallisation amorpher SiC-Precursorkeramiken

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rau, C.

    2000-12-01

    In the present thesis the crystallization behaviour of amorphous silicon-carbon materials (SiC{sub x}) was studied. The main topic of the experimental studies formed thereby the epitactical crystallization of thin silicon carbide layers on monocrystalline substrates of silicon carbides or silicon. Furthermore by thermolysis of the polymer amorphous SiC{sub x}-powder was obtained.

  8. Optoelectrical modeling of solar cells based on c-Si/a-Si:H nanowire array: focus on the electrical transport in between the nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levtchenko, Alexandra; Le Gall, Sylvain; Lachaume, Raphaël; Michallon, Jérôme; Collin, Stéphane; Alvarez, José; Djebbour, Zakaria; Kleider, Jean-Paul

    2018-06-01

    By coupling optical and electrical modeling, we have investigated the photovoltaic performances of p-i-n radial nanowires array based on crystalline p-type silicon (c-Si) core/hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shell. By varying either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or back contact work function we can separate and highlight the contribution to the cell’s performance of the nanowires themselves (the radial cell) from the interspace between the nanowires (the planar cell). We show that the build-in potential (V bi) in the radial and planar cells strongly depends on the doping of c-Si core and the work function of the back contact respectively. Consequently, the solar cell’s performance is degraded if either the doping concentration of the c-Si core, or/and the work function of the back contact is too low. By inserting a thin (p) a-Si:H layer between both core/absorber and back contact/absorber, the performance of the solar cell can be improved by partly fixing the V bi at both interfaces due to strong electrostatic screening effect. Depositing such a buffer layer playing the role of an electrostatic screen for charge carriers is a suggested way of enhancing the performance of solar cells based on radial p-i-n or n-i-p nanowire array.

  9. Stable electroluminescence from passivated nano-crystalline porous silicon using undecylenic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gelloz, B.; Sano, H.; Koshida, N. [Dept. Elec. and Elec. Eng., Tokyo Univ. of A and T, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan); Boukherroub, R. [Laboratoire de Physique de la Matiere Condensee, Ecole Polytechnique, Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau (France); Wayner, D.D.M.; Lockwood, D.J. [National Research Council, Ottawa (Canada)

    2005-06-01

    Stabilization of electroluminescence from nanocrystalline porous silicon diodes has been achieved by replacing silicon-hydrogen bonds terminating the surface of nanocrystalline silicon with more stable silicon-carbon (Si-C) bonds. Hydrosilylation of the surface of partially and anodically oxidized porous silicon samples was thermally induced at about 90 C using various different organic molecules. Devices whose surface have been modified with stable covalent bonds shows no degradation in the EL efficiency and EL output intensity under DC operation for several hours. The enhanced stability can be attributed to the high chemical resistance of Si-C bonds against current-induced surface oxidation associated with the generation of nonradiative defects. Although devices treated with 1-decene exhibit reduced EL efficiency and brightness compared to untreated devices, other molecules, such as ethyl-undecylenate and particularly undecylenic acid provide stable and more efficient visible electroluminescence at room temperature. Undecylenic acid provides EL brightness as high as that of an untreated device. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Molecular dynamics simulation of damage cascade creation in SiC composites containing SiC/graphite interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallace, Joseph; Chen, Di; Wang, Jing; Shao, Lin, E-mail: lshao@tamu.edu

    2013-07-15

    Silicon carbide composites have been investigated for their use as structural materials for advanced nuclear reactor designs. Although the composites have significantly enhanced mechanical properties and structure integrity, there is little known about the behavior of defects in the presence of a graphite-silicon carbide interface. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations have been used to model defect creation and clustering in a composite containing a SiC/graphite interface. Evolution of displacements as a function of time were studied and compared to bulk SiC. The results show that the first a few SiC atomic layers closest to the interface are easily damaged. However, beyond these first few atomic layers the system appears to be unaffected by the SiC interface.

  11. Tailoring of SiC nanoprecipitates formed in Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Velisa, G., E-mail: gihan.velisa@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Laboratoire JANNUS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, P.O. Box MG-6, 077125 Magurele (Romania); Trocellier, P. [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Laboratoire JANNUS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Thomé, L. [Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse, UMR8609, Bât. 108, 91405 Orsay (France); Vaubaillon, S. [CEA, INSTN, UEPTN, Laboratoire JANNUS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Miro, S.; Serruys, Y.; Bordas, É. [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Laboratoire JANNUS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Meslin, E. [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Mylonas, S. [Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse, UMR8609, Bât. 108, 91405 Orsay (France); Coulon, P.E. [Ecole Polytechnique, Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, CEA/DSM/IRAMIS-CNRS, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Leprêtre, F.; Pilz, A.; Beck, L. [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Laboratoire JANNUS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

    2013-07-15

    The SiC synthesis through single-beam of C{sup +}, and simultaneous-dual-beam of C{sup +} and Si{sup +} ion implantations into a Si substrate heated at 550 °C has been studied by means of three complementary analytical techniques: nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), Raman, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that a broad distribution of SiC nanoprecipitates is directly formed after simultaneous-dual-beam (520-keV C{sup +} and 890-keV Si{sup +}) and single-beam (520-keV C{sup +}) ion implantations. Their shape appear as spherical (average size ∼4–5 nm) and they are in epitaxial relationship with the silicon matrix.

  12. High Temperature All Silicon-Carbide (SiC) DC Motor Drives for Venus Exploration Vehicles, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to prove the feasibility of creating high-temperature silicon-carbide (SiC) based motor drives for...

  13. Operation of low-energy ion implanters for Si, N, C ion implantation into silicon and glassy carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carder, D.A.; Markwitz, A.

    2009-01-01

    This report details the operation of the low-energy ion implanters at GNS Science for C, N and Si implantations. Two implanters are presented, from a description of the components through to instructions for operation. Historically the implanters have been identified with the labels 'industrial' and 'experimental'. However, the machines only differ significantly in the species of ions available for implantation and sample temperature during implantation. Both machines have been custom designed for research purposes, with a wide range of ion species available for ion implantation and the ability to implant two ions into the same sample at the same time from two different ion sources. A fast sample transfer capability and homogenous scanning profiles are featured in both cases. Samples up to 13 mm 2 can be implanted, with the ability to implant at temperatures down to liquid nitrogen temperatures. The implanters have been used to implant 28 Si + , 14 N + and 12 C + into silicon and glassy carbon substrates. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy has been used to analyse the implanted material. From the data a Si 30 C 61 N 9 layer was measured extending from the surface to a depth of about 77 ± 2 nm for (100) silicon implanted with 12 C + and 14 N + at multiple energies. Silicon and nitrogen ion implantation into glassy carbon produced a Si (40.5 %), C (38 %), N (19.5 %) and O (2%) layer centred around a depth of 50 ± 2 nm from the surface. (author). 8 refs., 20 figs

  14. The analysis of structural and electronic environments of silicon network in HWCVD deposited a-SiC:H films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swain, Bibhu P.

    2007-01-01

    Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon alloys (a-SiC:H) films were deposited by hot wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD) using SiH 4 and C 2 H 2 as precursor gases. a-SiC:H films were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Solid-state plasmon of Si network shifts from 19.2 to 20.5 eV by varying C 2 H 2 flow rate from 2 to 10 sccm. Incorporation of carbon content changes the valence band structure and s orbital is more dominant than sp and p orbital with carbon incorporation

  15. a-Si:H crystallization from isothermal annealing and its dependence on the substrate used

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rojas-Lopez, M., E-mail: marlonrl@yahoo.com.mx [CIBA-Tlaxcala, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Tepetitla, Tlax. 90700 (Mexico); Orduna-Diaz, A.; Delgado-Macuil, R.; Gayou, V.L.; Bibbins-Martinez, M. [CIBA-Tlaxcala, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Tepetitla, Tlax. 90700 (Mexico); Torres-Jacome, A.; Trevino-Palacios, C.G. [INAOE, Tonantzintla, Puebla, Pue. 72000 (Mexico)

    2010-10-25

    We present hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films which were deposited on two different substrates (glass and mono-crystalline silicon) after an isothermal annealing treatment at 250 deg. C for up to 14 h. The annealed amorphous films were analyzed using atomic force microscopy, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. Films deposited on glass substrate experienced an amorphous-crystalline phase transition after annealing because of the metal-induced crystallization effect, reaching approximately 70% conversion after 14 h of annealing. An absorption frequency of the TO-phonon mode that varies systematically with the substoichiometry of the silicon oxide in the 1046-1170 cm{sup -1} region was observed, revealing the reactivity of the film with the annealing time. For similar annealing time, films deposited on mono-crystalline silicon substrate remained mainly amorphous with minimal Si-crystalline formation. Therefore, the crystalline formations and the shape of the films surfaces depends on the annealing time as well as on the substrate employed during the deposition process of the a-Si:H film.

  16. Determining the fracture resistance of advanced SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nozawa, T.; Katoh, Y.; Kishimoto, H.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: One of the perceived advantages for highly-crystalline and stoichiometric silicon carbide (SiC) and SiC composites, e.g., advanced SiC fiber reinforced chemically-vapor-infiltrated (CVI) SiC matrix composites, is the retention of fast fracture properties after neutron irradiation at high-temperatures (∼1000 deg. C) to intermediate-doses (∼15 dpa). Accordingly, it has been clarified that the maximum allowable stress (or strain) limit seems unaffected in certain irradiation conditions. Meanwhile, understanding the mechanism of crack propagation from flaws, as potential weakest link to cause composite failure, is somehow lacking, despite that determining the strength criterion based on the fracture mechanics will eventually become important considering the nature of composites' fracture. This study aims to evaluate crack propagation behaviors of advanced SiC/SiC and to provide fundamentals on fracture resistance of the composites to define the strength limit for the practical component design. For those purposes, the effects of irreversible energies related to interfacial de-bonding, fiber bridging, and microcrack forming on the fracture resistance were evaluated. Two-dimensional SiC/SiC composites were fabricated by CVI or nano-infiltration and transient-eutectic-phase (NITE ) methods. Hi-Nicalon TM Type-S or Tyranno TM -SA fibers were used as reinforcements. In-plane mode-I fracture resistance was evaluated by the single edge notched bend technique. The key finding is the continuous Load increase with the crack growth for any types of advanced composites, while many studies specified the gradual load decrease for the conventional composites once the crack initiates. This high quasi-ductility appeared due primarily to high friction (>100 MPa) at the fiber/matrix interface using rough SiC fibers. The preliminary analysis based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics, which does not consider the effects of irreversible energy

  17. Influence of SiC coating thickness on mechanical properties of SiCf/SiC composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Haijiao; Zhou, Xingui; Zhang, Wei; Peng, Huaxin; Zhang, Changrui

    2013-11-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) coatings with varying thickness (ranging from 0.14 μm to 2.67 μm) were deposited onto the surfaces of Type KD-I SiC fibres with native carbonaceous surface using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process. Then, two dimensional SiC fibre reinforced SiC matrix (2D SiCf/SiC) composites were fabricated using polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process. Influences of the fibre coating thickness on mechanical properties of SiC fibre and SiCf/SiC composite were investigated using single-filament test and three-point bending test. The results indicated that flexural strength of the composites initially increased with the increasing CVD SiC coating thickness and reached a peak value of 363 MPa at the coating thickness of 0.34 μm. Further increase in the coating thickness led to a rapid decrease in the flexural strength of the composites. The bending modulus of composites showed a monotonic increase with increasing coating thickness. A chemical attack of hydrogen or other ions (e.g. a C-H group) on the surface of SiC fibres during the coating process, owing to the formation of volatile hydrogen, lead to an increment of the surface defects of the fibres. This was confirmed by Wang et al. [35] in their work on the SiC coating of the carbon fibre. In the present study, the existing ˜30 nm carbon on the surface of KD-I fibre [36] made the fibre easy to be attacked. Deposition of non-stoichiometric SiC, causing a decrease in strength. During the CVD process, a small amount of free silicon or carbon always existed [35]. The existence of free silicon, either disordered the structure of SiC and formed a new source of cracks or attacked the carbon on fibre surface resulting in properties degeneration of the KD-I fibre. The effect of residual stress. The different thermal expansion coefficient between KD-I SiC fibre and CVD SiC coating, which are 3 × 10-6 K-1 (RT ˜ 1000 °C) and 4.6 × 10-6 K-1 (RT ˜ 1000 °C), respectively, could cause residual stress

  18. Epitaxy of GaN on silicon-impact of symmetry and surface reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dadgar, A; Schulze, F; Wienecke, M; Gadanecz, A; Blaesing, J; Veit, P; Hempel, T; Diez, A; Christen, J; Krost, A

    2007-01-01

    GaN-on-silicon is a low-cost alternative to growth on sapphire or SiC. Today epitaxial growth is usually performed on Si(111), which has a threefold symmetry. The growth of single crystalline GaN on Si(001), the material of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) industry, is more difficult due to the fourfold symmetry of this Si surface leading to two differently aligned domains. We show that breaking the symmetry to achieve single crystalline growth can be performed, e.g. by off-oriented substrates to achieve single crystalline device quality GaN layers. Furthermore, an exotic Si orientation for GaN growth is Si(110), which we show is even better suited as compared to Si(111) for the growth of high quality GaN-on-silicon with a nearly threefold reduction in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (1 1-bar 0 0)ω-scan. It is found that a twofold surface symmetry is in principal suitable for the growth of single crystalline GaN on Si

  19. Extended vapor-liquid-solid growth of silicon carbide nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajesh, John Anthuvan; Pandurangan, Arumugam

    2014-04-01

    We developed an alloy catalytic method to explain extended vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs) by a simple thermal evaporation of silicon and activated carbon mixture using lanthanum nickel (LaNi5) alloy as catalyst in a chemical vapor deposition process. The LaNi5 alloy binary phase diagram and the phase relationships in the La-Ni-Si ternary system were play a key role to determine the growth parameters in this VLS mechanism. Different reaction temperatures (1300, 1350 and 1400 degrees C) were applied to prove the established growth process by experimentally. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies show that the crystalline quality of the SiC NWs increases with the temperature at which they have been synthesized. La-Ni alloyed catalyst particles observed on the top of the SiC NWs confirms that the growth process follows this extended VLS mechanism. The X-ray diffraction and confocal Raman spectroscopy analyses demonstrate that the crystalline structure of the SiC NWs was zinc blende 3C-SiC. Optical property of the SiC NWs was investigated by photoluminescence technique at room temperature. Such a new alloy catalytic method may be extended to synthesis other one-dimensional nanostructures.

  20. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angermann, H. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)], E-mail: angermann@hmi.de; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Abt. Siliziumphotovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J. [Freie Universitaet Berlin, FB Physik, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin (Germany)

    2008-08-30

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D{sub it}(E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency.

  1. Optimisation of electronic interface properties of a-Si:H/c-Si hetero-junction solar cells by wet-chemical surface pre-treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angermann, H.; Korte, L.; Rappich, J.; Conrad, E.; Sieber, I.; Schmidt, M.; Huebener, K.; Hauschild, J.

    2008-01-01

    The relation between structural imperfections at structured silicon surfaces, energetic distribution of interface state densities, recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces and solar cell characteristics have been intensively investigated using non-destructive, surface sensitive techniques, surface photovoltage (SPV) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM). Sequences of wet-chemical oxidation and etching steps were optimised with respect to the etching behaviour of Si(111) pyramids. Special wet-chemical smoothing and oxide removal procedures for structured substrates were developed, in order to reduce the preparation-induced surface micro-roughness and density of electronically active defects. H-termination and passivation by wet-chemical oxides were used to inhibit surface contamination and native oxidation during the technological process. We achieved significantly lower micro-roughness, densities of surface states D it (E) and recombination loss at a-Si:H/c-Si interfaces on wafers with randomly distributed pyramids, compared to conventional pre-treatments. For amorphous-crystalline hetero-junction solar cells (ZnO/a-Si:H/c-Si/BSF/Al), the c-Si surface becomes part of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface, whose recombination activity determines cell performance. With textured substrates, the smoothening procedure results in a significant increase of short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency

  2. Silicon vacancy-related centers in non-irradiated 6H-SiC nanostructur

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bagraev, N.T.; Danilovskii, E.Yu.; Gets, D.S.; Kalabukhova, E.N.; Klyachkin, L.E.; Koudryavtsev, A.A.; Malyarenko, A.M.; Mashkov, V.A.; Savchenko, Dariia; Shanina, B.D.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 49, č. 5 (2015), 649-657 ISSN 1063-7826 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP13-06697P; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011029 Grant - others:SAFMAT(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/22132 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : electron spin resonance * 6H-SiC nanostructures * silicon vacancy related centers * NV centers Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.701, year: 2015

  3. Study on the fabrication of silicon nanoparticles in an amorphous silicon light absorbing layer for solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Joo Hyung; Song, Jin Soo; Lee, Jae Hee; Lee, Jeong Chul

    2012-01-01

    Hydrogenated amorphous-silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells have advantages of relatively simple technology, less material consumption, higher absorption ratio compared to crystalline silicon, and low cost due to the use of cheaper substrates rather than silicon wafers. However, together with those advantages, amorphous-silicon thin-film solar cells face several issues such as a relatively lower efficiency, a relatively wider bandgap, and the Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE) compared to other competing materials (i.e., crystalline silicon, CdTe, Cu(In x Ga (1-x) )Se 2 (CIGS), etc.). As a remedy for those drawbacks and a way to enhance the cell conversion efficiency at the same time, the employment of crystalline silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) in the a-Si matrix is proposed to organize the quantum-dot (QD) structure as the light-absorbing layer. This structure of the light absorbing layer consists of single-crystal Si-NPs in an a-Si:H thin-film matrix. The single-crystal Si-NPs are synthesized by using SiH 4 gas decomposition with CO 2 laser pyrolysis, and the sizes of Si-NPs are calibrated to control their bandgaps. The synthesized size-controlled Si-NPs are directly transferred to another chamber to form a QD structure by using co-deposition of the Si-NPs and the a-Si:H matrix. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses are employed to verify the sizes and the crystalline properties of the Si-NPs alone and of the Si-NPs in the a-Si:H matrix. The TEM results show successful co-deposition of size-controlled Si-NPs in the a-Si:H matrix, which is meaningful because it suggests the possibility of further enhancement of the a-Si:H solar-cell structure and of tandem structure applications by using a single element.

  4. Role of field-effect on c-Si surface passivation by ultrathin (2-20 nm) atomic layer deposited Al2O3

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Terlinden, N.M.; Dingemans, G.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Kessels, W.M.M.

    2010-01-01

    Al2O3 synthesized by plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition yields excellent surface passivation of crystalline silicon (c-Si) for films down to ~ 5 nm in thickness. Optical second-harmonic generation was employed to distinguish between the influence of field-effect passivation and chemical

  5. Creep/Stress Rupture Behavior and Failure Mechanisms of Full CVI and Full PIP SiC/SiC Composites at Elevated Temperatures in Air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, R. T.; Kiser, J. D.

    2017-01-01

    SiC/SiC composites fabricated by melt infiltration are being considered as potential candidate materials for next generation turbine components. However these materials are limited to 2400 F application because of the presence of residual silicon in the SiC matrix. Currently there is an increasing interest in developing and using silicon free SiC/SiC composites for structural aerospace applications above 2400 F. Full PIP or full CVI or CVI + PIP hybrid SiC/SiC composites can be fabricated without excess silicon, but the upper temperature stress capabilities of these materials are not fully known. In this study, the on-axis creep and rupture properties of the state-of-the-art full CVI and full PIP SiC/SiC composites with Sylramic-iBN fibers were measured at temperatures to 2700 F in air and their failure modes examined. In this presentation creep rupture properties, failure mechanisms and upper temperature capabilities of these two systems will be discussed and compared with the literature data.

  6. Construction and characterization of spherical Si solar cells combined with SiC electric power inverter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oku, Takeo; Matsumoto, Taisuke; Hiramatsu, Kouichi; Yasuda, Masashi; Shimono, Akio; Takeda, Yoshikazu; Murozono, Mikio

    2015-02-01

    Spherical silicon (Si) photovoltaic solar cell systems combined with an electric power inverter using silicon carbide (SiC) field-effect transistor (FET) were constructed and characterized, which were compared with an ordinary Si-based converter. The SiC-FET devices were introduced in the direct current-alternating current (DC-AC) converter, which was connected with the solar panels. The spherical Si solar cells were used as the power sources, and the spherical Si panels are lighter and more flexible compared with the ordinary flat Si solar panels. Conversion efficiencies of the spherical Si solar cells were improved by using the SiC-FET.

  7. X-ray spectroscopy of electronic structure of amorphous silicon and silicyne

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mashin, A.I.; Khokhlov, A.F.; Mashin, N.I.; Domashevskaya, Eh.P.; Terekhov, V.A.

    2001-01-01

    SiK β and SiL 23 emission spectra of crystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous hydrogenated silicon (α-Si:H) and silicyne have been studied by X-ray and ultrasoft X-ray spectroscopy. It is observed that SiL 23 emission spectra of silicyne displays not two maximums, as it usually observed for the c-Si and α-Si:H, but three ones. The third one is seen at high energies near 95.7 eV, and has an intensity about 75%. An additional maximum in the short- wave part of SiK β emission spectrum is observed. This difference of shapes of X-ray spectra between α-Si:H and silicyne is explained by the presence in silicyne a strong π-component of chemical bonds of a silicon atoms in silicyne [ru

  8. TEM study of damage recovery in SiC by swift Xe ion irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skuratov, V.A.; O’Connell, J.; Sohatsky, A.S.; Neethling, J.

    2014-01-01

    The microstructure of 4H–SiC samples subsequently irradiated with low energy He (10 keV), Ti (220 keV) and high energy (167 MeV) Xe ions has been studied using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It was found that xenon ions with fluences above 10 13 cm −2 restore crystallinity in a heavily damaged partially amorphous zone. No, or negligible damage recovery is observed in fully amorphized layers of silicon carbide

  9. Porous SiC/SiC composites development for industrial application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeta, S.; Hinoki, T.

    2014-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) is promising structural materials in nuclear fields due to an excellent irradiation resistance and low activation characteristics. Conventional SiC fibers reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC composites) fabricated by liquid phase sintering (LPS-SiC/SiC composites) have been required high cost and long processing time. And microstructure and mechanical property data of finally obtained LPS-SiC/SiC composites are easily scattered, because quality of the composites depend on personal skill. Thus, conventional LPS-SiC/SiC composites are inadequate for industrial use. In order to overcome these issues, the novel “porous SiC/SiC composites” have been developed by means of liquid phase sintering fabrication process. The composites consist of porous SiC matrix and SiC fibers without conventional carbon interfacial layer. The composites don’t have concerns of the degradation interfacial layer at the severe accident. Porous SiC/SiC composites preform was prepared with a thin sheet shape of SiC, sintering additives and carbon powder mixture by tape casting process which was adopted because of productive and high yielding rate fabrication process. The preform was stacked with SiC fibers and sintered in hot-press at the high temperature in argon environment. The sintered preform was decarburized obtain porous matrix structure by heat-treatment in air. Moreover, mechanical property data scattering of the obtained porous SiC/SiC composites decreased. In the flexural test, the porous SiC/SiC composites showed pseudo-ductile behavior with sufficient strength even after heat treatment at high temperature in air. From these conclusions, it was proven that porous SiC/SiC composites were reliable material at severe environment such as high temperature in air, by introducing tape casting fabrication process that could produce reproducible materials with low cost and simple way. Therefore development of porous SiC/SiC composites for industrial application was

  10. The Capacitance and Temperature Effects of the SiC- and Si-Based MEMS Pressure Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsi, N; Majlis, B Y; Hamzah, A A; Mohd, F

    2013-01-01

    This project develops the pressure sensor for monitoring the extreme conditions inside the gas turbine engine. The capacitive-based instead of piezoresistive-based pressure sensor is employed to avoid temperature drift. The deflecting (top) plate and the fixed (bottom) plate generate the capacitance, which is proportional to the applied input pressure and temperature. Two thin film materials of four different sizes are employed for the top plate, namely cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) and silicon (Si). Their performances in term of the sensitivity and linearity of the capacitance versus pressure are simulated at the temperature of 27°C, 500°C, 700°C and 1000°C. The results show that both materials display linear characteristics for temperature up to 500°C, although SiC-based sensor shows higher sensitivity. However, when the temperatures are increased to 700°C and 1000°C, the Si- based pressure sensor starts to malfunction at 50 MPa. However, the SiC-based pressure sensor continues to demonstrate high sensitivity and linearity at such high temperature and pressure. This paper validates the need of employing silicon carbide instead of silicon for sensing of extreme environments.

  11. Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Derived Amorphous/Nano-Crystalline Silicon Carbide for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zunjarrao, Suraj C.; Singh, Abhishek K.; Singh, Raman P.

    2006-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising candidate for several applications in nuclear reactors owing to its high thermal conductivity, high melting temperature, good chemical stability, and resistance to swelling under heavy ion bombardment. However, fabricating SiC by traditional powder processing route generally requires very high temperatures for pressureless sintering. Polymer derived ceramic materials offer unique advantages such as ability to fabricate net shaped components, incorporate reinforcements and relatively low processing temperatures. Furthermore, for SiC based ceramics fabricated using polymer infiltration process (PIP), the microstructure can be tailored by controlling the processing parameters, to get an amorphous, nanocrystalline or crystalline SiC. In this work, fabrication of polymer derived amorphous and nano-grained SiC is presented and its application as an in-core material is explored. Monolithic SiC samples are fabricated by controlled pyrolysis of allyl-hydrido-poly-carbo-silane (AHPCS) under inert atmosphere. Chemical changes, phase transformations and microstructural changes occurring during the pyrolysis process are studied as a function of the processing temperature. Polymer cross-linking and polymer to ceramic conversion is studied using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) are performed to monitor the mass loss and phase change as a function of temperature. X-ray diffraction studies are done to study the intermediate phases and microstructural changes. Variation in density is carefully monitored as a function of processing temperature. Owing to shrinkage and gas evolution during pyrolysis, precursor derived ceramics are inherently porous and composite fabrication typically involves repeated cycles of polymer re-infiltration and pyrolysis. However, there is a limit to the densification that can be achieved by this method and porosity in the final materials presents

  12. Silicon carbide modified carbon materials. Formation of nanocrystalline SiC from thermochemical processes in the system coal tar pitch/poly(carbosilane)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Czosnek, C.; Janik, J.F.; Olejniczak, Z. [Stanislaw Staszic University of Mining & Meterology, AGH, Krakow (Poland)

    2002-12-01

    Poly(carbosilane) or PCS, (-CH{sub 2}-SiH(CH{sub 3})-){sub n}, is used as a Si-bearing precursor in combination with a coal tar pitch to study thermally induced transformations toward SiC-modified carbon composites. Following mixing of the components in the molten pitch at 160{sup o}C, the mixture is heated under argon atmosphere at 500{sup o}C yielding a solid carbonizate that is further subjected to separate pyrolysis experiments at 1300{sup o}C or 1650{sup o}C. At temperatures up to 500{sup o}C, the PCS reacts with suitable pitch components as well as undergoing decomposition reactions. At higher temperatures, clusters of prevailingly nanocrystalline beta-SiC are confirmed after the 1650{sup o}C pyrolysis step with indications that the formation of the compound starts at 1300{sup o}C. Si-29 MAS NMR, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, and elemental analysis are used to characterize each pyrolysis step, especially, from the viewpoint of transformation of silicon species to silicon carbide in the carbon matrix evolved from the pitch.

  13. Crack detection and analyses using resonance ultrasonic vibrations in full-size crystalline silicon wafers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belyaev, A.; Polupan, O.; Dallas, W.; Ostapenko, S.; Hess, D.; Wohlgemuth, J.

    2006-01-01

    An experimental approach for fast crack detection and length determination in full-size solar-grade crystalline silicon wafers using a resonance ultrasonic vibrations (RUV) technique is presented. The RUV method is based on excitation of the longitudinal ultrasonic vibrations in full-size wafers. Using an external piezoelectric transducer combined with a high sensitivity ultrasonic probe and computer controlled data acquisition system, real-time frequency response analysis can be accomplished. On a set of identical crystalline Si wafers with artificially introduced periphery cracks, it was demonstrated that the crack results in a frequency shift in a selected RUV peak to a lower frequency and increases the resonance peak bandwidth. Both characteristics were found to increase with the length of the crack. The frequency shift and bandwidth increase serve as reliable indicators of the crack appearance in silicon wafers and are suitable for mechanical quality control and fast wafer inspection

  14. Zero lattice mismatch and twin-free single crystalline ScN buffer layers for GaN growth on silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lupina, L.; Zoellner, M. H.; Dietrich, B.; Capellini, G. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt, Oder (Germany); Niermann, T.; Lehmann, M. [Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Thapa, S. B.; Haeberlen, M.; Storck, P. [SILTRONIC AG, Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4, 81737 München (Germany); Schroeder, T. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt, Oder (Germany); BTU Cottbus, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)

    2015-11-16

    We report the growth of thin ScN layers deposited by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Si(111) substrates. Using x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we find that ScN films grown at 600 °C are single crystalline, twin-free with rock-salt crystal structure, and exhibit a direct optical band gap of 2.2 eV. A high degree of crystalline perfection and a very good lattice matching between ScN and GaN (misfit < 0.1%) makes the ScN/Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} buffer system a very promising template for the growth of high quality GaN layers on silicon.

  15. Phase Stability and Thermal Conductivity of Composite Environmental Barrier Coatings on SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benkel, Samantha; Zhu, Dongming

    2011-01-01

    Advanced environmental barrier coatings are being developed to protect SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites in harsh combustion environments. The current coating development emphasis has been placed on the significantly improved cyclic durability and combustion environment stability in high-heat-flux and high velocity gas turbine engine environments. Environmental barrier coating systems based on hafnia (HfO2) and ytterbium silicate, HfO2-Si nano-composite bond coat systems have been processed and their stability and thermal conductivity behavior have been evaluated in simulated turbine environments. The incorporation of Silicon Carbide Nanotubes (SiCNT) into high stability (HfO2) and/or HfO2-silicon composite bond coats, along with ZrO2, HfO2 and rare earth silicate composite top coat systems, showed promise as excellent environmental barriers to protect the SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites.

  16. On the processing-structure-property relationship of ITO layers deposited on crystalline and amorphous Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diplas, S.; Ulyashin, A.; Maknys, K.; Gunnaes, A.E.; Jorgensen, S.; Wright, D.; Watts, J.F.; Olsen, A.; Finstad, T.G.

    2007-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) antireflection coatings were deposited on crystalline Si (c-Si), amorphous hydrogenated Si (a-Si:H) and glass substrates at room temperature (RT), 160 deg. C and 230 deg. C by magnetron sputtering. The films were characterised using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, combined with resistance and transmittance measurements. The conductivity and refractive index as well as the morphology of the ITO films showed a significant dependence on the processing conditions. The films deposited on the two different Si substrates at higher temperatures have rougher surfaces compared to the RT ones due to the development of crystallinity and growth of columnar grains

  17. Silicon Photonics Cloud (SiCloud)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    DeVore, P. T. S.; Jiang, Y.; Lynch, M.

    2015-01-01

    Silicon Photonics Cloud (SiCloud.org) is the first silicon photonics interactive web tool. Here we report new features of this tool including mode propagation parameters and mode distribution galleries for user specified waveguide dimensions and wavelengths.......Silicon Photonics Cloud (SiCloud.org) is the first silicon photonics interactive web tool. Here we report new features of this tool including mode propagation parameters and mode distribution galleries for user specified waveguide dimensions and wavelengths....

  18. Identification of photoluminescence P line in indium doped silicon as In{sub Si}-Si{sub i} defect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lauer, Kevin, E-mail: klauer@cismst.de; Möller, Christian [CiS Forschungsinstitut für Mikrosensorik und Photovoltaik GmbH, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 14, 99099 Erfurt (Germany); Schulze, Dirk [TU Ilmenau, Institut für Physik, Weimarer Str. 32, 98693 Ilmenau (Germany); Ahrens, Carsten [Infineon Technologies AG, Am Campeon 1-12, 85579 Neubiberg (Germany)

    2015-01-15

    Indium and carbon co-implanted silicon was investigated by low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy. A photoluminescence peak in indium doped silicon (P line) was found to depend on the position of a silicon interstitial rich region, the existence of a SiN{sub x}:H/SiO{sub x} stack and on characteristic illumination and annealing steps. These results led to the conclusion that silicon interstitials are involved in the defect and that hydrogen impacts the defect responsible for the P line. By applying an unique illumination and annealing cycle we were able to link the P line defect with a defect responsible for degradation of charge carrier lifetime in indium as well as boron doped silicon. We deduced a defect model consisting of one acceptor and one silicon interstitial atom denoted by A{sub Si}-Si{sub i}, which is able to explain the experimental data of the P line as well as the light-induced degradation in indium and boron doped silicon. Using this model we identified the defect responsible for the P line as In{sub Si}-Si{sub i} in neutral charge state and C{sub 2v} configuration.

  19. Effect of hydrogen on passivation quality of SiNx/Si-rich SiNx stacked layers deposited by catalytic chemical vapor deposition on c-Si wafers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thi, Trinh Cham; Koyama, Koichi; Ohdaira, Keisuke; Matsumura, Hideki

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the role of hydrogen content and fixed charges of catalytic chemical vapor deposited (Cat-CVD) SiN x /Si-rich SiN x stacked layers on the quality of crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface passivation. Calculated density of fixed charges is on the order of 10 12 cm −2 , which is high enough for effective field effect passivation. Hydrogen content in the films is also found to contribute significantly to improvement in passivation quality of the stacked layers. Furthermore, Si-rich SiN x films deposited with H 2 dilution show better passivation quality of SiN x /Si-rich SiN x stacked layers than those prepared without H 2 dilution. Effective minority carrier lifetime (τ eff ) in c-Si passivated by SiN x /Si-rich SiN x stacked layers is as high as 5.1 ms when H 2 is added during Si-rich SiN x deposition, which is much higher than the case of using Si-rich SiN x films prepared without H 2 dilution showing τ eff of 3.3 ms. - Highlights: • Passivation mechanism of Si-rich SiN x /SiN x stacked layers is investigated. • H atoms play important role in passivation quality of the stacked layer. • Addition of H 2 gas during Si-rich SiN x film deposition greatly enhances effective minority carrier lifetime (τ eff ). • For a Si-rich SiN x film with refractive index of 2.92, τ eff improves from 3.3 to 5.1 ms by H 2 addition

  20. Functional materials - Study of process for CVD SiC/C composite material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Doo Jin; Wang, Chae Chyun; Lee, Young Jin; Oh, Byung Jun [Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea)

    2000-04-01

    The CVD SiC coating techniques are the one of high functional material manufactures that improve the thermal, wear, oxidization and infiltration resistance of the surface of raw materials and extend the life of material. Silicon carbide films have been grown onto graphite substrates by low pressure chemical vapor deposition using MTS(CH{sub 3}SiCl{sub 3}) as a source precursor and H{sub 2} or N{sub 2} as a diluent gas. The experiments for temperature and diluent gas addition changes were performed. The effect of temperature from 900 deg. C to 1350 deg. C and the alteration of diluent gas species on the growth rate and structure of deposits have been studied. The experimental results showed that the deposition rate increased with increasing deposition temperature irrespective of diluent gases and reactant depletion effect increased especially at H{sub 2} diluent gas ambient. As the diluent gas added, the growth rate decreased parabolically. For N{sub 2} addition, surface morphology of leaf-like structure appeared, and for H{sub 2}, faceted structure at 1350 deg. C. The observed features were involved by crystalline phase of {beta}-SiC and surface composition with different gas ambient. We also compared the experimental results of the effect of partial pressure on the growth rate with the results of theoretical approach based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. C/SiC composites were prepared by isothermal chemical vapor infiltration (ICVI). In order to fabricate the more dense C/SiC composites, a novel process of the in-situ whisker growing and filling during ICVI was devised, which was manipulated by alternating dilute gas species. The denser C/SiC composites were successfully prepared by the novel process comparing with the conventional ICVI process. 64 refs., 36 figs., 5 tabs. (Author)

  1. Dissolution chemistry and biocompatibility of single-crystalline silicon nanomembranes and associated materials for transient electronics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Suk-Won; Park, Gayoung; Edwards, Chris; Corbin, Elise A; Kang, Seung-Kyun; Cheng, Huanyu; Song, Jun-Kyul; Kim, Jae-Hwan; Yu, Sooyoun; Ng, Joanne; Lee, Jung Eun; Kim, Jiyoung; Yee, Cassian; Bhaduri, Basanta; Su, Yewang; Omennetto, Fiorenzo G; Huang, Yonggang; Bashir, Rashid; Goddard, Lynford; Popescu, Gabriel; Lee, Kyung-Mi; Rogers, John A

    2014-06-24

    Single-crystalline silicon nanomembranes (Si NMs) represent a critically important class of material for high-performance forms of electronics that are capable of complete, controlled dissolution when immersed in water and/or biofluids, sometimes referred to as a type of "transient" electronics. The results reported here include the kinetics of hydrolysis of Si NMs in biofluids and various aqueous solutions through a range of relevant pH values, ionic concentrations and temperatures, and dependence on dopant types and concentrations. In vitro and in vivo investigations of Si NMs and other transient electronic materials demonstrate biocompatibility and bioresorption, thereby suggesting potential for envisioned applications in active, biodegradable electronic implants.

  2. TEM study of damage recovery in SiC by swift Xe ion irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Skuratov, V.A., E-mail: skuratov@jinr.ru [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); O’Connell, J. [Centre for HRTEM, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa); Sohatsky, A.S. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Neethling, J. [Centre for HRTEM, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)

    2014-05-01

    The microstructure of 4H–SiC samples subsequently irradiated with low energy He (10 keV), Ti (220 keV) and high energy (167 MeV) Xe ions has been studied using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It was found that xenon ions with fluences above 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} restore crystallinity in a heavily damaged partially amorphous zone. No, or negligible damage recovery is observed in fully amorphized layers of silicon carbide.

  3. X-ray spectroscopy of electronic structure of amorphous silicon and silicyne

    CERN Document Server

    Mashin, A I; Mashin, N I; Domashevskaya, E P; Terekhov, V A

    2001-01-01

    SiK subbeta and SiL sub 2 sub 3 emission spectra of crystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous hydrogenated silicon (alpha-Si:H) and silicyne have been studied by X-ray and ultrasoft X-ray spectroscopy. It is observed that SiL sub 2 sub 3 emission spectra of silicyne displays not two maximums, as it usually observed for the c-Si and alpha-Si:H, but three ones. The third one is seen at high energies near 95.7 eV, and has an intensity about 75%. An additional maximum in the short- wave part of SiK subbeta emission spectrum is observed. This difference of shapes of X-ray spectra between alpha-Si:H and silicyne is explained by the presence in silicyne a strong pi-component of chemical bonds of a silicon atoms in silicyne

  4. Silicon carbide recovered from photovoltaic industry waste as photocatalysts for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yu [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Hu, Yu [College of Material Science and Enginneering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Zeng, Hongmei [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Zhong, Lin, E-mail: zhonglin@scu.edu.cn [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Liu, Kewei; Cao, Hongmei [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Li, Wei [College of Material Science and Enginneering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China); Yan, Hongjian, E-mail: hjyan@scu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064 (China)

    2017-05-05

    Highlights: • SiC was recovered from photovoltaic industry waste. • The recovered SiC is mainly consist of 3C-SiC, 6H-SiC and some silicon oxycarbides. • The recovered SiC shows photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution from water. - Abstract: In recent years, the focus on creating a dependable and efficient means to recycle or recover the valuable parts from the waste material has drawn significantly attention as an environmentally friendly way to deal with the industrial wastes. The silicon carbide (SiC) crystalline is one of reusable material in the slurry wastes generated during wafer slicing. Here we report the use of recovered SiC from the slurry wastes as photocatalysts to produce hydrogen in the presence of Na{sub 2}SO{sub 3}-Na{sub 2}S as electron donor. The recovered SiC were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra (XPS), UV–vis (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The morphology of SiC loaded with 1 wt% Pt as cocatalyst by thermal-reduction method was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The experimental results reveal that the recovered SiC is mainly consist of 3C-SiC, 6H-SiC and some silicon oxycarbides on the surface of the SiC. The highest hydrogen production rate is 191.8 μmol h{sup −1} g{sup −1}. This study provides a way to recycle crystalline SiC from the discharged waste in the photovoltaic industry and reuse it as photocatalyst to yield hydrogen with the advantage of low energy consumption, low pollution and easy operation.

  5. Machinability of Al-SiC metal matrix composites using WC, PCD and MCD inserts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beristain, J.; Gonzalo, O.; Sanda, A.

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this work is the study of the machinability of aluminium-silicon carbide Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) in turning operations. The cutting tools used were hard metal (WC) with and without coating, different grades and geometries of Poly-Crystalline Diamond (PCD) and Mono-Crystalline Diamond (MCD). The work piece material was AMC225xe, composed of aluminium-copper alloy AA 2124 and 25% wt of SiC, being the size of the SiC particles around 3 {mu}m. Experiments were conducted at various cutting speeds and cutting parameters in facing finishing operations, measuring the surface roughness, cutting forces and tool wear. The worn surface of the cutting tool was examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). It was observed that the Built Up Edge (BUE) and stuck material is higher in the MCD tools than in the PCD tools. The BUE acts as a protective layer against abrasive wear of the tool. (Author)

  6. Relation of lifetime to surface passivation for atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 on crystalline silicon solar cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Young Joon; Song, Hee Eun; Chang, Hyo Sik

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We investigated the relation of potassium contamination on Si solar wafer to lifetime. • We deposited Al 2 O 3 layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on Si solar wafer after several cleaning process. • Potassium can be left on Si surface by incomplete cleaning process and degrade the Al 2 O 3 passivation quality. - Abstract: We investigated the relation of potassium contamination on a crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface after potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching to the lifetime of the c-Si solar cell. Alkaline solution was employed for saw damage removal (SDR), texturing, and planarization of a textured c-Si solar wafer prior to atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al 2 O 3 growth. In the solar-cell manufacturing process, ALD Al 2 O 3 passivation is utilized to obtain higher conversion efficiency. ALD Al 2 O 3 shows excellent surface passivation, though minority carrier lifetime varies with cleaning conditions. In the present study, we investigated the relation of potassium contamination to lifetime in solar-cell processing. The results showed that the potassium-contaminated samples, due to incomplete cleaning of KOH, had a short lifetime, thus establishing that residual potassium can degrade Al 2 O 3 surface passivation

  7. Self-Organized Graphene Nanoribbons on SiC(0001) Studied with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torrance, David; Zhang, Baiqian; Hoang, Tien; First, Phillip

    2012-02-01

    Graphene nanoribbons grown directly on nanofacets of SiC(0001) offer an attractive union of top-down and bottom-up fabrication techniques. Nanoribbons have been shown to form on the facets of templated silicon carbide substrates,ootnotetextSprinkle et al., Nat. Nanotech. 5, 727 (2010). but also appear spontaneously along step-bunches on vicinal SiC(0001) miscut slightly towards . These self-organized graphene nanoribbons were characterized with low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) in ultra-high vacuum. Our measurements indicate that the graphene forms a continuous ``buffer layer'' across the SiC(0001) terraces during nanoribbon formation, with the zigzag edge of the buffer layer aligned parallel to the step-bunched nanofacets. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) was used to characterize the topography and electrical characteristics of the graphene nanoribbons. These measurements indicate that the graphene nanoribbons are highly-crystalline with predominantly zigzag edges.

  8. Gettering effect in grain boundaries of multi-crystalline silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nouri, H.; Bouaicha, M.; Ben Rabha, M.; Bessais, B. [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, Hammam-Lif 2050 (Tunisia)

    2012-10-15

    In this work, we analyze the effect of three gettering procedures on the variation of the grain boundaries (GBs) defect density in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si). The effective defect density (N{sup B}) was calculated using a theoretical model where we consider the potential barrier induced by the GB as being due to structural defects and impurities. Results are compared to those obtained from C-V measurements. The potential barrier was evaluated from the dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristic performed across the GB. In addition to the Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA), we use aluminum (Al) in the first gettering procedure, in the second we use porous silicon (PS), whereas in the third one, we realize a chemical damage (grooving). Mc-Si wafers were annealed in an infrared furnace in the same conditions, at temperatures ranging from 600 C to 1000 C (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  9. Observation of apparent MOS regimes on Al/PECVD grown boron nitride/p-c-Si/Al MIS structure, investigated through admittance spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oezdemir, Orhan [Yildiz Technical University, Department of Physics, Esenler, istanbul (Turkey)

    2009-02-15

    PECVD grown boron nitride (BN) on crystalline silicon (c-Si) semiconductor was investigated by admittance measurement in the form of metal/insulator/semiconductor (MIS) structure. Apart from well-known regimes of traditional MOS structure, gradual bypassing of depletion layer was observed once ambient temperature (frequency) increased (decreased). Such an anomalous behavior was interpreted through modulations of charges located within BN film and/or at the interfacial layer of BN film/c-Si junction in terms of weighted average concept. (author)

  10. A Low Resistance Calcium/Reduced Titania Passivated Contact for High Efficiency Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Allen, Thomas G.; Bullock, James; Jeangros, Quentin; Samundsett, Christian; Wan, Yimao; Cui, Jie; Hessler-Wyser, Aï cha; De Wolf, Stefaan; Javey, Ali; Cuevas, Andres

    2017-01-01

    Recent advances in the efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells have come through the implementation of passivated contacts that simultaneously reduce recombination and resistive losses within the contact structure. In this contribution, low resistivity passivated contacts are demonstrated based on reduced titania (TiOx) contacted with the low work function metal, calcium (Ca). By using Ca as the overlying metal in the contact structure we are able to achieve a reduction in the contact resistivity of TiOx passivated contacts of up to two orders of magnitude compared to previously reported data on Al/TiOx contacts, allowing for the application of the Ca/TiOx contact to n-type c-Si solar cells with partial rear contacts. Implementing this contact structure on the cell level results in a power conversion efficiency of 21.8% where the Ca/TiOx contact comprises only ≈6% of the rear surface of the solar cell, an increase of 1.5% absolute compared to a similar device fabricated without the TiOx interlayer.

  11. A Low Resistance Calcium/Reduced Titania Passivated Contact for High Efficiency Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Allen, Thomas G.

    2017-02-04

    Recent advances in the efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells have come through the implementation of passivated contacts that simultaneously reduce recombination and resistive losses within the contact structure. In this contribution, low resistivity passivated contacts are demonstrated based on reduced titania (TiOx) contacted with the low work function metal, calcium (Ca). By using Ca as the overlying metal in the contact structure we are able to achieve a reduction in the contact resistivity of TiOx passivated contacts of up to two orders of magnitude compared to previously reported data on Al/TiOx contacts, allowing for the application of the Ca/TiOx contact to n-type c-Si solar cells with partial rear contacts. Implementing this contact structure on the cell level results in a power conversion efficiency of 21.8% where the Ca/TiOx contact comprises only ≈6% of the rear surface of the solar cell, an increase of 1.5% absolute compared to a similar device fabricated without the TiOx interlayer.

  12. Grafted SiC nanocrystals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saini, Isha; Sharma, Annu; Dhiman, Rajnish

    2017-01-01

    ), raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy was used to study optical properties such as optical energy gap (Eg), Urbach's energy (Eu), refractive index (n), real (ε1) and imaginary (ε2) parts of dielectric constant of PVA as well as PVA......Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) grafted SiC (PVA-g-SiC)/PVA nanocomposite was synthesized by incorporating PVA grafted silicon carbide (SiC) nanocrystals inside PVA matrix. In-depth structural characterization of resulting nanocomposite was carried out using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR...

  13. Crystallization induced of amorphous silicon by nickel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, J.A; Rinaldi, P; Budini, N; Arce, R; Buitrago, R.H

    2008-01-01

    Polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si) deposited on glass substrates is a very promising material for the production of different electronic devices, like thin film transistors, active matrices or solar cells. The crystallization of the amorphous silicon to obtain pc-Si can be achieved with different processes, among which nickel-induced crystallization is because it requires low concentrations of the metal and low annealing temperatures. Nucleation and growth of crystalline silicon are measured by the formation of silicide NiSi 2 , which has a lattice constant very similar to that of Si, and acts as a seed upon which crystalline grains can develop. The size of the pc-Si final grain depends on many factors, such as the initial concentration of Ni, the annealing time and temperature, and the presence of other atoms in the Si structure. This work presents a study on the influence of these parameters on the silicon crystallization process induced by Ni. We deposited a series of hydrogenated amorphous silicon samples (a-Si:H) on glass substrates, using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method (PE-CVD) with silane gas (SiH 4 ). The deposition temperature was 200 o C, and we prepared intrinsic samples (i), lightly doped with boron (p), heavily doped with boron (p + ) and heavily doped with phosphorous (n + ). Each sample was divided into eight portions, depositing different concentrations of Ni into each one using the cathodic sputtering method. The concentration of Ni was determined by atomic adsorption spectroscopy, and included from 1.5 1 0 15 to 1.5 1 0 16 at/cm 2 . Later the samples were submitted to different thermal treatments in a circulating nitrogen atmosphere. In order to avoid violent dehydrogenation of the a-Si:H that damages the samples, the annealing was carried out gradually. In a first stage the samples were heated at a velocity of 0.5 o C /min up to 400 o C, holding them for 24 hrs at this temperature in order to reach hydrogen effusion. Heating

  14. Investigating the effect of silicon surface chemical treatment on Al/Si contact properties in GaP/Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudryashov, D.; Gudovskikh, A.

    2018-03-01

    In the present work, experimental studies have been carried out to reveal how chemical treatment of a silicon surface affects the properties of the Al/Si contact. It has been shown that for p-type monocrystalline silicon substrates with a resistivity of 10 ohm cm, it is possible to form an ohmic Al/Si contact by magnetron sputtering of an aluminum thin film and its further annealing at temperatures of 400 - 450 °C. In the range of annealing temperatures of 250 - 400 °C, the Si substrate treatment in the HF solution leads to a significant increase in currents on the current-voltage curves of the Al/Si contact, while in the range of 450 - 700 °C, the effect of chemical treatment of the silicon is not detected.

  15. Approaching total absorption of graphene strips using a c-Si subwavelength periodic membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Tian; Wang, Rui; Li, Junlang; Zhou, Jianyu; Wang, Yueke

    2018-04-01

    Approaching total absorption of graphene strips at near infrared using a crystalline-silicon (c-Si) subwavelength periodic membrane (SPM) is presented. The absorption in graphene strips in a c-Si SPM is enhanced by a resonant tip, which is resulted from the coupling between the guided mode and the radiation mode through symmetry breaking of the structure at near-normal incidence. The enhancement of the electric field intensity is increased 1939 times and the group velocity of light is decreased to 3.55 ×10-4c at resonance, and 99.3% absorption in graphene strips can be achieved by critical coupling at the incident angle of 2°. High absorption of the graphene strips can be maintained as the etching thickness, the strip width, and the period are altered. When this type of c-Si SPM with graphene strips is used in refractive index sensors, it shows excellent sensing properties due to its stable near-unity absorption.

  16. Analysis of materials modifications caused by UV laser micro drilling of via holes in AlGaN/GaN transistors on SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wernicke, Tim [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany)]. E-mail: tim.wernicke@fbh-berlin.de; Krueger, Olaf [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Herms, Martin [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Wuerfl, Joachim [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Kirmse, Holm [Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Institut fuer Physik, AG Kristallographie, Newtonstr. 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Neumann, Wolfgang [Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Institut fuer Physik, AG Kristallographie, Newtonstr. 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Behm, Thomas [Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Str. 4, 09596 Freiberg (Germany); Irmer, Gert [Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Str. 4, 09596 Freiberg (Germany); Traenkle, Guenther [Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Str. 4, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2007-07-31

    Pulsed UV laser drilling can be applied to fabricate vertical electrical interconnects (vias) for AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor devices on single-crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) substrate. Through-wafer micro holes with a diameter of 50-100 {mu}m were formed in 400 {mu}m thick bulk 4H-SiC by a frequency-tripled solid-state laser (355 nm) with a pulse width of {<=}30 ns and a focal spot size of {approx}15 {mu}m. The impact of laser machining on the material system in the vicinity of micro holes was investigated by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. After removing the loosely deposited debris by etching in buffered hydrofluoric acid, a layer of <4 {mu}m resolidified material remains at the side walls of the holes. The thickness of the resolidified layer depends on the vertical distance to the hole entry as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Micro-Raman spectra indicate a change of internal strain due to laser drilling and evidence the formation of nanocrystalline silicon (Si). Microstructure analysis of the vias' side walls using cross sectional TEM reveals altered degree of crystallinity in SiC. Layers of heavily disturbed SiC, and nanocrystalline Si are formed by laser irradiation. The layers are separated by 50-100 nm thick interface regions. No evidence of extended defects, micro cracking or crystal damage was found beneath the resolidified layer. The precision of UV laser micro ablation of SiC using nanosecond pulses is not limited by laser-induced extended crystal defects.

  17. Optical Evaluation of the Rear Contacts of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells by Coupled Electromagnetic and Statistical Ray-Optics Modeling

    KAUST Repository

    Dabirian, Ali

    2017-02-15

    High-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells increasingly feature sophisticated electron and hole contacts aimed at minimizing electronic losses. At the rear of photovoltaic devices, such contacts—usually consisting of stacks of functional layers—offer opportunities to enhance the infrared response of the solar cells. Here, we propose an accurate and simple modeling procedure to evaluate the infrared performance of rear contacts in c-Si solar cells. Our method combines full-wave electromagnetic modeling of the rear contact with a statistical ray optics model to obtain the fraction of optical energy dissipated from the rear contact relative to that absorbed by the Si wafer. Using this technique, we study the impact of the refractive index, extinction coefficient, and thickness of the rear-passivating layer and establish basic design rules. In addition, we evaluate novel optical structures, including stratified thin films, nanoparticle composites, and conductive nanowires embedded in a low-index dielectric matrix, for integration into advanced rear contacts in c-Si photovoltaic devices. From an optical perspective, nanowire structures preserving low contact resistance appear to be the most effective approach to mitigating dissipation losses from the rear contact.

  18. Quantitative analyses of impurity silicon-carbide (SiC) and high-purity-titanium by neutron activation analyses based on k0-standardization method. Development of irradiation silicon technology in productivity using research reactor (Joint research)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motohashi, Jun; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Magome, Hirokatsu; Sasajima, Fumio; Tokunaga, Okihiro; Kawasaki, Kozo; Onizawa, Koji; Isshiki, Masahiko

    2009-07-01

    JRR-3 and JRR-4 have been providing neutron-transmutation-doped silicon (NTD-Si) by using the silicon NTD process, which is a method to produce a high quality semiconductor. The domestic supply of NTD-Si is insufficient for the demand, and the market of NTD-Si is significantly growing at present. It is very important to increase achieve the production. To fulfill the requirement, we have been investigating a neutron filter, which is made of high-purity-titanium, for uniform doping. Silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor doped with NTD technology is considered suitable for high power devices with superior performances to conventional Si-based devices. We are very interested in the SiC as well. This report presents the results obtained after the impurity contents in the high-purity-titanium and SiC were analyzed by neutron activation analyses (NAA) using k 0 -standardization method. There were 6 and 9 impurity elements detected from the high-purity-titanium and SiC, respectively. Among those Sc from the high-purity-titanium and Fe from SiC were comparatively long half life nuclides. From the viewpoint of exposure in handling them, we need to examine the impurity control of materials. (author)

  19. Effects of neutral particle beam on nano-crystalline silicon thin films, with application to thin film transistor backplane for flexible active matrix organic light emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Jin Nyoung; Song, Byoung Chul; Lee, Dong Hyeok; Yoo, Suk Jae; Lee, Bonju; Hong, MunPyo

    2011-01-01

    A novel deposition process for nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films was developed using neutral beam assisted chemical vapor deposition (NBaCVD) technology for the application of the thin film transistor (TFT) backplane of flexible active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED). During the formation of a nc-Si thin film, the energetic particles enhance nano-sized crystalline rather microcrystalline Si in thin films. Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) affects the crystallinity in two ways: (1) NPB energy enhances nano-crystallinity through kinetic energy transfer and chemical annealing, and (2) heavier NPB (such as Ar) induces damage and amorphization through energetic particle impinging. Nc-Si thin film properties effectively can be changed by the reflector bias. As increase of NPB energy limits growing the crystalline, the performance of TFT supports this NPB behavior. The results of nc-Si TFT by NBaCVD demonstrate the technical potentials of neutral beam based processes for achieving high stability and reduced leakage in TFT backplanes for AMOLEDs.

  20. Molecular dynamics studies of radiation effects in silicon carbide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz de la Rubia, T.; Caturla, M.J.; Tobin, M.

    1995-01-01

    We discuss results of molecular dynamics computer simulation studies of 3 keV and 5 keV displacement cascades in β-SIC, and compare them to results of 5 keV cascades in pure silicon. The SiC simulations are performed with the Tersoff potential. For silicon we use the Stillinger-Weber potential. Simulations were carried out for Si recoils in 3 dimensional cubic computational cells With periodic boundary conditions and up to 175,616 atoms. The cascade lifetime in SiC is found to be extremely short. This, combined with the high melting temperature of SiC, precludes direct lattice amorphization during the cascade. Although large disordered regions result, these retain their basic crystalline structure. These results are in contrast with observations in pure silicon where direct-impact amorphization from the cascade is seen to take place. The SiC results also show anisotropy in the number of Si and C recoils as well as in the number of replacements in each sublattice. Details of the damage configurations obtained will be discussed

  1. Light-induced performance increase of silicon heterojunction solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Kobayashi, Eiji; De Wolf, Stefaan; Levrat, Jacques; Christmann, Gabriel; Descoeudres, Antoine; Nicolay, Sylvain; Despeisse, Matthieu; Watabe, Yoshimi; Ballif, Christophe

    2016-01-01

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells consist of crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers coated with doped/intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) bilayers for passivating-contact formation. Here, we unambiguously demonstrate that carrier injection either due to light soaking or (dark) forward-voltage bias increases the open circuit voltage and fill factor of finished cells, leading to a conversion efficiency gain of up to 0.3% absolute. This phenomenon contrasts markedly with the light-induced degradation known for thin-film a-Si:H solar cells. We associate our performance gain with an increase in surface passivation, which we find is specific to doped a-Si:H/c-Si structures. Our experiments suggest that this improvement originates from a reduced density of recombination-active interface states. To understand the time dependence of the observed phenomena, a kinetic model is presented.

  2. Light-induced performance increase of silicon heterojunction solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Kobayashi, Eiji

    2016-10-11

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells consist of crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers coated with doped/intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) bilayers for passivating-contact formation. Here, we unambiguously demonstrate that carrier injection either due to light soaking or (dark) forward-voltage bias increases the open circuit voltage and fill factor of finished cells, leading to a conversion efficiency gain of up to 0.3% absolute. This phenomenon contrasts markedly with the light-induced degradation known for thin-film a-Si:H solar cells. We associate our performance gain with an increase in surface passivation, which we find is specific to doped a-Si:H/c-Si structures. Our experiments suggest that this improvement originates from a reduced density of recombination-active interface states. To understand the time dependence of the observed phenomena, a kinetic model is presented.

  3. Amorphous silicon crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells

    CERN Document Server

    Fahrner, Wolfgang Rainer

    2013-01-01

    Amorphous Silicon/Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells deals with some typical properties of heterojunction solar cells, such as their history, the properties and the challenges of the cells, some important measurement tools, some simulation programs and a brief survey of the state of the art, aiming to provide an initial framework in this field and serve as a ready reference for all those interested in the subject. This book helps to "fill in the blanks" on heterojunction solar cells. Readers will receive a comprehensive overview of the principles, structures, processing techniques and the current developmental states of the devices. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang R. Fahrner is a professor at the University of Hagen, Germany and Nanchang University, China.

  4. Microcrystalline silicon films and solar cells investigatet by photoluminescence spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merdzhanova, T.

    2005-07-01

    A systematic investigation on photoluminescence (PL) properties of microcrystalline silicon ({mu}c-Si:H) films with structural composition changing from highly crystalline to predominantly amorphous is presented. The samples were prepared by PECVD and HWCVD with different silane concentration in hydrogen (SC). By using photoluminescence in combination with Raman spectroscopy the relationship between electronic properties and the microstructure of the material is studied. The PL spectra of {mu}c-Si:H reveal a rather broad ({proportional_to}0.13 eV) featureless band at about 1 eV ('{mu}c'-Si-band). In mixed phase material of crystalline and amorphous regions, a band at about 1.3 eV with halfwidth of about 0.3 eV is found in addition to '{mu}c'-Si-band, which is attributed to the amorphous phase ('a'-Si-band). Similarly to amorphous silicon, the '{mu}c'-Si-band is assigned to recombination between electrons and holes in band tail states. An additional PL band centred at about 0.7 eV with halfwidth slightly broader than the '{mu}c'-Si-band is observed only for films prepared at high substrate temperature and it is preliminarily assigned to defect-related transitions as in polycrystalline silicon. With decreasing crystalline volume fraction, the '{mu}c'-Si-band shifts continuously to higher energies for all {mu}c-Si:H films but the linewidth of the PL spectra is almost unaffected. This is valid for all deposition conditions investigated. The results are interpreted, assuming decrease of the density of band tail states with decreasing crystalline volume fraction. A simple model is proposed to simulate PL spectra and V{sub oc} in {mu}c-Si:H solar cells as a function of temperature, based on carrier distributions in quasi-equilibrium conditions. In the model is assumed symmetric density of states distributions for electrons and holes in the conduction and the valence band tail states. The best agreement between

  5. Simulation of light-induced degradation of μc-Si in a-Si/μc-Si tandem solar cells by the diode equivalent circuit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weicht, J. A.; Hamelmann, F. U.; Behrens, G.

    2016-02-01

    Silicon-based thin film tandem solar cells consist of one amorphous (a-Si) and one microcrystalline (μc-Si) silicon solar cell. The Staebler - Wronski effect describes the light- induced degradation and temperature-dependent healing of defects of silicon-based solar thin film cells. The solar cell degradation depends strongly on operation temperature. Until now, only the light-induced degradation (LID) of the amorphous layer was examined in a-Si/μc-Si solar cells. The LID is also observed in pc-Si single function solar cells. In our work we show the influence of the light-induced degradation of the μc-Si layer on the diode equivalent circuit. The current-voltage-curves (I-V-curves) for the initial state of a-Si/pc-Si modules are measured. Afterwards the cells are degraded under controlled conditions at constant temperature and constant irradiation. At fixed times the modules are measured at standard test conditions (STC) (AM1.5, 25°C cell temperature, 1000 W/m2) for controlling the status of LID. After the degradation the modules are annealed at dark conditions for several hours at 120°C. After the annealing the dangling bonds in the amorphous layer are healed, while the degradation of the pc-Si is still present, because the healing of defects in pc-Si solar cells needs longer time or higher temperatures. The solar cells are measured again at STC. With this laboratory measured I-V-curves we are able to separate the values of the diode model: series Rs and parallel resistance Rp, saturation current Is and diode factor n.

  6. High Efficiency, Low Cost Solar Cells Manufactured Using 'Silicon Ink' on Thin Crystalline Silicon Wafers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antoniadis, H.

    2011-03-01

    Reported are the development and demonstration of a 17% efficient 25mm x 25mm crystalline Silicon solar cell and a 16% efficient 125mm x 125mm crystalline Silicon solar cell, both produced by Ink-jet printing Silicon Ink on a thin crystalline Silicon wafer. To achieve these objectives, processing approaches were developed to print the Silicon Ink in a predetermined pattern to form a high efficiency selective emitter, remove the solvents in the Silicon Ink and fuse the deposited particle Silicon films. Additionally, standard solar cell manufacturing equipment with slightly modified processes were used to complete the fabrication of the Silicon Ink high efficiency solar cells. Also reported are the development and demonstration of a 18.5% efficient 125mm x 125mm monocrystalline Silicon cell, and a 17% efficient 125mm x 125mm multicrystalline Silicon cell, by utilizing high throughput Ink-jet and screen printing technologies. To achieve these objectives, Innovalight developed new high throughput processing tools to print and fuse both p and n type particle Silicon Inks in a predetermined pat-tern applied either on the front or the back of the cell. Additionally, a customized Ink-jet and screen printing systems, coupled with customized substrate handling solution, customized printing algorithms, and a customized ink drying process, in combination with a purchased turn-key line, were used to complete the high efficiency solar cells. This development work delivered a process capable of high volume producing 18.5% efficient crystalline Silicon solar cells and enabled the Innovalight to commercialize its technology by the summer of 2010.

  7. High-performance a -Si/c-Si heterojunction photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical oxygen and hydrogen evolution

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Hsin Ping; Sun, Ke; Noh, Sun Young; Kargar, Alireza; Tsai, Meng Lin; Huang, Ming Yi; Wang, Deli; He, Jr-Hau

    2015-01-01

    Amorphous Si (a-Si)/crystalline Si (c-Si) heterojunction (SiHJ) can serve as highly efficient and robust photoelectrodes for solar fuel generation. Low carrier recombination in the photoelectrodes leads to high photocurrents and photovoltages

  8. Interlaminar shear strength of SiC matrix composites reinforced by continuous fibers at 900 °C in air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Chengyu; Gou, Jianjie; Qiao, Shengru; Wang, Xuanwei; Zhang, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The application of SiC fiber could improve ILSS of the SiC matrix composites. • The orientation of the warp fibers plays a critical role in determining ILSS of 2.5D-C/SiC. • The failure mechanisms of 2D composites involve matrix cracking, and interfacial debonding. - Abstract: To reveal the shear properties of SiC matrix composites, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of three kinds of silicon carbide matrix composites was investigated by compression of the double notched shear specimen (DNS) at 900 °C in air. The investigated composites included a woven plain carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite (2D-C/SiC), a two-and-a-half-dimensional carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite (2.5D-C/SiC) and a woven plain silicon carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite (2D-SiC/SiC). A scanning electron microscope was employed to observe the microstructure and fracture morphologies. It can be found that the fiber type and reinforcement architecture have significant impacts on the ILSS of the SiC matrix composites. Great anisotropy of ILSS can be found for 2.5D-C/SiC because of the different fracture resistance of the warp fibers. Larger ILSS can be obtained when the specimens was loaded along the weft direction. In addition, the SiC fibers could enhance the ILSS, compared with carbon fibers. The improvement is attributed to the higher oxidation resistance of SiC fibers and the similar thermal expansion coefficients between the matrix and the fibers

  9. H{sub 2}-Ar dilution for improved c-Si quantum dots in P-doped SiN{sub x}:H thin film matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jia [Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119 (China); Zhang, Weijia, E-mail: zwjghx@126.com [Center of Condensed Matter and Material Physics, School of Physics and Nuclear Energy Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191 (China); Liu, Shengzhong, E-mail: szliu@dicp.ac.cn [Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119 (China); State key Laboratory of Catalysis, iChEM, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Phosphorous-doped SiN{sub x}:H thin films containing c-Si QDs were prepared by PECVD in H{sub 2}-Ar mixed dilution under low temperature. • QD density and QD size can be controlled by tuning H{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio. • The sample prepared at the H{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio of 100/100 possesses both wide band gap and excellent conductivity. • Detail discussion has been presented for illustrating the influence of H{sub 2}/Ar mixed dilution on the crystallization process and P-doping. - Abstract: Phosphorus-doped hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}:H) thin films containing crystalline silicon quantum dot (c-Si QD) was prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using hydrogen-argon mixed dilution. The effects of H{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio on the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of as-grown P-doped SiN{sub x}:H thin films were systematically investigated. Experimental results show that crystallization is promoted by increasing the H{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio in dilution, while the N/Si atomic ratio is higher for thin film deposited with argon-rich dilution. As the H{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio varies from 100/100 to 200/0, the samples exhibit excellent conductivity owing to the large volume fraction of c-Si QDs and effective P-doping. By adjusting the H{sub 2}/Ar ratio to 100/100, P-doped SiN{sub x}:H thin film containing tiny and densely distributed c-Si QDs can be obtained. It simultaneously possesses wide optical band gap and high dark conductivity. Finally, detailed discussion has been made to analyze the influence of H{sub 2}-Ar mixed dilution on the properties of P-doped SiN{sub x}:H thin films.

  10. Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of SiCw(p/SiC-Si Composites by Liquid Si Infiltration using Pyrolysed Rice Husks and SiC Powders as Precursors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Zhu

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Dense silicon carbide (SiC matrix composites with SiC whiskers and particles as reinforcement were prepared by infiltrating molten Si at 1550 °C into porous preforms composed of pyrolysed rice husks (RHs and extra added SiC powder in different ratios. The Vickers hardness of the composites showed an increase from 18.6 to 21.3 GPa when the amount of SiC added in the preforms was 20% (w/w, and then decreased to 17.3 GPa with the increase of SiC added in the preforms up to 80% (w/w. The values of flexural strength of the composites initially decreased when 20% (w/w SiC was added in the preform and then increased to 587 MPa when the SiC concentration reached 80% (w/w. The refinement of SiC particle sizes and the improvement of the microstructure in particle distribution of the composites due to the addition of external SiC played an effective role in improving the mechanical properties of the composites.

  11. Porous-shaped silicon carbide ultraviolet photodetectors on porous silicon substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naderi, N., E-mail: naderi.phd@gmail.com [Nano-Optoelectronics Research Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia); Hashim, M.R. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia)

    2013-03-05

    Highlights: ► Porous-shaped silicon carbide thin film was deposited on porous silicon substrate. ► Thermal annealing was followed to enhance the physical properties of samples. ► Metal–semiconductor-metal ultraviolet detectors were fabricated on samples. ► The effect of annealing temperature on electrical performance of devices was studied. ► The efficiency of photodetectors was enhanced by annealing at elevated temperatures. -- Abstract: A metal–semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated based on a porous-shaped structure of silicon carbide (SiC). For increasing the surface roughness of SiC and hence enhancing the light absorption effect in fabricated devices, porous silicon (PS) was chosen as a template; SiC was deposited on PS substrates via radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Therefore, the deposited layers followed the structural pattern of PS skeleton and formed a porous-shaped SiC layer on PS substrate. The structural properties of samples showed that the as-deposited SiC was amorphous. Thus, a post-deposition annealing process with elevated temperatures was required to convert its amorphous phase to crystalline phase. The morphology of the sputtered samples was examined via scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. The grain size and roughness of the deposited layers clearly increased upon an increase in the annealing temperature. The optical properties of sputtered SiC were enhanced due to applying high temperatures. The most intense photoluminescence peak was observed for the sample with 1200 °C of annealing temperature. For the metallization of the SiC substrates to fabricate MSM photodetectors, two interdigitated Schottky contacts of Ni with four fingers for each electrode were deposited onto all the porous substrates. The optoelectronic characteristics of MSM UV photodetectors with porous-shaped SiC substrates were studied in the dark and under UV illumination. The electrical characteristics of fabricated

  12. Porous-shaped silicon carbide ultraviolet photodetectors on porous silicon substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naderi, N.; Hashim, M.R.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Porous-shaped silicon carbide thin film was deposited on porous silicon substrate. ► Thermal annealing was followed to enhance the physical properties of samples. ► Metal–semiconductor-metal ultraviolet detectors were fabricated on samples. ► The effect of annealing temperature on electrical performance of devices was studied. ► The efficiency of photodetectors was enhanced by annealing at elevated temperatures. -- Abstract: A metal–semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated based on a porous-shaped structure of silicon carbide (SiC). For increasing the surface roughness of SiC and hence enhancing the light absorption effect in fabricated devices, porous silicon (PS) was chosen as a template; SiC was deposited on PS substrates via radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Therefore, the deposited layers followed the structural pattern of PS skeleton and formed a porous-shaped SiC layer on PS substrate. The structural properties of samples showed that the as-deposited SiC was amorphous. Thus, a post-deposition annealing process with elevated temperatures was required to convert its amorphous phase to crystalline phase. The morphology of the sputtered samples was examined via scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. The grain size and roughness of the deposited layers clearly increased upon an increase in the annealing temperature. The optical properties of sputtered SiC were enhanced due to applying high temperatures. The most intense photoluminescence peak was observed for the sample with 1200 °C of annealing temperature. For the metallization of the SiC substrates to fabricate MSM photodetectors, two interdigitated Schottky contacts of Ni with four fingers for each electrode were deposited onto all the porous substrates. The optoelectronic characteristics of MSM UV photodetectors with porous-shaped SiC substrates were studied in the dark and under UV illumination. The electrical characteristics of fabricated

  13. SiC/SiC composites through transient eutectic-phase route for fusion applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katoh, Y.; Kohyama, A.; Nozawa, T.; Sato, M.

    2004-01-01

    Factors that may limit attractiveness of silicon-carbide-based ceramic composites to fusion applications include thermal conductivity, applicable design stress, chemical compatibility, hermeticity, radiation stability and fabrication cost. A novel SiC/SiC composite, which has recently been developed through nano-infiltration and transient eutectic-phase (NITE) processing route, surpasses conventional materials in many of these properties. In this paper, the latest development, property evaluation and prospect of the NITE SiC/SiC composites are briefly reviewed. The topics range from fundamental aspects of process development to industrial process development. Elevated temperature strength, fracture behavior, and thermo-physical properties in various environments are summarized. Future directions of materials and application technology development are also discussed

  14. Ninth workshop on crystalline silicon solar cell materials and processes: Summary discussion sessions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopori, B.; Tan, T.; Swanson, D.; Rosenblum, M.; Sinton, R.

    1999-01-01

    This report is a summary of the panel discussions included with the Ninth Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials and Processes. The theme for the workshop was ''R and D Challenges and Opportunities in Si Photovoltaics''. This theme was chosen because it appropriately reflects a host of challenges that the growing production of Si photovoltaics will be facing in the new millennium. The anticipated challenges will arise in developing strategies for cost reduction, increased production, higher throughput per manufacturing line, new sources of low-cost Si, and the introduction of new manufacturing processes for cell production. At the same time, technologies based on CdTe and CIS will come on line posing new competition. With these challenges come new opportunities for Si PV to wean itself from the microelectronics industry, to embark on a more aggressive program in thin-film Si solar cells, and to try new approaches to process monitoring

  15. Separation of stress-free AlN/SiC thin films from Si substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Redkov, A V; Osipov, A V; Mukhin, I S; Kukushkin, S A

    2016-01-01

    We separated AlN/SiC film from Si substrate by chemical etching of the AlN/SiC/Si heterostructure. The film fully repeats the size and geometry of the original sample and separated without destroying. It is demonstrated that a buffer layer of silicon carbide grown by a method of substitution of atoms may have an extensive hollow subsurface structure, which makes it easier to overcome the differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion during the growth of thin films. It is shown that after the separation of the film from the silicon substrate, mechanical stresses therein are almost absent. (paper)

  16. Effect of cutting temperature on hardness of SiC and diamond in the nano-cutting process of monocrystalline silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jiachun; Li, Yuntao; Liu, Xiaoxuan; Lv, Maoqiang

    2016-10-01

    In the process of cutting silicon by natural diamond tools, groove wear happens on the flank face of cutting tool frequently.Scholars believe that one of the wear reasons is mechanical scratching effect by hard particles like SiC. To reveal the mechanical scratching mechanism, it is essential to study changes in the mechanical properties of hard particles and diamond, especially the effect of cutting temperature on hardness of diamond and hard particles. Molecular dynamics (MD) model that contact-zone temperature between tool and workpiece was calculated by dividing zone while nano-cutting monocrystalline silicon was established, cutting temperature values in different regions were computed as the simulation was carried out.On this basis, the models of molecular dynamics simulation of SiC and diamond were established separately with setting the initial temperature to room temperature. The laws of length change of C-C bond and Si-C bond varing with increase of simulation temperature were studied. And drawing on predecessors' research on theoretical calculation of hardness of covalent crystals and the relationship between crystal valence electron density and bond length, the curves that the hardness of diamond and SiC varing with bond length were obtained. The effect of temperature on the hardness was calculated. Results show that, local cutting temperature can reach 1300K.The rise in cutting temperature leaded to a decrease in the diamond local atomic clusters hardness,SiC local atomic clusters hardness increased. As the cutting temperature was more than 1100K,diamond began to soften, the local clusters hardness was less than that of SiC.

  17. Stability and kinetics of point defects in SiO2 and in SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roma, G.

    2012-01-01

    This document is conceived as an overview of Guido Roma's research achievements on defects stability and kinetics in two materials of interest in nuclear science and for many other application domains: silicon dioxide and silicon carbide. An extended summary in french is followed by the main document, in english. Chapter 1 describes the context, introduces the approach and explains the choice of silicon dioxide and silicon carbide. Chapter 2 discusses several approximations and specific issues of the application of Density Functional Theory to point defects in non-metallic materials for the study of defects energetics and diffusion. Chapter 3 is devoted to native defects in silicon dioxide and the understanding of self-diffusion in crystalline and amorphous SiO 2 . Chapter 4 summarises the results on native defects and palladium impurities in silicon carbide. A conclusion, including suggestions for future developments, closes the main part of the document. (author) [fr

  18. Structural, thermal, dielectric spectroscopic and AC impedance properties of SiC nanoparticles doped PVK/PVC blend

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alghunaim, Naziha Suliman

    2018-06-01

    Nanocomposite films based on poly (N-vinylcarbazole)/polyvinylchloride (PVK/PVC) blend doped with different concentrations of Silicon Carbide (SiC) nanoparticles have been prepared. The X-ray diffraction, Ultra violet-visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and electrical spectroscopic has been used to characterize these nanocomposites. The X-ray analysis confirms the semi-crystalline nature of the films. The intensity of the main X-ray peak is decreased due to the interaction between the PVK/PVC and SiC. The main SiC peaks are absent due to complete dissolution of SiC in polymeric matrices. The UV-Vis spectra indicated that the band gap optical energy is affected by adding SiC nanoparticles because the charges transfer complexes between PVK/PVC with amount of SiC. The thermal stability is improved and the estimated values of ε‧ and ε″ are increased with increasing for SiC content due to the free charge carriers which in turn increase the ionic conductivity of the doped samples. The plots of tan δ with frequency are studied. A single peak from the plot between tan δ and Log (f) is appeared and shifted towards the higher frequency confirmed the presence of relaxing dipoles moment.

  19. Reaction Front Evolution during Electrochemical Lithiation of Crystalline Silicon Nanopillars

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Seok Woo

    2012-12-01

    The high theoretical specific capacity of Si as an anode material is attractive in lithium-ion batteries, although the issues caused by large volume changes during cycling have been a major challenge. Efforts have been devoted to understanding how diffusion-induced stresses cause fracture, but recent observations of anisotropic volume expansion in single-crystalline Si nanostructures require new theoretical considerations of expansion behavior during lithiation. Further experimental investigation is also necessary to better understand the anisotropy of the lithiation process. Here, we present a method to reveal the crystalline core of partially lithiated Si nanopillars with three different crystallographic orientations by using methanol to dissolve the Li atoms from the amorphous Li-Si alloy. The exposed crystalline cores have flat {110} surfaces at the pillar sidewalls; these surfaces represent the position of the reaction front between the crystalline core and the amorphous Li-Si alloy. It was also found that an amorphous Si structure remained on the flat surfaces of the crystalline core after dissolution of the Li, which was presumed to be caused by the accumulation of Si atoms left over from the removal of Li from the Li-Si alloy. © 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Reaction Front Evolution during Electrochemical Lithiation of Crystalline Silicon Nanopillars

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Seok Woo; Berla, Lucas A.; McDowell, Matthew T.; Nix, William D.; Cui, Yi

    2012-01-01

    The high theoretical specific capacity of Si as an anode material is attractive in lithium-ion batteries, although the issues caused by large volume changes during cycling have been a major challenge. Efforts have been devoted to understanding how diffusion-induced stresses cause fracture, but recent observations of anisotropic volume expansion in single-crystalline Si nanostructures require new theoretical considerations of expansion behavior during lithiation. Further experimental investigation is also necessary to better understand the anisotropy of the lithiation process. Here, we present a method to reveal the crystalline core of partially lithiated Si nanopillars with three different crystallographic orientations by using methanol to dissolve the Li atoms from the amorphous Li-Si alloy. The exposed crystalline cores have flat {110} surfaces at the pillar sidewalls; these surfaces represent the position of the reaction front between the crystalline core and the amorphous Li-Si alloy. It was also found that an amorphous Si structure remained on the flat surfaces of the crystalline core after dissolution of the Li, which was presumed to be caused by the accumulation of Si atoms left over from the removal of Li from the Li-Si alloy. © 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Phenomenological inelastic constitutive equations for SiC and SiC fibers under irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Azab, A.; Ghoniem, N.M.

    1994-01-01

    Experimental data on irradiation-induced dimensional changes and creep in β-SiC and SiC fibers is analyzed, with the objective of studying the constitutive behavior of these materials under high-temperature irradiation. The data analysis includes empirical representation of irradiation-induced dimensional changes in SiC matrix and SiC fibers as function of time and irradiation temperature. The analysis also includes formulation of simple scaling laws to extrapolate the existing data to fusion conditions on the basis of the physical mechanisms of radiation effects on crystalline solids. Inelastic constitutive equations are then developed for SCS-6 SiC fibers, Nicalon fibers and CVD SiC. The effects of applied stress, temperature, and irradiation fields on the deformation behavior of this class of materials are simultaneously represented. Numerical results are presented for the relevant creep functions under the conditions of the fusion reactor (ARIES IV) first wall. The developed equations can be used in estimating the macro mechanical properties of SiC-SiC composite systems as well as in performing time-dependent micro mechanical analysis that is relevant to slow crack growth and fiber pull-out under fusion conditions

  2. Tuning the colors of c-Si solar cells by exploiting plasmonic effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peharz, G.; Grosschädl, B.; Prietl, C.; Waldhauser, W.; Wenzl, F. P.

    2016-09-01

    The color of a crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell is mainly determined by its anti-reflective coating. This is a lambda/4 coating made from a transparent dielectric material. The thickness of the anti-reflective coating is optimized for maximal photocurrent generation, resulting in the typical blue or black colors of c-Si solar cells. However, for building-integrated photovoltaic (BiPV) applications the color of the solar cells is demanded to be tunable - ideally by a cheap and flexible coating process on standard (low cost) c-Si solar cells. Such a coating can be realized by applying plasmonic coloring which is a rapidly growing technology for high-quality color filtering and rendering for different fields of application (displays, imaging,…). In this contribution, we present results of an approach for tuning the color of standard industrial c-Si solar cells that is based on coating them with metallic nano-particles. In particular, thin films (green and brownish/red. The position of the resonance peak in the reflection spectrum was found to be almost independent from the angle of incidence. This low angular sensitivity is a clear advantage compared to alternative color tuning methods, for which additional dielectric thin films are deposited on c-Si solar cells.

  3. Electroluminescence of erbium in Al/α-Si:H(Er)/p-c-Si/Al structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kon'kov, I.O.; Kuznetsov, A.N.; Pak, P.E.; Terukov, E.I.; Granitsyna, L.S.

    2001-01-01

    It is informed for the first time on the observation of the erbium intensive electroluminescence from the amorphous hydrated silicon layer by application of the Al/α-Si:H(Er)/p-c-Si/Al structure in the direct shift mode. The above structure is the n-p-heterostructure with the barrier values of 0.3-0.4 eV for the electrons and 0.9-1.1 eV for the holes. The electroluminescence efficiency is evaluated at the level ∼ 2 x 10 -5 . The electroluminescence effect in the Al/α-Si:H(Er)/p-c-Si/Al structure is connected with the hole tunneling from the crystal silicon by the amorphous silicon localized states with the subsequent release into the valent zone [ru

  4. Investigation of Near-Surface Defects Induced by Spike Rapid Thermal Annealing in c-SILICON Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guodong; Ren, Pan; Zhang, Dayong; Wang, Weiping; Li, Jianfeng

    2016-01-01

    The defects induced by a spike rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process in crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells were investigated by the photoluminescence (PL) technique and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Dislocation defects were found to form in the near-surface junction region of the monocrystalline Si solar cell after a spike RTA process was performed at 1100∘C. Photo J-V characteristics were measured on the Si solar cell before and after the spike RTA treatments to reveal the effects of defects on the Si cell performances. In addition, the Silvaco device simulation program was used to study the effects of defects density on the cell performances by fitting the experimental data of RTA-treated cells. The results demonstrate that there was an obvious degradation in the Si solar cell performances when the defect density after the spike RTA treatment was above 1×1013cm-3.

  5. Growth of Hexagonal Columnar Nanograin Structured SiC Thin Films on Silicon Substrates with Graphene–Graphitic Carbon Nanoflakes Templates from Solid Carbon Sources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wanshun Zhao

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available We report a new method for growing hexagonal columnar nanograin structured silicon carbide (SiC thin films on silicon substrates by using graphene–graphitic carbon nanoflakes (GGNs templates from solid carbon sources. The growth was carried out in a conventional low pressure chemical vapor deposition system (LPCVD. The GGNs are small plates with lateral sizes of around 100 nm and overlap each other, and are made up of nanosized multilayer graphene and graphitic carbon matrix (GCM. Long and straight SiC nanograins with hexagonal shapes, and with lateral sizes of around 200–400 nm are synthesized on the GGNs, which form compact SiC thin films.

  6. Compósitos SiCf /SiC utilizados em sistemas de proteção térmica SiCf /SiC composites for thermal protection systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Florian

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Compósitos de carbeto de silício (SiC reforçado com fibras de carbeto de silício (SiCf são materiais candidatos em potencial para utilização em sistemas de proteção térmica em altas temperaturas devido principalmente à boa condutividade térmica na direção da fibra e muito baixa condutividade térmica na direção transversal à fibra, alta dureza, estabilidade térmica e à corrosão por oxidação. O compósito SiCf/SiC possui uma matriz de SiC reforçada com fibras contínuas policristalinas de SiC e é obtido por reações de conversão em altas temperaturas e atmosfera controlada, utilizando o compósito carbono/carbono como precursor. O processo de Reação Química em Vapor (CVR foi utilizado para a fabricação de compósitos SiCf/SiC com alta pureza na fase de SiC-beta. O compósito precursor de carbono/carbono foi fabricado com fibra de carbono não estabilizada e matriz carbonosa derivada da resina fenólica na forma de carbono isotrópico. O compósito convertido exibiu uma densidade de 1,75 g/cm³, com 40% de porosidade aberta e resistência à flexão de 80 MPa medida por ensaio flexão em 4 pontos. A área especifica medida pela técnica de BET é dependente da temperatura de conversão e das condições inicias do precursor de carbono, podendo chegar a 18 m²/g.Composites based on silicon carbide are potential candidate materials for thermal protection systems mainly due to its good thermal conductivity in fiber direction and very low transversal thermal conductivity, high hardness, corrosion and thermal resistance. SiCf/SiC composite presents a SiC matrix reinforced with SiC polycrystalline continuous fibers. The composite was obtained by conversion reactions at high temperature and controlled atmosphere from a carbon/carbon composite precursor. The CVR process was used to fabricate SiC /SiC composite with crystalline high-purity beta-SiC from a carbon-carbon precursor fabricated with non-stabilized carbon fiber and

  7. Investigation of charges carrier density in phosphorus and boron doped SiNx:H layers for crystalline silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paviet-Salomon, B.; Gall, S.; Slaoui, A.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We investigate the properties of phosphorus and boron-doped silicon nitride films. ► Phosphorus-doped layers yield higher lifetimes than undoped ones. ► The fixed charges density decreases when increasing the films phosphorus content. ► Boron-doped films feature very low lifetimes. ► These doped layers are of particular interest for crystalline silicon solar cells. -- Abstract: Dielectric layers are of major importance in crystalline silicon solar cells processing, especially as anti-reflection coatings and for surface passivation purposes. In this paper we investigate the fixed charge densities (Q fix ) and the effective lifetimes (τ eff ) of phosphorus (P) and boron (B) doped silicon nitride layers deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. P-doped layers exhibit a higher τ eff than standard undoped layers. In contrast, B-doped layers exhibit lower τ eff . A strong Q fix decrease is to be seen when increasing the P content within the film. Based on numerical simulations we also demonstrate that the passivation obtained with P- and B-doped layers are limited by the interface states rather than by the fixed charges

  8. Sintering of nano crystalline o silicon carbide doping with

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Sinterable silicon carbide powders were prepared by attrition milling and chemical processing of an acheson type -SiC. Pressureless sintering of these powders was achieved by addition of aluminium nitride together with carbon. Nearly 99% sintered density was obtained. The mechanism of sintering was studied by ...

  9. Migration of CrSi2 nanocrystals through nanopipes in the silicon cap

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galkin, N.G.; Dozsa, L.; Chusovitin, E.A.; Pecz, B.; Dobos, L.

    2010-01-01

    CrSi 2 nanocrystals (NC) were grown by reactive deposition epitaxy of Cr at 550 deg. C. After deposition the Cr is localized in about 20-30 nm dots on the Si surface. The NCs were covered by silicon cap grown by molecular beam epitaxy at 700 deg. C. The redistribution of NCs in the silicon cap was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The NCs are partly localized at the deposition depth, and partly migrate near the surface. A new migration mechanism of the CrSi 2 NCs is observed, they are transferred from the bulk toward the surface through nanopipes formed in the silicon cap. The redistribution of CrSi 2 NCs strongly depends on Cr deposition rate and on the cap growth temperature.

  10. Oxidation-resistant interface coatings for SiC/SiC composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stinton, D.P.; Kupp, E.R.; Hurley, J.W.; Lowden, R.A. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)] [and others

    1996-08-01

    The characteristics of the fiber-matrix interfaces in ceramic matrix composites control the mechanical behavior of these composites. Finite element modeling (FEM) was performed to examine the effect of interface coating modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion on composite behavior. Oxide interface coatings (mullite and alumina-titania) produced by a sol-gel method were chosen for study as a result of the FEM results. Amorphous silicon carbide deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is also being investigated for interface coatings in SiC-matrix composites. Processing routes for depositing coatings of these materials were developed. Composites with these interfaces were produced and tested in flexure both as-processed and after oxidation to examine the suitability of these materials as interface coatings for SiC/SiC composites in fossil energy applications.

  11. Synthesis of micro-sized interconnected Si-C composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Donghai; Yi, Ran; Dai, Fang

    2016-02-23

    Embodiments provide a method of producing micro-sized Si--C composites or doped Si--C and Si alloy-C with interconnected nanoscle Si and C building blocks through converting commercially available SiO.sub.x (0silicon framework by calcination, followed by etching and then by carbon filling by thermal deposition of gas containing organic molecules that have carbon atoms.

  12. DLC-Si protective coatings for polycarbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damasceno J.C.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a-C:H:Si (DLC-Si films were produced onto crystalline silicon and polycarbonate substrates by the rf-PACVD technique from gaseous mixtures of CH4 + SiH4 and C2H2 + SiH4. The effects of self-bias and gas composition upon mechanical and optical properties of the films were investigated. Micro-hardness, residual stress, surface roughness and refractive index measurements were employed for characterization. By incorporating low concentrations of silicon and by exploring the more favorable conditions for the rf-PACVD deposition technique, highly adherent DLC-Si thin films were produced with reduced internal stresses (lower than 1 GPa, high hardness (around 20 GPa and high deposition rates (up to 10 µm/h. Results that show the technological viability of this material for application as protective coatings for polycarbonates are also discussed.

  13. Status and prospects for SiC-SiC composite materials development for fusion applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharafat, S.; Jones, R.H.; Kohyama, A.; Fenici, P.

    1995-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) composites are very attractive for fusion applications because of their low afterheat and low activation characteristics coupled with excellent high temperature properties. These composites are relatively new materials that will require material development as well as evaluation of hermiticity, thermal conductivity, radiation stability, high temperature strength, fatigue, thermal shock, and joining techniques. The radiation stability of SiC-SiC composites is a critical aspect of their application as fusion components and recent results will be reported. Many of the non-fusion specific issues are under evaluation by other ceramic composite development programs, such as the US national continuous fiber ceramic composites.The current development status of various SiC-SiC composites research and development efforts is given. Effect of neutron irradiation on the properties of SiC-SiC composite between 500 and 1200 C are reported. Novel high temperature properties specific to ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials are discussed. The chemical stability of SiC is reviewed briefly. Ongoing research and development efforts for joining CMC materials including SiC-SiC composites are described. In conclusion, ongoing research and development efforts show extremely promising properties and behavior for SiC-SiC composites for fusion applications. (orig.)

  14. Ion beam synthesis and characterization of large area 3C-SiC pseudo substrates for homo- and heteroepitaxy; Ionenstrahlsynthese und Charakterisierung grossflaechiger 3C-SiC-Pseudosubstrate fuer die Homo- und Heteroepitaxie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haeberlen, Maik

    2006-12-15

    In this work, large area epitaxial 3C-SiC films on Si(100) and Si(111) were formed by ion beam synthesis and subsequently characterized for their structural and crystalline properties. These SiC/Si structures are meant to be used as SiC pseudosubstrates for the homo- and heteroepitaxial growth of other compound semiconductors. The suitability of these pseudosubstrates for this purpose was tested using various epitaxial systems and thin film growth methods. For this the homoepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC employing C{sub 60}-MBE and the heteroepitaxial growth of hexagonal GaN films grown by MOCVD and IBAMBA was studied in detail. The comparison of the structural and crystalline properties with data from literature enabled a qualified judgement of the potential of the 3C-SiC pseudosubstrates as an alternative substrate for the epitaxial growth of such films. These new 3C-SiC pseudosubstrates also enabled studies of other little known epitaxial systems: For the first time hexagonal ZnO films on (111) oriented pseudosubstrates were grown using PLD. The method if IBAMBE enabled the growth of cubic GaN layers on (100)-oriented pseudosubstrates. (orig.)

  15. 1.2 MeV/amu Xe ion induced damage recovery in SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O’Connell, J.H.; Skuratov, V.A.; Sohatsky, A.S.; Neethling, J.H.

    2014-01-01

    The microstructural changes of 4H-SiC samples dual irradiated with either low energy He (10 keV) or Ti (220 keV) and high energy (167 MeV) Xe ions has been studied using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It was found that xenon ions with fluences above 10 13 cm −2 restore crystallinity in a heavily damaged partially amorphous zone. No significant damage recovery was observed in fully amorphized layers of silicon carbide apart from a 5% reduction in the amorphous layer thickness

  16. Influence of a-Si:H deposition power on surface passivation property and thermal stability of a-Si:H/SiNx:H stacks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua Li

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The effectiveness of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H layers for passivating crystalline silicon surfaces has been well documented in the literature for well over a decade. One limitation of such layers however has arisen from their inability to withstand temperatures much above their deposition temperature without significant degradation. This limitation is of importance particularly with multicrystalline silicon materials where temperatures of at least 400°C are needed for effective hydrogenation of the crystallographic defects such as grain boundaries. To address this limitation, in this work the surface passivation quality and thermal stability of a stack passivating system, combining a layer of intrinsic a-Si:H and a capping layer of silicon nitride (SiNx:H, on p-type crystalline silicon wafers is studied and optimized. In particular the sensitivity of different microwave (MW power levels for underlying a-Si:H layer deposition are examined. Both effective minority carrier lifetime (ζeff measurement and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectrometry were employed to study the bonding configurations, passivating quality and thermal stability of the a-Si:H/SiNx:H stacks. It is established that the higher MW power could result in increased as-deposited ζeff and implied Voc (iVoc values, indicating likely improved surface passivation quality, but that this combination degrades more quickly when exposed to prolonged thermal treatments. The more dihydride-rich film composition corresponding to the higher MW power appears to be beneficial for bond restructuring by hydrogen interchanges when exposed to short term annealing, however it also appears more susceptible to providing channels for hydrogen out-effusion which is the likely cause of the poorer thermal stability for prolonged high temperature exposure compared with stacks with underlying a-Si:H deposited with lower MW power.

  17. Superacid Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullock, James; Kiriya, Daisuke; Grant, Nicholas; Azcatl, Angelica; Hettick, Mark; Kho, Teng; Phang, Pheng; Sio, Hang C; Yan, Di; Macdonald, Daniel; Quevedo-Lopez, Manuel A; Wallace, Robert M; Cuevas, Andres; Javey, Ali

    2016-09-14

    The reduction of parasitic recombination processes commonly occurring within the silicon crystal and at its surfaces is of primary importance in crystalline silicon devices, particularly in photovoltaics. Here we explore a simple, room temperature treatment, involving a nonaqueous solution of the superacid bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide, to temporarily deactivate recombination centers at the surface. We show that this treatment leads to a significant enhancement in optoelectronic properties of the silicon wafer, attaining a level of surface passivation in line with state-of-the-art dielectric passivation films. Finally, we demonstrate its advantage as a bulk lifetime and process cleanliness monitor, establishing its compatibility with large area photoluminescence imaging in the process.

  18. Test-to-Failure of Crystalline Silicon Modules: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hacke, P.; Terwilliger, K.; Glick, S.; Trudell, D.; Bosco, N.; Johnston, S.; Kurtz, S. R.

    2010-10-01

    Accelerated lifetime testing of five crystalline silicon module designs was carried out according to the Terrestrial Photovoltaic Module Accelerated Test-to-Failure Protocol. This protocol compares the reliability of various module constructions on a quantitative basis. The modules under test are subdivided into three accelerated lifetime testing paths: 85..deg..C/85% relative humidity with system bias, thermal cycling between ?40..deg..C and 85..deg..C, and a path that alternates between damp heat and thermal cycling. The most severe stressor is damp heat with system bias applied to simulate the voltages that modules experience when connected in an array. Positive 600 V applied to the active layer with respect to the grounded module frame accelerates corrosion of the silver grid fingers and degrades the silicon nitride antireflective coating on the cells. Dark I-V curve fitting indicates increased series resistance and saturation current around the maximum power point; however, an improvement in junction recombination characteristics is obtained. Shunt paths and cell-metallization interface failures are seen developing in the silicon cells as determined by electroluminescence, thermal imaging, and I-V curves in the case of negative 600 V bias applied to the active layer. Ability to withstand electrolytic corrosion, moisture ingress, and ion drift under system voltage bias are differentiated.

  19. 17th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Modules: Materials and Processes; Workshop Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B. L.

    2007-08-01

    The National Center for Photovoltaics sponsored the 17th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells & Modules: Materials and Processes, held in Vail, CO, August 5-8, 2007. This meeting provided a forum for an informal exchange of technical and scientific information between international researchers in the photovoltaic and relevant non-photovoltaic fields. The theme of this year's meeting was 'Expanding Technology for a Future Powered by Si Photovoltaics.'

  20. Fundamentals of Passive Oxidation In SiC and Si3N4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas-Ogbuji, Linus U.

    1998-01-01

    The very slow oxidation kinetics of silicon carbide and silicon nitride, which derive from their adherent and passivating oxide films, has been explored at length in a broad series of studies utilizing thermogravimetric analysis, electron and optical micrography, energy dispersive spectrometry, x-ray diffractometry, micro-analytical depth profiling, etc. Some interesting microstructural phenomena accompanying the process of oxidation in the two materials will be presented. In Si3N4 the oxide is stratified, with an SiO2 topscale (which is relatively impervious to O2)underlain by a coherent subscale of silicon oxynitride which is even less permeable to O2- Such "defence in depth" endows Si3N4 with what is perhaps the highest oxidation resistance of any material, and results in a unique set of oxidation processes. In SiC the oxidation reactions are much simpler, yet new issues still emerge; for instance, studies involving controlled devitrification of the amorphous silica scale confirmed that the oxidation rate of SiC drops by more than an order of magnitude when the oxide scale fully crystallizes.

  1. Microstructural characterization of hybrid CFRP/SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Von Dollinger, C.F.A.; Pardini, L.C.; Alves, S.C.N.

    2016-01-01

    In present work a hybrid matrix C-C/SiC composites were produced. Carbon fiber fabric was impregnated with phenolic resin mixed with powder Si in proportions of 5%, 10%, 15% e 20%wt. Optical microscopy under reflected light and polarized light were used in order to characterize samples in the as molded condition and after carbonization at 1000°C, and heat treatment 1600°C in order to react carbon and liquid silicon in order to form in situ SiC . The pore volume fraction ranges from 33% to 41% for composites after heat treatment at 1600°C due to volatiles released specially during carbonization process. Complementary analyses were done by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction to confirm in situ conversion of SiC. The results showed that the impregnation of a carbon fabric with phenolic resin added with silicon proved to be an alternative route to produce CFRP/SiC composites. (author)

  2. Effects of Heat Treatment on SiC-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knauf, Michael W.

    Residual stresses resulting from the manufacturing process found within a silicon carbide/silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) ceramic matrix composite were thoroughly investigated through the use of high-energy X-ray diffraction and Raman microspectroscopy. The material system studied was a Rolls-Royce composite produced with Hi-Nicalon fibers woven into a five harness satin weave, coated with boron nitride and silicon carbide interphases, and subsequently infiltrated with silicon carbide particles and a silicon matrix. Constituent stress states were measured before, during, and after heat treatments ranging from 900 °C to 1300 °C for varying times between one and sixty minutes. Stress determination methods developed through these analyses can be utilized in the development of ceramic matrix composites and other materials employing boron-doped silicon. X-ray diffraction experiments were performed at the Argonne National Laboratory Advanced Photon Source to investigate the evolution of constituent stresses through heat treatment, and determine how stress states are affected at high temperature through in situ measurements during heat treatments up to 1250 °C for 30 minutes. Silicon carbide particles in the as-received condition exhibited a nearly isotropic stress state with average tensile stresses of approximately 300 MPa. The silicon matrix exhibited a complimentary average compressive stress of approximately 300 MPa. Strong X-ray diffraction evidence is presented demonstrating solid state boron diffusion and increased boron solubility found in silicon throughout heat treatment. While the constituent stress states did evolve through the heat treatment cycles, including approaching nearly stress-free conditions at temperatures close to the manufacturing temperature, no permanent relaxation of stress was observed. Raman spectroscopy was utilized to investigate stresses found within silicon carbide particles embedded within the matrix and the silicon matrix as an alternate

  3. On formation of silicon nanocrystals under annealing SiO2 layers implanted with Si ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kachurin, G.A.; Yanovskaya, S.G.; Volodin, V.A.; Kesler, V.G.; Lejer, A.F.; Ruault, M.-O.

    2002-01-01

    Raman scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence have been used to study the formation of silicon nanocrystals in SiO 2 implanted with Si ions. Si clusters have been formed at once in the postimplanted layers, providing the excessive Si concentration more ∼ 3 at. %. Si segregation with Si-Si 4 bonds formation is enhanced as following annealing temperature increase, however, the Raman scattering by Si clusters diminishes. The effect is explained by a transformation of the chain-like Si clusters into compact phase nondimensional structures. Segregation of Si nanoprecipitates had ended about 1000 deg C, but the strong photoluminescence typical for Si nanocrystals manifested itself only after 1100 deg C [ru

  4. Loose-fit graphitic encapsulation of silicon nanowire for one-dimensional Si anode design

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Seh-Yoon Lim; Sudong Chae; Su-Ho Jung; Yuhwan Hyeon; Wonseok Jang; Won-Sub Yoon; Jae-Young Choi; Dongmok Whang

    2017-01-01

    Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) encapsulated with graphene-like carbon sheath (GS) having a void space in between (SiNW@V@GS) are demonstrated for the improved electrochemical performance of Si anode in lithium ion battery.The SiNW@V@GS structure was synthesized by a scalable fabrication method including four successive reactions:metal-catalyzed CVD growth of SiNWs,controlled thermal oxidation,and deposition of the graphitic layer,to form SiNW@SiO2@GS and additional chemical etching of sacrificial SiO2 layer between SiNWs and carbon sheath.During the synthetic process,the thickness of the void spacing was controlled by adjusting the oxidation-dependent process.The well-controlled void space and crystalline graphitic carbon sheath of the SiNW@V@GS structure enable good reversible capacity of 1444 mAhg-1 and cycling stability of 85% over 150 cycles.

  5. Modulating the Surface State of SiC to Control Carrier Transport in Graphene/SiC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Yuping; Sun, Xiaojuan; Shi, Zhiming; Jiang, Ke; Liu, Henan; Ben, Jianwei; Li, Dabing

    2018-05-28

    Silicon carbide (SiC) with epitaxial graphene (EG/SiC) shows a great potential in the applications of electronic and photoelectric devices. The performance of devices is primarily dependent on the interfacial heterojunction between graphene and SiC. Here, the band structure of the EG/SiC heterojunction is experimentally investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy. The dependence of the barrier height at the EG/SiC heterojunction to the initial surface state of SiC is revealed. Both the barrier height and band bending tendency of the heterojunction can be modulated by controlling the surface state of SiC, leading to the tuned carrier transport behavior at the EG/SiC interface. The barrier height at the EG/SiC(000-1) interface is almost ten times that of the EG/SiC(0001) interface. As a result, the amount of carrier transport at the EG/SiC(000-1) interface is about ten times that of the EG/SiC(0001) interface. These results offer insights into the carrier transport behavior at the EG/SiC heterojunction by controlling the initial surface state of SiC, and this strategy can be extended in all devices with graphene as the top layer. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Transport properties at 3C-SiC interfaces

    OpenAIRE

    Eriksson, Gustav Jens Peter

    2011-01-01

    For years cubic (3C) silicon carbide (SiC) has been believed to be a very promising wide bandgap semiconductor for high frequency and high power electronics. However, 3C-SiC is fraught with large concentrations of various defects, which have so far hindered the achievement of the predicted properties at a macroscopic level. These defects have properties that are inherently nanoscale and that will have a strong influence on the electrical behavior of the material, particularly at interfaces c...

  7. Effect of Silicon Nanowire on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Ostadmahmoodi Do

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Nanowires (NWs are recently used in several sensor or actuator devices to improve their ordered characteristics. Silicon nanowire (Si NW is one of the most attractive one-dimensional nanostructures semiconductors because of its unique electrical and optical properties. In this paper, silicon nanowire (Si NW, is synthesized and characterized for application in photovoltaic device. Si NWs are prepared using wet chemical etching method which is commonly used as a simple and low cost method for producing nanowires of the same substrate material. The process conditions are adjusted to find the best quality of Si NWs. Morphology of Si NWs is studied using a field emission scanning electron microscopic technique. An energy dispersive X-Ray analyzer is also used to provide elemental identification and quantitative compositional information. Subsequently, Schottky type solar cell samples are fabricated on Si and Si NWs using ITO and Ag contacts. The junction properties are calculated using I-V curves in dark condition and the solar cell I-V characteristics are obtained under incident of the standardized light of AM1.5. The results for the two mentioned Schottky solar cell samples are compared and discussed. An improvement in short circuit current and efficiency of Schottky solar cell is found when Si nanowires are employed.

  8. Joining of SiC/SiCf ceramic matrix composites for fusion reactor blanket applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colombo, P.; Riccardi, B.; Donato, A.; Scarinci, G.

    2000-01-01

    Using a preceramic polymer, joints between SiC/SiC f ceramic matrix composites were obtained. The polymer, upon pyrolysis at high temperature, transforms into a ceramic material and develops an adhesive bonding with the composite. The surface morphology of 2D and 3D SiC/SiC f composites did not allow satisfactory results to be obtained by a simple application of the method initially developed for monolithic SiC bodies, which employed the use of a pure silicone resin. Thus, active or inert fillers were mixed with the preceramic polymer, in order to reduce its volumetric shrinkage which occurs during pyrolysis. In particular, the joints realized using the silicone resin with Al-Si powder as reactive additive displayed remarkable shear strength (31.6 MPa maximum). Large standard deviation for the shear strength has nevertheless been measured. The proposed joining method is promising for the realization of fusion reactor blanket structures, even if presently the measured strength values are not fully satisfactory

  9. Positron annihilation and electron spin resonance studies of defects in electron-irradiated 3C-SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Hisayoshi; Yoshikawa, Masahito; Tanigawa, Shoichiro; Nashiyama, Isamu; Misawa, Shunji; Okumura, Hajime; Yoshida, Sadafumi.

    1992-01-01

    Defects induced by 1 MeV electron-irradiation in cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) epitaxially grown by chemical vapor deposition have been studied with positron annihilation and electron spin resonance (ESR). Doppler broadened energy spectra of annihilation γ-rays obtained by using variable-energy positron beams showed the formation of vacancy-type defects in 3C-SiC by the electron-irradiation. An ESR spectrum labeled Tl, which has an isotropic g-value of 2.0029 ± 0.001, was observed in electron-irradiated 3C-SiC. The Tl spectrum is interpreted by hyperfine interactions of paramagnetic electrons with 13 C at four carbon sites and 29 Si at twelve silicon sites, indicating that the Tl center arises from a point defect at a silicon site. Both the results can be accounted for by the introduction of isolated Si vacancies by the irradiation. (author)

  10. Spectroellipsometric detection of silicon substrate damage caused by radiofrequency sputtering of niobium oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohner, Tivadar; Serényi, Miklós; Szilágyi, Edit; Zolnai, Zsolt; Czigány, Zsolt; Khánh, Nguyen Quoc; Petrik, Péter; Fried, Miklós

    2017-11-01

    Substrate surface damage induced by deposition of metal atoms by radiofrequency (rf) sputtering or ion beam sputtering onto single-crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface has been characterized earlier by electrical measurements. The question arises whether it is possible to characterize surface damage using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). In our experiments niobium oxide layers were deposited by rf sputtering on c-Si substrates in gas mixture of oxygen and argon. Multiple angle of incidence spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were performed, a four-layer optical model (surface roughness layer, niobium oxide layer, native silicon oxide layer and ion implantation-amorphized silicon [i-a-Si] layer on a c-Si substrate) was created in order to evaluate the spectra. The evaluations yielded thicknesses of several nm for the i-a-Si layer. Better agreement could be achieved between the measured and the generated spectra by inserting a mixed layer (with components of c-Si and i-a-Si applying the effective medium approximation) between the silicon oxide layer and the c-Si substrate. High depth resolution Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurements were performed to investigate the interface disorder between the deposited niobium oxide layer and the c-Si substrate. Atomic resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy investigation was applied to visualize the details of the damaged subsurface region of the substrate.

  11. Simulation calculations of efficiencies and silicon consumption for CH3NH3PbI3−x−y Brx Cly/crystalline silicon tandem solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Lili; Xie, Ziang; Qin, Guogang; Tian, Fuyang

    2017-01-01

    Much attention has been paid to two-subcell tandem solar cells (TSCs) with crystalline silicon (c-Si) as the bottom cell (TSC-Si). Previous works have pointed out that the optimal band gap, E g , of the top cell material for a TSC-Si is around 1.75 eV. With a tunable E g and better stability than MAPbI 3 (MA  =  CH 3 NH 3 ), MAPbI 3−x−y Br x Cl y is a promising candidate for the top cell material of a TSC-Si. In this work, calculations concerning the E g , refractive index and extinction coefficient of MAPbI 3−x−y Br x Cl y are performed using first-principles calculations including the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effect. MAPbI 3−x−y Br x Cl y with five sets of x and y , which have a E g around 1.75 eV, are obtained. On this basis, absorption of the perovskite top cell is calculated applying the Lambert–Beer model (LBM) and the transfer matrix model (TMM), respectively. Considering the Auger recombination in the c-Si bottom cell and radiation coupling between the two subcells, the efficiencies for MAPbI 3−x−y Br x Cl y/ c-Si TSCs with the five sets of x and y are calculated. Among them, the MAPbI 2.375 Br 0.5 Cl 0.125 /c-Si TSC achieves the highest efficiency of 35.1% with a 440 nm thick top cell and 50 µ m thick c-Si when applying the LBM. When applying the TMM, the highest efficiency of 32.5% is predicted with a 580 nm thick MAPbI 2.375 Br 0.5 Cl 0.125 top cell and 50 µ m thick c-Si. Compared with the limiting efficiency of 27.1% for a 190 µ m thick c-Si single junction solar cell (SC), the MAPbI 2.375 Br 0.5 Cl 0.125 /c-Si TSC shows a superior performance of high efficiency and low c-Si consumption. (paper)

  12. 1.2 MeV/amu Xe ion induced damage recovery in SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O’Connell, J.H., E-mail: jacques.oconnell@gmail.com [Centre for HRTEM, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa); Skuratov, V.A.; Sohatsky, A.S. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Neethling, J.H. [Centre for HRTEM, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)

    2014-05-01

    The microstructural changes of 4H-SiC samples dual irradiated with either low energy He (10 keV) or Ti (220 keV) and high energy (167 MeV) Xe ions has been studied using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. It was found that xenon ions with fluences above 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} restore crystallinity in a heavily damaged partially amorphous zone. No significant damage recovery was observed in fully amorphized layers of silicon carbide apart from a 5% reduction in the amorphous layer thickness.

  13. 3C-SiC epitaxial films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering: Growth, characterization and device development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wahab, Qamar ul.

    1994-01-01

    Epitaxial 3C-SiC films were grown on silicon substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering of pure Si target in a mixed Ar-CH[sub 4] discharges. Films were grown on Si(001), and 4 degrees off-oriented (001) substrates. Epitaxial 3C-SiC films with sharp interface to Si substrates have been grown at substrate temperatures [<=] 900 degrees C. Above 900 degrees C interfacial reaction starts resulting in a rough SiC/Si interface. The carbon content as well as the crystalline structure was also found to be strongly dependent on CH[sub 4] partial pressure (PCH[sub 4]) and stoichiometric composition can only be obtained in a narrow PCH[sub 4] range. Films grown on Si(001) substrates contained anti domain boundaries as evident by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Films grown on (111)-oriented substrates were epitaxial at 850 degrees C but contained double positioning domains as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and XTEM. High quality films were obtained on 4 degrees off-oriented Si(001) substrates at T[sub s]=850 degrees C and PCH[sub 4]=0.6 mTorr. Films grown on off-oriented substrates showed atomically sharp interface to Si and also a smooth top surface. SiO[sub 2] layer grown on such films showed atomically sharp oxide/film interface. Also the growth of epitaxial Si films on top of SiC films was realized. Au-Schottky diodes fabricated on (001)-oriented 3C-SiC films showed good rectification with a leakage current density = 4 [mu]A cm[sup -2], a breakdown voltage of -15 V, an ideality factor of 1.27 and a barrier height of 1.04 eV. Metal oxide semiconductor structures were fabricated by thermally grown SiO[sub 2] on (111)-oriented SiC films. The capacitance-voltage measurements showed the accumulation, depletion and deep depletion region in the C-V curve. The interface trap densities were 3-7 x 10[sup 11] cm[sup -2] eV[sup -1]. Finally 3C-SiC/Si heterojunction diodes processed showed good rectification and the diode had a breakdown at -110 V.

  14. 3C-SiC epitaxial films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering: Growth, characterization and device development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahab, Qamar ul.

    1994-01-01

    Epitaxial 3C-SiC films were grown on silicon substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering of pure Si target in a mixed Ar-CH 4 discharges. Films were grown on Si(001), and 4 degrees off-oriented (001) substrates. Epitaxial 3C-SiC films with sharp interface to Si substrates have been grown at substrate temperatures ≤ 900 degrees C. Above 900 degrees C interfacial reaction starts resulting in a rough SiC/Si interface. The carbon content as well as the crystalline structure was also found to be strongly dependent on CH 4 partial pressure (PCH 4 ) and stoichiometric composition can only be obtained in a narrow PCH 4 range. Films grown on Si(001) substrates contained anti domain boundaries as evident by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Films grown on (111)-oriented substrates were epitaxial at 850 degrees C but contained double positioning domains as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and XTEM. High quality films were obtained on 4 degrees off-oriented Si(001) substrates at T s =850 degrees C and PCH 4 =0.6 mTorr. Films grown on off-oriented substrates showed atomically sharp interface to Si and also a smooth top surface. SiO 2 layer grown on such films showed atomically sharp oxide/film interface. Also the growth of epitaxial Si films on top of SiC films was realized. Au-Schottky diodes fabricated on (001)-oriented 3C-SiC films showed good rectification with a leakage current density = 4 μA cm -2 , a breakdown voltage of -15 V, an ideality factor of 1.27 and a barrier height of 1.04 eV. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structures were fabricated by thermally grown SiO 2 on (111)-oriented SiC films. The capacitance-voltage measurements showed the accumulation, depletion and deep depletion region in the C-V curve. The interface trap densities were 3-7 x 10 11 cm -2 eV -1 . Finally 3C-SiC/Si heterojunction diodes processed showed good rectification and the diode had a breakdown at -110 V. 59 refs, figs, tabs

  15. Diffusion modelling of low-energy ion-implanted BF{sub 2} in crystalline silicon: Study of fluorine vacancy effect on boron diffusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marcon, J. [Laboratoire Electronique Microtechnologie et Instrumentation (LEMI), University of Rouen, 76821 Mont Saint Aignan (France)], E-mail: Jerome.Marcon@univ-rouen.fr; Merabet, A. [Laboratoire de Physique et Mecanique des Materiaux Metalliques, Departement d' O.M.P., Faculte des Sciences de l' Ingenieur, Universite de Setif, 19000 Setif (Algeria)

    2008-12-05

    We have investigated and modelled the diffusion of boron implanted into crystalline silicon in the form of boron difluoride BF{sub 2}{sup +}. We have used published data for BF{sub 2}{sup +} implanted with an energy of 2.2 keV in crystalline silicon. Fluorine effects are considered by using vacancy-fluorine pairs which are responsible for the suppression of boron diffusion in crystalline silicon. Following Uematsu's works, the simulations satisfactory reproduce the SIMS experimental profiles in the 800-1000 deg. C temperature range. The boron diffusion model in silicon of Uematsu has been improved taking into account the last experimental data.

  16. Numerical simulations: Toward the design of 27.6% efficient four-terminal semi-transparent perovskite/SiC passivated rear contact silicon tandem solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Rahul; Chaujar, Rishu

    2016-12-01

    In this work, a novel four-terminal perovskite/SiC-based rear contact silicon tandem solar cell device has been proposed and simulated to achieve 27.6% power conversion efficiency (PCE) under single AM1.5 illumination. 20.9% efficient semitransparent perovskite top subcell has been used for perovskite/silicon tandem architecture. The tandem structure of perovskite-silicon solar cells is a promising method to achieve efficient solar energy conversion at low cost. In the four-terminal tandem configuration, the cells are connected independently and hence avoids the need for current matching between top and bottom subcell, thus giving greater design flexibility. The simulation analysis shows, PCE of 27.6% and 22.4% with 300 μm and 10 μm thick rear contact Si bottom subcell, respectively. This is a substantial improvement comparing to transparent perovskite solar cell and c-Si solar cell operated individually. The impact of perovskite layer thickness, monomolecular, bimolecular, and trimolecular recombination have also been obtained on the performance of perovskite top subcell. Reported PCEs of 27.6% and 22.4% are 1.25 times and 1.42 times higher as compared to experimentally available efficiencies of 22.1% and 15.7% in 300 μm and 10 μm thick stand-alone silicon solar cell devices, respectively. The presence of SiC significantly suppressed the interface recombination in bottom silicon subcell. Detailed realistic technology computer aided design (TCAD) analysis has been performed to predict the behaviour of the device.

  17. Study of the interface in n{sup +}{mu}c-Si/p-type c-Si heterojunctions: role of the fluorine chemistry in the interface passivation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Losurdo, M.; Grimaldi, A.; Sacchetti, A.; Capezzuto, P.; Ambrico, M.; Bruno, G.; Roca, Francesco

    2003-03-03

    Investigation of n-p heterojunction solar cells obtained by depositing a n-type thin silicon films either amorphous or microcrystalline on p-type c-Si is carried out. The study is focused on the improvement of the c-Si surface and emitter layer/c-Si substrate interface. The peculiarity is the use of SiF{sub 4}-based plasmas for the in situ dry cleaning and passivation of the c-Si surface and for the PECVD deposition of the emitter layer that can be either amorphous (a-Si:H,F) or microcrystalline ({mu}c-Si). The use of SiF{sub 4} instead of the conventional SiH{sub 4} results in a lower hydrogen content in the film and in a reduction of the interaction of the c-Si surface with hydrogen atoms. Furthermore, the dependence of the heterojunction solar cell photovoltaic parameters on the insertion of an intrinsic buffer layer between the n-type thin silicon layer and the p-type c-Si substrate is discussed.

  18. Fission-product SiC reaction in HTGR fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montgomery, F.

    1981-01-01

    The primary barrier to release of fission product from any of the fuel types into the primary circuit of the HTGR are the coatings on the fuel particles. Both pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide coatings are very effective in retaining fission gases under normal operating conditions. One of the possible performance limitations which has been observed in irradiation tests of TRISO fuel is chemical interaction of the SiC layer with fission products. This reaction reduces the thickness of the SiC layer in TRISO particles and can lead to release of fission products from the particles if the SiC layer is completely penetrated. The experimental section of this report describes the results of work at General Atomic concerning the reaction of fission products with silicon carbide. The discussion section describes data obtained by various laboratories and includes (1) a description of the fission products which have been found to react with SiC; (2) a description of the kinetics of silicon carbide thinning caused by fission product reaction during out-of-pile thermal gradient heating and the application of these kinetics to in-pile irradiation; and (3) a comparison of silicon carbide thinning in LEU and HEU fuels

  19. Oxidation effects on the mechanical properties of SiC fiber-reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride matrix composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.

    1989-01-01

    The room temperature mechanical properties of SiC fiber reinforced reaction bonded silicon nitride composites were measured after 100 hrs exposure at temperatures to 1400 C in nitrogen and oxygen environments. The composites consisted of approx. 30 vol percent uniaxially aligned 142 micron diameter SiC fibers in a reaction bonded Si3N4 matrix. The results indicate that composites heat treated in a nitrogen environment at temperatures to 1400 C showed deformation and fracture behavior equivalent to that of the as-fabricated composites. Also, the composites heat treated in an oxidizing environment beyond 400 C yielded significantly lower tensile strength values. Specifically in the temperature range from 600 to 1000 C, composites retained approx. 40 percent of their as-fabricated strength, and those heat treated in the temperatures from 1200 to 1400 C retained 70 percent. Nonetheless, for all oxygen heat treatment conditions, composite specimens displayed strain capability beyond the matrix fracture stress; a typical behavior of a tough composite.

  20. Physical vapor transport growth and properties of SiC monocrystals of 4H polytype

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Augustine, G.; Hobgood, H.M.; Balakrishna, V.; Dunne, G.; Hopkins, R.H. [Northrop Grumman Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Electron. Sensors and Syst. Div.

    1997-07-01

    The physical vapor transport technique can be employed to fabricate large diameter silicon carbide crystals (up to 50 mm diameter) exhibiting uniform 4H-polytype over the full crystal volume. Crystal growth rate is controlled to first order by temperature conditions and ambient pressure. 4H-polytype uniformity is controlled by polarity of the seed crystal and the growth temperature. 4H-SiC crystals exhibit crystalline defects mainly in the form of dislocations with densities in the 10{sup 4} cm{sup -2} range and micropipe defects, the latter having densities as low as 10 cm{sup -2} in best crystals. Electrical conductivity in 4H-SiC bulk crystals ranges from <10{sup -2} {Omega} cm, n-type, to insulating (>10{sup 15} {Omega} cm) at room temperature. (orig.) 33 refs.

  1. Silicon (100)/SiO2 by XPS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jensen, David S.; Kanyal, Supriya S.; Madaan, Nitesh; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Engelhard, Mark H.; Linford, Matthew R.

    2013-09-25

    Silicon (100) wafers are ubiquitous in microfabrication and, accordingly, their surface characteristics are important. Herein, we report the analysis of Si (100) via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) using monochromatic Al K radiation. Survey scans show that the material is primarily silicon and oxygen, and the Si 2p region shows two peaks that correspond to elemental silicon and silicon dioxide. Using these peaks the thickness of the native oxide (SiO2) was estimated using the equation of Strohmeier.1 The oxygen peak is symmetric. The material shows small amounts of carbon, fluorine, and nitrogen contamination. These silicon wafers are used as the base material for subsequent growth of templated carbon nanotubes.

  2. Grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis of buried interfaces in periodically structured crystalline silicon thin-film solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eisenhauer, David; Preidel, Veit; Becker, Christiane [Young Investigator Group Nanostructured Silicon for Photovoltaic and Photonic Implementations (Nano-SIPPE), Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Pollakowski, Beatrix; Beckhoff, Burkhard [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin (Germany); Baumann, Jonas; Kanngiesser, Birgit [Institut fuer Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universitaet Berlin (Germany); Amkreutz, Daniel; Rech, Bernd [Institut Silizium Photovoltaik, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Back, Franziska; Rudigier-Voigt, Eveline [SCHOTT AG, Mainz (Germany)

    2015-03-01

    We present grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF) experiments on 3D periodically textured interfaces of liquid phase crystallized silicon thin-film solar cells on glass. The influence of functional layers (SiO{sub x} or SiO{sub x}/SiC{sub x}) - placed between glass substrate and silicon during crystallization - on the final carbon and oxygen contaminations inside the silicon was analyzed. Baring of the buried structured silicon surface prior to GIXRF measurement was achieved by removal of the original nano-imprinted glass substrate by wet-chemical etching. A broad angle of incidence distribution was determined for the X-ray radiation impinging on this textured surface. Optical simulations were performed in order to estimate the incident radiation intensity on the structured surface profile considering total reflection and attenuation effects. The results indicate a much lower contamination level for SiO{sub x} compared to the SiO{sub x}/SiC{sub x} interlayers, and about 25% increased contamination when comparing structured with planar silicon layers, both correlating with the corresponding solar cell performances. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  3. University Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics Research and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ajeet Rohatgi; Vijay Yelundur; Abasifreke Ebong; Dong Seop Kim

    2008-08-18

    The overall goal of the program is to advance the current state of crystalline silicon solar cell technology to make photovoltaics more competitive with conventional energy sources. This program emphasizes fundamental and applied research that results in low-cost, high-efficiency cells on commercial silicon substrates with strong involvement of the PV industry, and support a very strong photovoltaics education program in the US based on classroom education and hands-on training in the laboratory.

  4. Evaluation and characterization of ceramic membranes based on Pdms/SiC containing phosphotungstic acid as electrolytes for PEM-FC; Avaliacao e caracterizacao de membranas ceramicas condutoras a base de PDMS/SiC contendo acido fosfotungstico como eletrolito para PEM-FC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, Marcelo de Oliveira; Guimaraes, Danilo Hansen; Boaventura Filho, Jaime Soares; Jose, Nadia Mamede [Universidade Federal da Bahia (IQ/UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Grupo de Energia e Ciencias dos Materiais; Barbosa, Diego Augusto Batista; Paschoal, Carlos William de Araujo [Universidade Federal do Maranhao (DF/UFMA), Sao Luis, MA (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Almeida, Rafael Mendonca; Tanaka, Auro Atsushi [Universidade Federal do Maranhao (DQ/UFMA), Sao Luis, MA (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica

    2009-07-01

    This work presents the development of membranes with potential use in Proton Exchange Fuel Cells (PEM-FC), consisting of hybrid materials based on poly(dimethylsiloxane), crosslinked with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and reinforced with silicon carbide and phosphotungstic acid. The membrane series PDMS/TEOS/SiC/PWA were prepared by the reaction of PDMS and TEOS, 70/30% proportions in mass, catalyzed by dibutyltin dilaurate. SiC was incorporated in a 25% proportion, and PWA in varied proportions (5, 10, 15 and 20%), by weight. The membranes were characterized by Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and impedance spectroscopy. SiC and PWA addition to the membrane increased both structure organization and material crystallinity. The insertion of PWA provided an increase in the conductivity. However, maximum conductivity was obtained with concentration levels above 10%. The insertion of SiC associated with the PWA did not influence the conductivity for concentrations between 10 and 20%. (author)

  5. Nanoselective area growth of GaN by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on 4H-SiC using epitaxial graphene as a mask

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puybaret, Renaud; Jordan, Matthew B.; Voss, Paul L.; Ougazzaden, Abdallah; Patriarche, Gilles; Sundaram, Suresh; El Gmili, Youssef; Salvestrini, Jean-Paul; Heer, Walt A. de; Berger, Claire

    2016-01-01

    We report the growth of high-quality triangular GaN nanomesas, 30-nm thick, on the C-face of 4H-SiC using nanoselective area growth (NSAG) with patterned epitaxial graphene grown on SiC as an embedded mask. NSAG alleviates the problems of defects in heteroepitaxy, and the high mobility graphene film could readily provide the back low-dissipative electrode in GaN-based optoelectronic devices. A 5–8 graphene-layer film is first grown on the C-face of 4H-SiC by confinement-controlled sublimation of silicon carbide. Graphene is then patterned and arrays of 75-nm-wide openings are etched in graphene revealing the SiC substrate. A 30-nm-thick GaN is subsequently grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. GaN nanomesas grow epitaxially with perfect selectivity on SiC, in the openings patterned through graphene. The up-or-down orientation of the mesas on SiC, their triangular faceting, and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy show that they are biphasic. The core is a zinc blende monocrystal surrounded with single-crystal wurtzite. The GaN crystalline nanomesas have no threading dislocations or V-pits. This NSAG process potentially leads to integration of high-quality III-nitrides on the wafer scalable epitaxial graphene/silicon carbide platform.

  6. Nanoselective area growth of GaN by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy on 4H-SiC using epitaxial graphene as a mask

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puybaret, Renaud; Jordan, Matthew B.; Voss, Paul L.; Ougazzaden, Abdallah, E-mail: aougazza@georgiatech-metz.fr [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); CNRS UMI 2958, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2 Rue Marconi, 57070 Metz (France); Patriarche, Gilles [CNRS, Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis (France); Sundaram, Suresh; El Gmili, Youssef [CNRS UMI 2958, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2 Rue Marconi, 57070 Metz (France); Salvestrini, Jean-Paul [Université de Lorraine, CentraleSupélec, LMOPS, EA4423, 57070 Metz (France); Heer, Walt A. de [School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Berger, Claire [School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); CNRS, Institut Néel, BP166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

    2016-03-07

    We report the growth of high-quality triangular GaN nanomesas, 30-nm thick, on the C-face of 4H-SiC using nanoselective area growth (NSAG) with patterned epitaxial graphene grown on SiC as an embedded mask. NSAG alleviates the problems of defects in heteroepitaxy, and the high mobility graphene film could readily provide the back low-dissipative electrode in GaN-based optoelectronic devices. A 5–8 graphene-layer film is first grown on the C-face of 4H-SiC by confinement-controlled sublimation of silicon carbide. Graphene is then patterned and arrays of 75-nm-wide openings are etched in graphene revealing the SiC substrate. A 30-nm-thick GaN is subsequently grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. GaN nanomesas grow epitaxially with perfect selectivity on SiC, in the openings patterned through graphene. The up-or-down orientation of the mesas on SiC, their triangular faceting, and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy show that they are biphasic. The core is a zinc blende monocrystal surrounded with single-crystal wurtzite. The GaN crystalline nanomesas have no threading dislocations or V-pits. This NSAG process potentially leads to integration of high-quality III-nitrides on the wafer scalable epitaxial graphene/silicon carbide platform.

  7. Microwave electromagnetic properties of carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder filled epoxy-silicone coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qing Yuchang; Zhou Wancheng; Luo Fa; Zhu Dongmei

    2010-01-01

    The electromagnetic characteristics of carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder filled epoxy-silicone coatings were studied. The reflection loss of the coatings exceeds -10 dB at 8-18 GHz and -9 dB at 2-18 GHz when the coating thickness is 1 and 3 mm, respectively. The dielectric and magnetic absorbers filled coatings possess excellent microwave absorption, which could be attributed to the proper incorporate of the multi-polarization mechanisms as well as strong natural resonance. It is feasible to develop the thin and wideband microwave absorbing coatings using carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder.

  8. Microwave electromagnetic properties of carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder filled epoxy-silicone coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qing, Yuchang; Zhou, Wancheng; Luo, Fa; Zhu, Dongmei

    2010-02-01

    The electromagnetic characteristics of carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder filled epoxy-silicone coatings were studied. The reflection loss of the coatings exceeds -10 dB at 8-18 GHz and -9 dB at 2-18 GHz when the coating thickness is 1 and 3 mm, respectively. The dielectric and magnetic absorbers filled coatings possess excellent microwave absorption, which could be attributed to the proper incorporate of the multi-polarization mechanisms as well as strong natural resonance. It is feasible to develop the thin and wideband microwave absorbing coatings using carbonyl iron particles and Si/C/N nano-powder.

  9. Plasma processing of microcrystalline silicon films : filling in the gaps

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bronneberg, A.C.

    2012-01-01

    Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) is a mixed-phase material consisting of crystalline silicon grains, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) tissue, and voids. Microcrystalline silicon is extensively used as absorber layer in thin-film tandem solar cells, combining the advantages of a

  10. Synthesis and characterization of Ti-Si-C-N nanocomposite coatings prepared by a filtered vacuum arc method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thangavel, Elangovan, E-mail: t.elangophy@gmail.com [Advanced Thin Film Research Group, Materials Processing Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon 641-831 (Korea, Republic of); Center for Nano-Wear, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Seunghun; Nam, Kee-Seok; Kim, Jong-Kuk [Advanced Thin Film Research Group, Materials Processing Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon 641-831 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Do-Geun, E-mail: dogeunkim@kims.re.kr [Advanced Thin Film Research Group, Materials Processing Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon 641-831 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-01-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preparation method was used as filtered vacuum arc (FVA) deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ternary coating obtained by using single carbon source with TMS gas. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Detailed discussion of chemical nature for these coating by using XPS. - Abstract: Ti-Si-C-N nanocomposite coatings were synthesized by a filtered vacuum arc (FVA) technique. A metal organic precursor, tetramethylsilane (TMS), was used as a source for silicon and carbon to deposit the Ti-Si-C-N nanocomposite coating with a Ti cathode source. The chemical and microstructural properties of the as-deposited coatings were systematically investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoindentation and scratch tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical and adhesion properties of the coatings. From the XPS analysis, it was found that the Si content in the coating increased from 2 to 16 at.% as the TMS flow rate was increased from 5 to 20 sccm. The TEM analysis clearly demonstrated that the coatings were composed of crystalline TiCN along with amorphous Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} as a secondary phase. From the XRD results, it was found that the crystallite size of TiCN increased with increasing Si content. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the TiSiCN coatings prepared by this method exhibited strong dependencies on the silicon content. A maximum hardness of 49 GPa and a coefficient of friction of 0.17 were obtained for the film with a silicon content of 3 at.%.

  11. High-quality GaN nanowires grown on Si and porous silicon by thermal evaporation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shekari, L., E-mail: lsg09_phy089@student.usm.my [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia); Ramizy, A.; Omar, K.; Hassan, H. Abu; Hassan, Z. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia)

    2012-12-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new kind of substrate (porous silicon) was used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Also this research introduces an easy and safe method to grow high quality GaN NWs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is a new growth process to decrease the cost, complexity of growth of GaN NWs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is a controllable method to synthesize GaN NWs by thermal evaporation. - Abstract: Nanowires (NWs) of GaN thin films were prepared on as-grown Si (1 1 1) and porous silicon (PS) substrates using thermal evaporation method. The film growth produced high-quality wurtzite GaN NWs. The size, morphology, and nanostructures of the crystals were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The NWs grown on porous silicon were thinner, longer and denser compared with those on as-grown Si. The energy band gap of the NWs grown on PS was larger than that of NWs on as-grown Si. This is due to the greater quantum confinement effects of the crystalline structure of the NWs grown on PS.

  12. Low-temperature formation of crystalline Si:H/Ge:H heterostructures by plasma-enhanced CVD in combination with Ni-nanodots seeding nucleation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yimin; Makihara, Katsunori; Takeuchi, Daichi; Ikeda, Mitsuhisa; Ohta, Akio; Miyazaki, Seiichi

    2017-06-01

    Hydrogenated microcrystalline (µc) Si/Ge heterostructures were prepared on quartz substrates by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from VHF inductively coupled plasma of SiH4 just after GeH4 employing Ni nanodots (NDs) as seeds for crystalline nucleation. The crystallinity of the films and the progress of grain growth were characterized by Raman scattering spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. When the Ge films were grown on Ni-NDs at 250 °C, the growth of µc-Ge films with crystallinity as high as 80% was realized without an amorphous phase near the Ge film/quartz substrate interface. After the subsequent Si film deposition at 250 °C, fine grains were formed in the early stages of film growth on µc-Ge films with compositional mixing (µc-Si0.85Ge0.15:H) caused by the release of large lattice mismatch between c-Si and c-Ge. With further increase in Si:H film thickness, the formation of large grain structures accompanied by fine grains was promoted. These results suggest that crystalline Si/Ge heterojunctions can be used for efficient carrier collection in solar cell application.

  13. Advancements in n-type base crystalline silicon solar cells and their emergence in the photovoltaic industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ur Rehman, Atteq; Lee, Soo Hong

    2013-01-01

    The p-type crystalline silicon wafers have occupied most of the solar cell market today. However, modules made with n-type crystalline silicon wafers are actually the most efficient modules up to date. This is because the material properties offered by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are suitable for higher efficiencies. Properties such as the absence of boron-oxygen related defects and a greater tolerance to key metal impurities by n-type crystalline silicon substrates are major factors that underline the efficiency of n-type crystalline silicon wafer modules. The bi-facial design of n-type cells with good rear-side electronic and optical properties on an industrial scale can be shaped as well. Furthermore, the development in the industrialization of solar cell designs based on n-type crystalline silicon substrates also highlights its boost in the contributions to the photovoltaic industry. In this paper, a review of various solar cell structures that can be realized on n-type crystalline silicon substrates will be given. Moreover, the current standing of solar cell technology based on n-type substrates and its contribution in photovoltaic industry will also be discussed.

  14. Operation and Modulation of H7 Current Source Inverter with Hybrid SiC and Si Semiconductor Switches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Weiqi; Gao, Feng; Yang, Yongheng

    2018-01-01

    This paper proposes an H7 current source inverter (CSI) consisting of a single parallel-connected silicon carbide (SiC) switch and a traditional silicon (Si) H6 CSI. The proposed H7 CSI takes the advantages of the SiC switch to maintain high efficiency, while significantly increasing the switching...... as an all-SiC-switch converter in terms of high performance and high efficiency with reduced DC inductance. It provides a cost-effective solution to addressing the efficiency issue of conventional CSI systems. Simulations and experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed H7 CSI...

  15. Superstructure of self-aligned hexagonal GaN nanorods formed on nitrided Si(111) surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Praveen; Tuteja, Mohit; Kesaria, Manoj; Waghmare, U. V.; Shivaprasad, S. M. [Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore 560 064 (India)

    2012-09-24

    We present here the spontaneous formation of catalyst-free, self-aligned crystalline (wurtzite) nanorods on Si(111) surfaces modified by surface nitridation. Nanorods grown by molecular beam epitaxy on bare Si(111) and non-stoichiometric silicon nitride interface are found to be single crystalline but disoriented. Those grown on single crystalline Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} intermediate layer are highly dense c-oriented hexagonal shaped nanorods. The morphology and the self-assembly of the nanorods shows an ordered epitaxial hexagonal superstructure, suggesting that they are nucleated at screw dislocations at the interface and grow spirally in the c-direction. The aligned nanorod assembly shows high-quality structural and optical emission properties.

  16. Passivation mechanism in silicon heterojunction solar cells with intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deligiannis, Dimitrios; van Vliet, Jeroen; Vasudevan, Ravi; van Swaaij, René A. C. M. M.; Zeman, Miro

    2017-02-01

    In this work, we use intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide layers (a-SiOx:H) with varying oxygen content (cO) but similar hydrogen content to passivate the crystalline silicon wafers. Using our deposition conditions, we obtain an effective lifetime (τeff) above 5 ms for cO ≤ 6 at. % for passivation layers with a thickness of 36 ± 2 nm. We subsequently reduce the thickness of the layers using an accurate wet etching method to ˜7 nm and deposit p- and n-type doped layers fabricating a device structure. After the deposition of the doped layers, τeff appears to be predominantly determined by the doped layers themselves and is less dependent on the cO of the a-SiOx:H layers. The results suggest that τeff is determined by the field-effect rather than by chemical passivation.

  17. Microstructural characterization of hybrid CFRP/SiC composites; Caracterizacao microestrutural de compositos de fibras de carbono com matriz hibrida de Carbono/SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Von Dollinger, C.F.A.; Pardini, L.C., E-mail: Christian.dcta@gmail.com [Instituto de Aeronautica e Espaco (DCTA/IAE), Sao Jose dos Campos, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Ciencia e Tecnologia Aeroespacial; Pazini, J.C. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Lorena, SP (Brazil); Alves, S.C.N. [Universidade Federal de Itajuba (UNIFEI), MG (Brazil)

    2016-07-01

    In present work a hybrid matrix C-C/SiC composites were produced. Carbon fiber fabric was impregnated with phenolic resin mixed with powder Si in proportions of 5%, 10%, 15% e 20%wt. Optical microscopy under reflected light and polarized light were used in order to characterize samples in the as molded condition and after carbonization at 1000°C, and heat treatment 1600°C in order to react carbon and liquid silicon in order to form in situ SiC . The pore volume fraction ranges from 33% to 41% for composites after heat treatment at 1600°C due to volatiles released specially during carbonization process. Complementary analyses were done by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray diffraction to confirm in situ conversion of SiC. The results showed that the impregnation of a carbon fabric with phenolic resin added with silicon proved to be an alternative route to produce CFRP/SiC composites. (author)

  18. Research Progress on Preparation for Biomass-based SiC Ceramic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CUI He-shuai

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Silicon carbide (SiC ceramics prepared by the conventional process has excellent properties and wide application prospects, but the increased cost of high-temperature preparation process restricts its further development. In contrast, the abundant porous structure of biomass makes itself to be ideal replacement of SiC ceramic prepared at low temperature. This paper reviewed the structure characteristics, preparation methods, pyrolysis mechanism and influence parameters of biomass-based SiC ceramic, and eventually explored the current problems and development trends of the pretreatment of carbon source and silicon source, the pyrolysis process and the application research on the preparation for biomass-based SiC ceramic.

  19. Silicon Monoxide at 1 atm and Elevated Pressures: Crystalline or Amorphous?

    KAUST Repository

    AlKaabi, Khalid

    2014-03-05

    The absence of a crystalline SiO phase under ordinary conditions is an anomaly in the sequence of group 14 monoxides. We explore theoretically ordered ground-state and amorphous structures for SiO at P = 1 atm, and crystalline phases also at pressures up to 200 GPa. Several competitive ground-state P = 1 atm structures are found, perforce with Si-Si bonds, and possessing Si-O-Si bridges similar to those in silica (SiO2) polymorphs. The most stable of these static structures is enthalpically just a little more stable than a calculated random bond model of amorphous SiO. In that model we find no segregation into regions of amorphous Si and amorphous SiO2. The P = 1 atm structures are all semiconducting. As the pressure is increased, intriguing new crystalline structures evolve, incorporating Si triangular nets or strips and stishovite-like regions. A heat of formation of crystalline SiO is computed; it is found to be the most negative of all the group 14 monoxides. Yet, given the stability of SiO2, the disproportionation 2SiO (s) → Si(s)+SiO2(s) is exothermic, falling right into the series of group 14 monoxides, and ranging from a highly negative ΔH of disproportionation for CO to highly positive for PbO. There is no major change in the heat of disproportionation with pressure, i.e., no range of stability of SiO with respect to SiO2. The high-pressure SiO phases are metallic. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  20. Low-temperature grown indium oxide nanowire-based antireflection coatings for multi-crystalline silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yu-Cian; Chen, Chih-Yao; Chen, I Chen [Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan (China); Kuo, Cheng-Wen; Kuan, Ta-Ming; Yu, Cheng-Yeh [TSEC Corporation, Hsinchu (China)

    2016-08-15

    Light harvesting by indium oxide nanowires (InO NWs) as an antireflection layer on multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells has been investigated. The low-temperature growth of InO NWs was performed in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma with an O{sub 2}-Ar system using indium nanocrystals as seed particles via the self-catalyzed growth mechanism. The size-dependence of antireflection properties of InO NWs was studied. A considerable enhancement in short-circuit current (from 35.39 to 38.33 mA cm{sup -2}) without deterioration of other performance parameters is observed for mc-Si solar cells coated with InO NWs. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  1. Matrix density effects on the mechanical properties of SiC fiber-reinforced silicon nitride matrix properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.; Kiser, Lames D.

    1990-01-01

    The room temperature mechanical properties were measured for SiC fiber reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride composites (SiC/RBSN) of different densities. The composites consisted of approx. 30 vol percent uniaxially aligned 142 micron diameter SiC fibers (Textron SCS-6) in a reaction-bonded Si3N4 matrix. The composite density was varied by changing the consolidation pressure during RBSN processing and by hot isostatically pressing the SiC/RBSN composites. Results indicate that as the consolidation pressure was increased from 27 to 138 MPa, the average pore size of the nitrided composites decreased from 0.04 to 0.02 microns and the composite density increased from 2.07 to 2.45 gm/cc. Nonetheless, these improvements resulted in only small increases in the first matrix cracking stress, primary elastic modulus, and ultimate tensile strength values of the composites. In contrast, HIP consolidation of SiC/RBSN resulted in a fully dense material whose first matrix cracking stress and elastic modulus were approx. 15 and 50 percent higher, respectively, and ultimate tensile strength values were approx. 40 percent lower than those for unHIPed SiC/RBSN composites. The modulus behavior for all specimens can be explained by simple rule-of-mixture theory. Also, the loss in ultimate strength for the HIPed composites appears to be related to a degradation in fiber strength at the HIP temperature. However, the density effect on matrix fracture strength was much less than would be expected based on typical monolithic Si3N4 behavior, suggesting that composite theory is indeed operating. Possible practical implications of these observations are discussed.

  2. Nanocatalytic growth of Si nanowires from Ni silicate coated SiC nanoparticles on Si solar cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parida, Bhaskar; Choi, Jaeho; Ji, Hyung Yong; Park, Seungil; Lim, Gyoungho; Kim, Keunjoo

    2013-09-01

    We investigated the nanocatalytic growth of Si nanowires on the microtextured surface of crystalline Si solar cell. 3C-SiC nanoparticles have been used as the base for formation of Ni silicate layer in a catalytic reaction with the Si melt under H2 atmosphere at an annealing temperature of 1100 degrees C. The 10-nm thick Ni film was deposited after the SiC nanoparticles were coated on the microtextured surface of the Si solar cell by electron-beam evaporation. SiC nanoparticles form a eutectic alloy surface of Ni silicate and provide the base for Si supersaturation as well as the Ni-Si alloy layer on Si substrate surface. This bottom reaction mode for the solid-liquid-solid growth mechanism using a SiC nanoparticle base provides more stable growth of nanowires than the top reaction mode growth mechanism in the absence of SiC nanoparticles. Thermally excited Ni nanoparticle forms the eutectic alloy and provides collectively excited electrons at the alloy surface, which reduces the activation energy of the nanocatalytic reaction for formation of nanowires.

  3. The kinetics of solid phase epitaxy in As-doped buried amorphous silicon layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCallum, J.C.

    1999-01-01

    Ion implantation is the principal method used to introduce dopants into silicon for fabrication of semiconductor devices. During ion implantation, damage accumulates in the crystalline silicon lattice and amorphisation may occur over the depth range of the ions if the implant dose is sufficiently high. As device dimensions shrink, the need to produce shallower and shallower highly-doped layers increases and the probability of amorphisation also increases. To achieve dopant-activation, the amorphous or damaged material must be returned to the crystalline state by thermal annealing. Amorphous silicon layers can be crystallised by the solid-state process of solid phase epitaxy (SPE) in which the amorphous layer transforms to crystalline silicon (c-Si) layer by layer using the underlying c-Si as a seed. The atomic mechanism that is responsible for the crystallisation is thought to involve highly-localised bond-breaking and rearrangement processes at the amorphous/crystalline (a/c) interface but the defect responsible for these bond rearrangements has not yet been identified. Since the bond breaking process necessarily generates dangling bonds, it has been suggested that the crystallisation process may solely involve the formation and migration of dangling bonds at the interface. One of the key factors which may shed further light on the nature of the SPE defect is the observed dopant-dependence of the rate of crystallisation. It has been found that moderate concentrations of dopants enhance the SPE crystallisation rate while the presence of equal concentrations of an n-type and a p-type dopant (impurity compensation) returns the SPE rate to the intrinsic value. This provides crucial evidence that the SPE mechanism is sensitive to the position of the Fermi level in the bandgap of the crystalline and/or the amorphous silicon phases and may lead to identification of an energy level within the bandgap that can be associated with the defect. This paper gives details of SPE

  4. Preparation of SiC and Ag/SiC coatings on TRISO surrogate particles by Pulsed Laser Deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lustfeld, Martin; Reinecke, Anne-Maria; Lippman, Wolfgang; Hurtado, Antonio; Ruiz-Moreno, Ana

    2014-01-01

    Recently published research results suggest significant advantages of using nanocrystalline instead of coarse grained SiC for nuclear applications. In this work it was attempted to prepare nanocrystalline SiC coatings on TRISO surrogate kernels using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process. As a plasma-based physical vapor deposition process, PLD allows the synthesis of dense and stoichiometric coatings in the amorphous or nanocrystalline phase. Two different types of TRISO surrogate kernels were used with outer diameters of 500 pm and 800 μm, respectively: plain Al_2O_3 kernels and ZrO_2 kernels coated with TRISO-like buffer and pyrolytic carbon (PyC) layers. In a second step, the PLD process was used for the preparation of multilayer coatings consisting of a Ag layer buried with a SiC layer. The samples were analyzed regarding their morphology, microstructure, crystalline phase and chemical composition using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning microscopy (LSM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy- dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The samples will be used in future work for out-of-pile investigations of both thermal stability and Ag retention capability of nanocrystalline SiC layers. X-ray diflraction measurements did not confirm nano crystallinity of the SiC coatings, but rather indicated that the coatings were mainly amorphous possibly with a little fraction of the nanocrystalline phase. Further analyses showed that some of the SiC coatings had an adequate stoichiometric composition and that Ag/SiC multilayer coatings were successfully produced by PLD. Coatings on TRISO- like buffer and PyC layers exhibited good adhesion to the substrate while coatings on Al_2O_3 kernels were susceptible to delamination. The results suggest that PLD is generally suitable for SiC coating of TRISO particles. However, further optimization of the process parameters such as the coating temperature is needed to obtain fine- grained non-columnar SiC layers that are

  5. Effect of Reactant Concentration on the Microstructure of SiC Nano wires Grown In Situ within SiC Fiber Preforms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Weon Ju; Kang, Seok Min; Park, Ji Yeon; Ryu, Woo Seog

    2006-01-01

    Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC f /SiC) composites are considered as advanced materials for control rods and other in-core components of high-temperature gas cooled reactors. Although the carbon fiber-reinforced carbon matrix (C f /C) composites are more mature and have advantages in cost, manufacturability and some thermomechanical properties, the SiC f /SiC composites have a clear advantage in irradiation stability, specifically a lower level of swelling and retention of mechanical properties. This offers a lifetime component for control rod application to HTGRs while the Cf/C composites would require 2-3 replacements over the reactor lifetime. In general, the chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) technique has been used most widely to produce SiC f /SiC composites. Although the technique produces a highly pure SiC matrix, it requires a long processing time and inevitably contains large interbundle pores. The present authors have recently developed 'whisker growing-assisted process,' in which one-dimensional SiC nano structures with high aspect ratios such as whiskers, nano wires and nano rods are introduced into the fiber preform before the matrix infiltration step. This novel method can produce SiC f /SiC composites with a lower porosity and an uniform distribution of pores when compared with the conventional CVI. This would be expected to increase mechanical and thermal properties of the SiC f /SiC composites. In order to take full advantage of the whisker growing strategy, however, a homogeneous growth of long whiskers is required. In this study, we applied the atmospheric pressure CVI process without metallic catalysts for the growth of SiC nano wires within stacked SiC fiber fabrics. We focused on the effect of the concentration of a reactant gas on the growth behavior and microstructures of the SiC nano wires and discussed a controlling condition for the homogenous growth of long SiC nano wires

  6. Simulation of channelled ion ranges in crystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabadayi, Oender; Guemues, Hasan

    2004-01-01

    We present results from a channelled ion range simulation model based on separation of ion trajectories into three different categories known as random, channelled, and well-channelled. We present this for boron projectiles incident along the Si direction. Stopping powers for channelled particles, well-channelled, and random particles are determined using experimental ratios of random and channelled stopping powers for a boron/silicon system. We have found the particle range distributions and the mean range of particles in crystalline channels. A new program code has been developed for the implementation of the presented model. The results are compared with experimental data as well as Crystal-transport and range of ions in matter, stopping and ranges of ions in matter, and projected range algorithm programs. We have found good agreement between our calculations and experiment, with an average discrepancy of 7%. Our model is also able to simulate the observed shift towards larger depths for the main ion distribution under channelling conditions

  7. Surface acoustic wave devices on AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Chih-Ming; Lien, Wei-Cheng; Riekkinen, Tommi; Senesky, Debbie G; Pisano, Albert P; Chen, Yung-Yu; Felmetsger, Valery V

    2013-01-01

    Surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation characteristics in a multilayer structure including a piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film and an epitaxial cubic silicon carbide (3C–SiC) layer on a silicon (Si) substrate are investigated by theoretical calculation in this work. Alternating current (ac) reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit highly c-axis-oriented AlN thin films, showing the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve of 1.36° on epitaxial 3C–SiC layers on Si substrates. In addition, conventional two-port SAW devices were fabricated on the AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structure and SAW propagation properties in the multilayer structure were experimentally investigated. The surface wave in the AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structure exhibits a phase velocity of 5528 m s −1 and an electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.42%. The results demonstrate the potential of AlN thin films grown on epitaxial 3C–SiC layers to create layered SAW devices with higher phase velocities and larger electromechanical coupling coefficients than SAW devices on an AlN/Si multilayer structure. Moreover, the FWHM values of rocking curves of the AlN thin film and 3C–SiC layer remained constant after annealing for 500 h at 540 °C in air atmosphere. Accordingly, the layered SAW devices based on AlN thin films and 3C–SiC layers are applicable to timing and sensing applications in harsh environments. (paper)

  8. Effects of Surface Treatment Processes of SiC Ceramic on Interfacial Bonding Property of SiC-AFRP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WEI Ru-bin

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available To improve the interfacial bonding properties of SiC-aramid fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites (SiC-AFRP, the influences of etching process of SiC ceramic, coupling treatment process, and the adhesives types on the interfacial peel strength of SiC-AFRP were studied. The results show that the surface etching process and coupling treatment process of silicon carbide ceramic can effectively enhance interfacial bonding property of the SiC-AFRP. After soaked the ceramic in K3Fe(CN6 and KOH mixed etching solution for 2 hours, and coupled with vinyl triethoxy silane coupling agent, the interfacial peel strength of the SiC-AFRP significantly increases from 0.45kN/m to 2.20kN/m. EVA hot melt film with mass fraction of 15%VA is ideal for interface adhesive.

  9. Amorphous and microcrystalline silicon applied in very thin tandem solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schicho, Sandra

    2011-07-28

    Thin-film solar cells are fabricated by low-cost production processes, and are therefore an alternative to conventionally used wafer solar cells based on crystalline silicon. Due to the different band gaps, tandem cells that consist of amorphous (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline ({mu}c-Si:H) single junction solar cells deposited on top of each other use the solar spectrum much more efficient than single junction solar cells. The silicon layers are usually deposited on TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide)-coated glass and metal- or plastic foils. Compared to the CdTe and CIGS based thin-film technologies, silicon thin-film solar cells have the advantage that no limitation of raw material supply is expected and no toxic elements are used. Nevertheless, the production cost per Wattpeak is the decisive factor concerning competitiveness and can be reduced by, e.g., shorter deposition times or reduced material consumption. Both cost-reducing conceptions are simultaneously achieved by reducing the a-Si:H and {mu}c-Si:H absorber layer thicknesses in a tandem device. In the work on hand, the influence of an absorber layer thickness reduction up to 77% on the photovoltaic parameters of a-Si:H/{mu}c-Si:H tandem solar cells was investigated. An industry-oriented Radio Frequency Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (RF-PECVD) system was used to deposit the solar cells on glass substrates coated with randomly structured TCO layers. The thicknesses of top and bottom cell absorber layers were varied by adjusting the deposition time. Reduced layer thicknesses lead to lower absorption and, hence, to reduced short-circuit current densities which, however, are partially balanced by higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors. Furthermore, by using very thin amorphous top cells, the light-induced degradation decreases tremendously. Accordingly, a thickness reduction of 75% led to an efficiency loss of only 21 %. By adjusting the parameters for the deposition of a-Si:H top cells, a

  10. Investigation of Performance Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells Using a-Si: H or a-SiC: H at Emitter Layer Through AMPS-1D Simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asmaa BENSMAIN

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available We offer a numerical simulation tool, AMPS-1D, which allows to model homo- as well as heterojunction devices. AMPS-1D is the short form of automat for simulation of heterostructures. The program solves the one dimensional semiconductor equations in steady-state. Furthermore, a variety of common characterization techniques have been implemented, current- voltage, external quantum efficiency, conduction and valence band. A user-friendly interface allows to easily perform parameter variations, and to visualize and compare your simulations. In this work, The silicon heterojunction cell performances are investigated by detailed described on external quantum efficiency, and light current-voltage characteristics by recognized simulator AMPS-1D (Analysis of Micro- electronics and Photonic Structures. The objective of this work is to study the correlation between the emitter properties of both heterojunction cells a-Si:H/c-Si and a-SiC:H/c-Si (absorption, defect profiles and energy band offsets and the carrier collection.

  11. Secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands deposited on a mixed-phase microcrystalline Si by ion beam co-sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, S Y; Yang, J; Qiu, F; Wang, Z Q; Wang, C; Yang, Y

    2015-11-06

    We discuss the SiGe island co-sputtering deposition on a microcrystalline siliconc-Si) buffer layer and the secondary island growth based on this pre-SiGe island layer. The growth phenomenon of SiGe islands on crystalline silicon (c-Si) is also investigated for comparison. The pre-SiGe layer grown on μc-Si exhibits a mixed-phase structure, including SiGe islands and amorphous SiGe (a-SiGe) alloy, while the layer deposited on c-Si shows a single-phase island structure. The preferential growth and Ostwald ripening growth are shown to be the secondary growth mechanism of SiGe islands on μc-Si and c-Si, respectively. This difference may result from the effect of amorphous phase Si (AP-Si) in μc-Si on the island growth. In addition, the Si-Ge intermixing behavior of the secondary-grown islands on μc-Si is interpreted by constructing the model of lateral atomic migration, while this behavior on c-Si is ascribed to traditional uphill atomic diffusion. It is found that the aspect ratios of the preferential-grown super islands are higher than those of the Ostwald-ripening ones. The lower lateral growth rate of super islands due to the lower surface energy of AP-Si on the μc-Si buffer layer for the non-wetting of Ge at 700 °C and the stronger Si-Ge intermixing effect at 730 °C may be responsible for this aspect ratio difference.

  12. 15th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Modules: Materials and Processes; Extended Abstracts and Papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B. L.

    2005-11-01

    The National Center for Photovoltaics sponsored the 15th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells & Modules: Materials and Processes, held in Vail, CO, August 7-10, 2005. This meeting provided a forum for an informal exchange of technical and scientific information between international researchers in the photovoltaic and relevant non-photovoltaic fields. The workshop addressed the fundamental properties of PV silicon, new solar cell designs, and advanced solar cell processing techniques. A combination of oral presentations by invited speakers, poster sessions, and discussion sessions reviewed recent advances in crystal growth, new cell designs, new processes and process characterization techniques, and cell fabrication approaches suitable for future manufacturing demands. The theme of this year's meeting was 'Providing the Scientific Basis for Industrial Success.' Specific sessions during the workshop included: Advances in crystal growth and material issues; Impurities and defects in Si; Advanced processing; High-efficiency Si solar cells; Thin Si solar cells; and Cell design for efficiency and reliability module operation. The topic for the Rump Session was ''Si Feedstock: The Show Stopper'' and featured a panel discussion by representatives from various PV companies.

  13. Relaxation of a strained 3C-SiC(1 1 1) thin film on silicon by He+ and O+ ion beam defect engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Häberlen, M.; Murphy, B.; Stritzker, B.; Lindner, J.K.N.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we report on the successful reduction of tensile strain in a thin strained ion-beam synthesized 3C-SiC(1 1 1) layer on silicon. The creation of a near-interface defect structure consisting of nanometric voids and stacking fault type defects by He ion implantation and subsequent annealing yields significant relaxation in the top SiC film. The microstructure of the defect layer is studied by transmission electron microscopy, and the strain state of the 3C-SiC layer was studied by high-resolution X-ray diffraction in a parallel beam configuration. Typical process conditions for the growth of GaN films on the SiC layer were emulated by high temperature treatments in a rapid thermal annealer or a quartz tube furnace. It is found that prolonged annealing at high temperatures leads to ripening of the voids and to a weaker reduction of the tensile strain. It is shown that this problem can be overcome by the co-implantation of oxygen ions to form highly thermally stable void/extended defect structures.

  14. Evaluation and characterization of ceramic membranes based on Pdms/SiC containing phosphotungstic acid as electrolytes for PEM-FC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, Marcelo de Oliveira; Guimaraes, Danilo Hansen; Boaventura Filho, Jaime Soares; Jose, Nadia Mamede; Barbosa, Diego Augusto Batista; Paschoal, Carlos William de Araujo; Almeida, Rafael Mendonca; Tanaka, Auro Atsushi

    2009-01-01

    This work presents the development of membranes with potential use in Proton Exchange Fuel Cells (PEM-FC), consisting of hybrid materials based on poly(dimethylsiloxane), crosslinked with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and reinforced with silicon carbide and phosphotungstic acid. The membrane series PDMS/TEOS/SiC/PWA were prepared by the reaction of PDMS and TEOS, 70/30% proportions in mass, catalyzed by dibutyltin dilaurate. SiC was incorporated in a 25% proportion, and PWA in varied proportions (5, 10, 15 and 20%), by weight. The membranes were characterized by Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and impedance spectroscopy. SiC and PWA addition to the membrane increased both structure organization and material crystallinity. The insertion of PWA provided an increase in the conductivity. However, maximum conductivity was obtained with concentration levels above 10%. The insertion of SiC associated with the PWA did not influence the conductivity for concentrations between 10 and 20%. (author)

  15. Silicon based near infrared photodetector using self-assembled organic crystalline nano-pillars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ajiki, Yoshiharu, E-mail: yoshiharu-ajiki@ot.olympus.co.jp, E-mail: isao@i.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Micromachine Center, 67 Kanda Sakumagashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0026 (Japan); Kan, Tetsuo [Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Yahiro, Masayuki; Hamada, Akiko; Adachi, Chihaya [Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research (OPERA), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Adachi, Junji [Office for Strategic Research Planning, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan); Matsumoto, Kiyoshi [IRT Research Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Shimoyama, Isao, E-mail: yoshiharu-ajiki@ot.olympus.co.jp, E-mail: isao@i.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); IRT Research Initiative, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

    2016-04-11

    We propose a silicon (Si) based near-infrared photodetector using self-assembled organic crystalline nano-pillars, which were formed on an n-type Si substrate and were covered with an Au thin-film. These structures act as antennas for near-infrared light, resulting in an enhancement of the light absorption on the Au film. Because the Schottky junction is formed between the Au/n-type Si, the electron excited by the absorbed light can be detected as photocurrent. The optical measurement revealed that the nano-pillar structures enhanced the responsivity for the near-infrared light by 89 (14.5 mA/W) and 16 (0.433 mA/W) times compared with those of the photodetector without nano-pillars at the wavelengths of 1.2 and 1.3 μm, respectively. Moreover, no polarization dependency of the responsivity was observed, and the acceptable incident angle ranged from 0° to 30°. These broad responses were likely to be due to the organic nano-pillar structures' having variation in their orientation, which is advantageous for near-infrared detector uses.

  16. Field-emission property of self-purification SiC/SiOx coaxial nanowires synthesized via direct microwave irradiation using iron-containing catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Qing; Yu, Yongzhi; Huang, Shan; Meng, Jiang; Wang, Jigang

    2017-07-01

    SiC/SiOx coaxial nanowires were rapidly synthesized via direct microwave irradiation in low vacuum atmosphere. During the preparation process, only graphite, silicon, silicon dioxide powders were used as raw materials and iron-containing substance was employed as catalyst. Comprehensive characterizations were employed to investigate the microstructure of the products. The results showed that a great quantity of coaxial nanowires with uniform sizes and high aspect ratio had been successfully achieved. The coaxial nanowires consist of a silicon oxide (SiOx) shell and a β-phase silicon carbide (β-SiC) core that exhibited in special tube brush like. In additional, nearly all the products were achieved in the statement of pure SiC/SiOx coaxial nanowires without the existence of metallic catalyst, indicating that the self-removal of iron (Fe) catalyst should be occurred during the synthesis process. Photoluminescence (PL) spectral analysis result indicated that such novel SiC/SiOx coaxial nanowires exhibited significant blue-shift. Besides, the measurement results of field-emission (FE) demonstrated that the SiC/SiOx coaxial nanowires had ultralow turn-on field and threshold field with values of 0.2 and 2.1 V/μm, respectively. The hetero-junction structure formed between SiOx shell and SiC core, lots of emission sites, as well as clear tips of the nanowires were applied to explain the excellent FE properties.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  17. Effects of dual-ion irradiation on the swelling of SiC/SiC composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishimoto, Hirotatsu; Kohyama, Akira; Ozawa, Kazumi; Kondo, Sosuke

    2005-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) matrix composites reinforced by SiC fibers is a candidate structural material of fusion gas-cooled blanket system. From the viewpoint of material designs, it is important to investigate the swelling by irradiation, which results from the accumulation of displacement damages. In the fusion environment, (n, α) nuclear reactions are considered to produce helium gas in SiC. For the microstructural evolution, a dual-ion irradiation method is able to simulate the effects of helium. In the present research, 1.7 MeV tandem and 1 MeV single-end accelerators were used for Si self-ion irradiation and helium implantation, respectively. The average helium over displacement per atom (dpa) ratio in SiC was adjusted to 60 appm/dpa. The irradiation temperature ranged from room temperature to 1400degC. The irradiation-induced swelling was measured by the step height method. Helium that was implanted simultaneously with displacement damages in dual-ion irradiated SiC increased the swelling that was larger than that by single-ion irradiated SiC below 800degC. Since this increase was not observed above 1000degC, the interaction of helium and displacement damages was considered to change above 800degC. In this paper, the microstructural behavior and dimensional stability of SiC materials under the fusion relevant environment are discussed. (author)

  18. Electron spin resonance investigaton of semiconductor materials for application in thin-film silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Lihong

    2012-07-01

    In the present work, hydrogenated silicon and its alloys silicon carbide and silicon oxide have been investigated using electron spin resonance (ESR). The microstructure of these materials ranges from highly crystalline to amorphous. The correlation between the paramagnetic defects, microstructure, optical and electrical properties has been discussed. Correspondingly, these properties were characterized by the spin density (N{sub S}), g-value and the lineshape of ESR spectra, Infrared (I{sup IR}{sub C}) and/or Raman crystallinity (I{sup RS}{sub C}) as well as optical absorption and electrical dark conductivity ({sigma}{sub D}). 1. As the light absorber, Si layers essentially should have low defect density and good stability against light exposure. The spin density (N{sub S}) measured by ESR is often used as a measure for the paramagnetic defect density (N{sub D}) in the material. However, ESR sample preparation procedures can potentially cause discrepancy between N{sub S} and N{sub D}. Using Mo-foil, Al-foil and ZnO:Al-covered glass as sacrificial substrates, {mu}c-Si:H and a-Si:H films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and ESR powder samples have been prepared with corresponding procedures. Possible preparation-related metastability and instability effects have been investigated in terms of substrate dependence, HCl-etching and atmosphere exposure. A sequence of 'preparation - annealing - air-exposure - annealing' has been designed to investigate the metastability and instability effects. N{sub S} after post-preparation air exposure is higher than in the annealed states, especially for the highly crystalline {mu}c-Si:H material the discrepancy reached one order of magnitude. Low temperature ESR measurements at 40 K indicated that atmospheric exposure leads to a redistribution of the defect states which in turn influence the evaluated N{sub S}. In annealed conditions the samples tend to have lower N{sub S} presumably due

  19. M3FT-16OR020202112 - Report on viability of hydrothermal corrosion resistant SiC/SiC Joint development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katoh, Yutai [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Koyanagi, Takaaki [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kiggans Jr, James O. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrani, Kurt A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-06-30

    Hydrothermal corrosion of four types of the silicon carbide (SiC) to SiC plate joints were investigated under PWR and BWR relevant chemical conditions without irradiation. The joints were formed by metal diffusion bonding using molybdenum or titanium interlayer, reaction sintering using Ti-Si-C system, and SiC nanopowder sintering. Most of the formed joints withstood the corrosion tests for five weeks. The recession of the SiC substrates was limited. Based on the recession rate of the bonding layers, it was concluded that all the joints except for the molybdenum diffusion bond are promising under the reducing activity environments. The SiC nanopowder sintered joint was the most corrosion tolerant under the oxidizing activity environment among the four joints.

  20. SHS synthesis of Si-SiC composite powders using Mg and reactants from industrial waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanadee, Tawat

    2017-11-01

    Si-SiC composite powders were synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) using reactants of fly ash-based silica, sawdust-based activated carbon, and magnesium. Fly ash-based silica and sawdust-based activated carbon were prepared from coal mining fly ash and Para rubber-wood sawdust, respectively. The work investigated the effects of the synthesis atmosphere (air and Ar) on the phase and morphology of the SHS products. The SHS product was leached by a two-step acid leaching processes, to obtain the Si-SiC composite powder. The SHS product and SHS product after leaching were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The results indicated that the SHS product synthesized in air consisted of Si, SiC, MgO, and intermediate phases (SiO2, Mg, Mg2SiO4, Mg2Si), whereas the SHS product synthesized in Ar consisted of Si, SiC, MgO and a little Mg2SiO4. The SiC content in the leached-SHS product was higher when Ar was used as the synthesis atmosphere. As well as affecting the purity, the synthesis atmospheres also affected the average crystalline sizes of the products. The crystalline size of the product synthesized in Ar was smaller than that of the product synthesized in air. All of the results showed that fly ash and sawdust could be effective waste-material reactants for the synthesis of Si-SiC composite powders.

  1. Effects of substrate temperature on structural and electrical properties of SiO2-matrix boron-doped silicon nanocrystal thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Junjun; Zeng, Yuheng; Tan, Ruiqin; Wang, Weiyan; Yang, Ye; Dai, Ning; Song, Weijie

    2013-01-01

    In this work, silicon-rich SiO 2 (SRSO) thin films were deposited at different substrate temperatures (T s ) and then annealed by rapid thermal annealing to form SiO 2 -matrix boron-doped silicon-nanocrystals (Si-NCs). The effects of T s on the micro-structure and electrical properties of the SiO 2 -matrix boron-doped Si-NC thin films were investigated using Raman spectroscopy and Hall measurements. Results showed that the crystalline fraction and dark conductivity of the SiO 2 -matrix boron-doped Si-NC thin films both increased significantly when the T s was increased from room temperature to 373 K. When the T s was further increased from 373 K to 676 K, the crystalline fraction of 1373 K-annealed thin films decreased from 52.2% to 38.1%, and the dark conductivity reduced from 8 × 10 −3 S/cm to 5.5 × 10 −5 S/cm. The changes in micro-structure and dark conductivity of the SiO 2 -matrix boron-doped Si-NC thin films were most possibly due to the different amount of Si-O 4 bond in the as-deposited SRSO thin films. Our work indicated that there was an optimal T s , which could significantly increase the crystallization and conductivity of Si-NC thin films. Also, it was illumined that the low-resistivity SiO 2 -matrix boron-doped Si-NC thin films can be achieved under the optimal substrate temperatures, T s .

  2. High-dose MeV electron irradiation of Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high doses Si+

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaschieva, S.; Angelov, Ch; Dmitriev, S. N.

    2018-03-01

    The influence was studied of 22-MeV electron irradiation on Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high-fluence Si+ ions. Our earlier works demonstrated that Si redistribution is observed in Si+-ion-implanted Si-SiO2 structures (after MeV electron irradiation) only in the case when ion implantation is carried out with a higher fluence (1016 cm-2). We focused our attention on the interaction of high-dose MeV electron irradiation (6.0×1016 cm-2) with n-Si-SiO2 structures implanted with Si+ ions (fluence 5.4×1016 cm-2 of the same order magnitude). The redistribution of both oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted Si-SiO2 samples after MeV electron irradiation was studied by Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) spectroscopy in combination with a channeling technique (RBS/C). Our results demonstrated that the redistribution of oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted samples reaches saturation after these high doses of MeV electron irradiation. The transformation of amorphous SiO2 surface into crystalline Si nanostructures (after MeV electron irradiation) was evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Silicon nanocrystals are formed on the SiO2 surface after MeV electron irradiation. The shape and number of the Si nanocrystals on the SiO2 surface depend on the MeV electron irradiation, while their size increases with the dose. The mean Si nanocrystals height is 16-20 nm after irradiation with MeV electrons at the dose of 6.0×1016 cm-2.

  3. Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Electricity Generation: Systematic Review and Harmonization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, D. D.; O' Donoughue, P.; Fthenakis, V.; Heath, G. A.; Kim, H. C.; Sawyer, P.; Choi, J. K.; Turney, D. E.

    2012-04-01

    Published scientific literature contains many studies estimating life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of residential and utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PVs). Despite the volume of published work, variability in results hinders generalized conclusions. Most variance between studies can be attributed to differences in methods and assumptions. To clarify the published results for use in decision making and other analyses, we conduct a meta-analysis of existing studies, harmonizing key performance characteristics to produce more comparable and consistently derived results. Screening 397 life cycle assessments (LCAs) relevant to PVs yielded 13 studies on crystalline silicon (c-Si) that met minimum standards of quality, transparency, and relevance. Prior to harmonization, the median of 42 estimates of life cycle GHG emissions from those 13 LCAs was 57 grams carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (g CO{sub 2}-eq/kWh), with an interquartile range (IQR) of 44 to 73. After harmonizing key performance characteristics, irradiation of 1,700 kilowatt-hours per square meter per year (kWh/m{sup 2}/yr); system lifetime of 30 years; module efficiency of 13.2% or 14.0%, depending on module type; and a performance ratio of 0.75 or 0.80, depending on installation, the median estimate decreased to 45 and the IQR tightened to 39 to 49. The median estimate and variability were reduced compared to published estimates mainly because of higher average assumptions for irradiation and system lifetime. For the sample of studies evaluated, harmonization effectively reduced variability, providing a clearer synopsis of the life cycle GHG emissions from c-Si PVs. The literature used in this harmonization neither covers all possible c-Si installations nor represents the distribution of deployed or manufactured c-Si PVs.

  4. Improved amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation for heterojunction solar cells by low-temperature chemical vapor deposition and post-annealing treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fengyou; Zhang, Xiaodan; Wang, Liguo; Jiang, Yuanjian; Wei, Changchun; Xu, Shengzhi; Zhao, Ying

    2014-10-07

    In this study, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films are deposited using a radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) system. The Si-H configuration of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface is regulated by optimizing the deposition temperature and post-annealing duration to improve the minority carrier lifetime (τeff) of a commercial Czochralski (Cz) silicon wafer. The mechanism of this improvement involves saturation of the microstructural defects with hydrogen evolved within the a-Si:H films due to the transformation from SiH2 into SiH during the annealing process. The post-annealing temperature is controlled to ∼180 °C so that silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) could be prepared without an additional annealing step. To achieve better performance of the SHJ solar cells, we also optimize the thickness of the a-Si:H passivation layer. Finally, complete SHJ solar cells are fabricated using different temperatures for the a-Si:H film deposition to study the influence of the deposition temperature on the solar cell parameters. For the optimized a-Si:H deposition conditions, an efficiency of 18.41% is achieved on a textured Cz silicon wafer.

  5. Surface passivation of n-type doped black silicon by atomic-layer-deposited SiO2/Al2O3 stacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    van de Loo, B. W. H.; Ingenito, A.; Verheijen, M. A.; Isabella, O.; Zeman, M.; Kessels, W. M. M.

    2017-06-01

    Black silicon (b-Si) nanotextures can significantly enhance the light absorption of crystalline silicon solar cells. Nevertheless, for a successful application of b-Si textures in industrially relevant solar cell architectures, it is imperative that charge-carrier recombination at particularly highly n-type doped black Si surfaces is further suppressed. In this work, this issue is addressed through systematically studying lowly and highly doped b-Si surfaces, which are passivated by atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 films or SiO2/Al2O3 stacks. In lowly doped b-Si textures, a very low surface recombination prefactor of 16 fA/cm2 was found after surface passivation by Al2O3. The excellent passivation was achieved after a dedicated wet-chemical treatment prior to surface passivation, which removed structural defects which resided below the b-Si surface. On highly n-type doped b-Si, the SiO2/Al2O3 stacks result in a considerable improvement in surface passivation compared to the Al2O3 single layers. The atomic-layer-deposited SiO2/Al2O3 stacks therefore provide a low-temperature, industrially viable passivation method, enabling the application of highly n- type doped b-Si nanotextures in industrial silicon solar cells.

  6. Comparative studies on the pest reactions of single- and poly- crystalline MoSi2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, T.C.; Nieh, T.G.

    1992-01-01

    Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi 2 ) has many attractive properties, e.g., high melting point (2020 degrees C), relatively low density (6.28 g/cm 3 ), good thermal stability and thermal shock resistance, and excellent oxidation resistance, for potential high temperature applications. Specifically, it is oxidation resistant at temperatures up to about 1900 degrees C, resulting from the formation of a self-healing, glassy silica (SiO 2 ) surface layer. Because of its suitability for use as a high temperature coating and as heating elements, the oxidation properties of MoSi 2 have been extensively studied in the past 30 years, but mainly in the high temperature regimes. In this paper, the authors investigate the evolution and morphological characteristics of the oxidation products of both MoSi 2 single crystals and cast polycrystals. Special attention is given to addressing the nucleation of pest in single crystalline material. The results from both the single- and poly-crystalline samples are correlated with an effort to resolve the origin of MoSi 2 pest. Their implications to the early-stage formation (nucleation) of pest are discussed

  7. 77 FR 72884 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-06

    ... Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China, provided for in subheadings 8501... silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. Chairman Irving A. Williamson and Commissioner Dean A...

  8. 11th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials and Processes, Extended Abstracts and Papers, 19-22 August 2001, Estes Park, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B.

    2001-08-16

    The 11th Workshop will provide a forum for an informal exchange of technical and scientific information between international researchers in the photovoltaic and non-photovoltaic fields. Discussions will include the various aspects of impurities and defects in silicon--their properties, the dynamics during device processing, and their application for developing low-cost processes for manufacturing high-efficiency silicon solar cells. Sessions and panel discussions will review impurities and defects in crystalline-silicon PV, advanced cell structures, new processes and process characterization techniques, and future manufacturing demands. The workshop will emphasize some of the promising new technologies in Si solar cell fabrication that can lower PV energy costs and meet the throughput demands of the future. The three-day workshop will consist of presentations by invited speakers, followed by discussion sessions. Topics to be discussed are: Si Mechanical properties and Wafer Handling, Advanced Topics in PV Fundamentals, Gettering and Passivation, Impurities and Defects, Advanced Emitters, Crystalline Silicon Growth, and Solar Cell Processing. The workshop will also include presentations by NREL subcontractors who will review the highlights of their research during the current subcontract period. In addition, there will be two poster sessions presenting the latest research and development results. Some presentations will address recent technologies in the microelectronics field that may have a direct bearing on PV.

  9. Anisotropy of the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of the SiC/Si biomorphic composite based on a white-eucalyptus biocarbon template

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parfen'eva, L. S.; Orlova, T. S.; Smirnov, B. I.; Smirnov, I. A.; Misiorek, H.; Mucha, J.; Jezowski, A.; de Arellano-Lopez, A. R.; Martinez-Fernandez, J.; Varela-Feria, F. M.

    2006-12-01

    The thermal conductivity κ and electrical resistivity ρ of a cellular ecoceramic, namely, the SiC/Si biomorphic composite, are measured in the temperature range 5 300 K. The SiC/Si biomorphic composite is fabricated using a cellular biocarbon template prepared from white eucalyptus wood by pyrolysis in an argon atmosphere with subsequent infiltration of molten silicon into empty through cellular channels of the template. The temperature dependences κ(T) and ρ(T) of the 3C-SiC/Si biomorphic composite at a silicon content of ˜30 vol % are measured for samples cut out parallel and perpendicular to the direction of tree growth. Data on the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity κ are presented. The behavior of the dependences κ(T) and ρ(T) of the SiC/Si biomorphic composite at different silicon contents is discussed in terms of the results obtained and data available in the literature.

  10. CVD growth and characterization of 3C-SiC thin films

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) thin films were grown on (100) and (111) Si substrates by CVD technique using ... of grown films were studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and X-ray ... the oxide mask gets damaged (Edgar et al 1998). There- fore, lower ...

  11. Study by molecular dynamics of the influence of temperature and pressure on the optical properties of undoped 3C-SiC structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domingues, Gilberto; Monthe, Aubin Mekeze; Guévelou, Simon; Rousseau, Benoit

    2018-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC)-based open-cell foams appear to be promising porous materials for designing high-temperature energy conversion systems such as volumetric solar receivers. In these media, heat transfers and fluid flows occur simultaneously. The numerical models developed for computing the thermal efficiencies of SiC foams must take into account the energy contribution of thermal radiation. In particular, the thermal radiative properties of these foams must be accurately known. This explains why knowledge of the pressure and temperature dependences of the optical properties of the crystalline parts, which compose the foams, is of primary concern for computing the latter properties correctly. However, the data available in the literature provide the evolution laws of the dielectric functions, needed to calculate the optical properties, as dependent on one thermodynamic parameter at a time. To deal with this issue, a study of the temperature/pressure influence on the dielectric functions of a silicon carbide structure by simulation with molecular dynamics (MD) is presented in this paper. The Vashishta interaction potential, based on the sum of two- and three-body terms, is used in this study. The simulations are carried out on undoped 3C-SiC at pressures ranging from 0.2 to 20 GPa and temperatures ranging from 300 K to 1500 K. The dielectric functions are obtained by applying the linear response theory and comparing them with values provided in the literature, using a Lorentz model. The simulated results, in good agreement with the experimental ones, make it possible to establish the evolution laws of the dielectric functions with both parameters, temperature and pressure, applicable to any field requiring the use of undoped silicon carbide.

  12. Mechanical properties of MeV ion-irradiated SiC/SiC composites characterized by indentation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.Y.; Park, K.H.; Kim, W.; Kishimoto, H.; Kohyama, A.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: SiC/SiC composites have been considered as a structural material for advanced fusion concepts. In the core of fusion reactor, those SiC/SiC composites are experienced the complex attacks such as strong neutron, high temperature and transmuted gases. One of the vital data for designing the SiC/SiC composites to the fusion reactor is mechanical properties under the severe neutron irradiation. In this work, various SiC/SiC composites were prepared by the different fabrication processes like CVI (chemical vapor infiltration), WA-CVI (SiC whisker assisted CVI) and hot-pressed method. The expected neutron irradiation was simulated by a silicon self-ion irradiation at a DuET facility; Dual-beam for Energy Technologies, Kyoto University. The irradiation temperature were 600 deg. C and 1200 deg. C, and the irradiation does were 5 dpa and 20 dpa, respectively. The 5.1 MeV Si ions were irradiated to the intrinsic CVI-SiC, SiC whisker reinforced SiC and SiC composites produced by hot-press method. The mechanical properties like hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness were characterized by an indentation technique. The ion irradiation caused the increase of the hardness and fracture toughness, which was dependent on the irradiation temperature. SiC whisker reinforcement in the SiC matrix accelerated the increase of the fracture toughness by the ion irradiation. For SiC/SiC composites after the ion irradiation, this work will provide the additional data for the mechanical properties as well as the effect of SiC whisker reinforcement. (authors)

  13. Charge transport along luminescent oxide layers containing Si and SiC nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jambois, O. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)]. E-mail: ojambois@el.ub.es; Vila, A. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Pellegrino, P. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Carreras, J. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Perez-Rodriguez, A. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Garrido, B. [EME, Departament d' Electronica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Bonafos, C. [Nanomaterials Group, CEMES-CNRS, 29 rue J. Marvig 31055, Toulouse (France); BenAssayag, G. [Nanomaterials Group, CEMES-CNRS, 29 rue J. Marvig 31055, Toulouse (France)

    2006-12-15

    The electrical conductivity of silicon oxides containing silicon and silicon-carbon nanoparticles has been investigated. By use of sequential Si{sup +} and C{sup +} ion implantations in silicon oxide followed by an annealing at 1100 deg. C, luminescent Si nanocrystals and SiC nanoparticles were precipitated. The characterization of the electrical transport has been carried out on two kinds of structures, allowing parallel or perpendicular transport, with respect to the substrate. The first type of samples were elaborated by means of a focus-ion-beam technique: electrical contacts to embedded nanoparticles were made by milling two nanotrenches on the sample surface until reaching the buried layer, then filling them with tungsten. The distance between the electrodes is about 100 nm. The second type of samples correspond to 40 nm thick typical MOS capacitors. The electron transport along the buried layer has shown a dramatic lowering of the electrical current, up to five orders of magnitude, when applying a sequence of voltages. It has been related to a progressive charge retention inside the nanoparticles, which, on its turn, suppresses the electrical conduction along the layer. On the other hand, the MOS capacitors show a reversible carrier charge and discharge effect that limits the current at low voltage, mostly due to the presence of C in the layers. A typical Fowler-Nordheim injection takes place at higher applied voltages, with a threshold voltage equal to 23 V.

  14. Extreme-Environment Silicon-Carbide (SiC) Wireless Sensor Suite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jie

    2015-01-01

    Phase II objectives: Develop an integrated silicon-carbide wireless sensor suite capable of in situ measurements of critical characteristics of NTP engine; Compose silicon-carbide wireless sensor suite of: Extreme-environment sensors center, Dedicated high-temperature (450 deg C) silicon-carbide electronics that provide power and signal conditioning capabilities as well as radio frequency modulation and wireless data transmission capabilities center, An onboard energy harvesting system as a power source.

  15. Influence of Constituents on Creep Properties of SiC/SiC Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, R.; DiCarlo, J.

    2016-01-01

    SiC-SiC composites are being considered as potential candidate materials for next generation turbine components such as combustor liners, nozzle vanes and blades because of their low density, high temperature capability, and tailorable mechanical properties. These composites are essentially fabricated by infiltrating matrix into a stacked array of fibers or fiber preform by one or a combination of manufacturing methods such as, Melt Infiltration (MI) of molten silicon metal, Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI), Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP). To understand the influence of constituents, the SiC-SiC composites fabricated by MI, CVI, and PIP methods were creep tested in air between 12000 and 14500 degrees Centigrade for up to 500 hours. The failed specimens were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope to assess damage mechanisms. Also, knowing the creep deformation parameters of the fiber and the matrix under the testing conditions, the creep behavior of the composites was modeled and compared with the measured data. The implications of the results on the long term durability of these composites will be discussed.

  16. Removal of C and SiC from Si and FeSi during ladle refining and solidification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klevan, Ole Svein

    1997-12-31

    The utilization of solar energy by means of solar cells requires the Si to be very pure. The purity of Si is important for other applications as well. This thesis mainly studies the total removal of carbon from silicon and ferrosilicon. The decarburization includes removal of SiC particles by stirring and during casting in addition to reduction of dissolved carbon by gas purging. It was found that for three commercial qualities of FeSi75, Refined, Gransil, and Standard lumpy, the refined quality is lowest in carbon, followed by Gransil and Standard. A decarburization model was developed that shows the carbon removal by oxidation of dissolved carbon to be a slow process at atmospheric pressure. Gas stirring experiments have shown that silicon carbide particles are removed by transfer to the ladle wall. The casting method of ferrosilicon has a strong influence on the final total carbon content in the commercial alloy. Shipped refined FeSi contains about 100 ppm total carbon, while the molten alloy contains roughly 200 ppm. The total carbon out of the FeSi-furnace is about 1000 ppm. It is suggested that low values of carbon could be obtained on an industrial scale by injection of silica combined with the use of vacuum. Also, the casting system could be designed to give low carbon in part of the product. 122 refs., 50 figs., 24 tabs.

  17. X-ray absorption study of silicon carbide thin film deposited by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monaco, G.; Suman, M.; Garoli, D.; Pelizzo, M.G.; Nicolosi, P.

    2011-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) is an important material for several applications ranging from electronics to Extreme UltraViolet (EUV) space optics. Crystalline cubic SiC (3C-SiC) has a wide band gap (near 2.4 eV) and it is a promising material to be used in high frequency and high energetic electronic devices. We have deposited, by means of pulsed laser deposition (PLD), different SiC films on sapphire and silicon substrates both at mild (650 o C) and at room temperature. The resulted films have different structures such as: highly oriented polycrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous which have been studied by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) near the Si L 2,3 edge and the C K edge using PES (photoemission spectroscopy) for the analysis of the valence bands structure and film composition. The samples obtained by PLD have shown different spectra among the grown films, some of them showing typical 3C-SiC absorption structure, but also the presence of some Si-Si and graphitic bonds.

  18. Characterization of SiC–SiC composites for accident tolerant fuel cladding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deck, C.P., E-mail: Christian.Deck@ga.com; Jacobsen, G.M.; Sheeder, J.; Gutierrez, O.; Zhang, J.; Stone, J.; Khalifa, H.E.; Back, C.A.

    2015-11-15

    Silicon carbide (SiC) is being investigated for accident tolerant fuel cladding applications due to its high temperature strength, exceptional stability under irradiation, and reduced oxidation compared to Zircaloy under accident conditions. An engineered cladding design combining monolithic SiC and SiC–SiC composite layers could offer a tough, hermetic structure to provide improved performance and safety, with a failure rate comparable to current Zircaloy cladding. Modeling and design efforts require a thorough understanding of the properties and structure of SiC-based cladding. Furthermore, both fabrication and characterization of long, thin-walled SiC–SiC tubes to meet application requirements are challenging. In this work, mechanical and thermal properties of unirradiated, as-fabricated SiC-based cladding structures were measured, and permeability and dimensional control were assessed. In order to account for the tubular geometry of the cladding designs, development and modification of several characterization methods were required.

  19. High-temperature protective coatings for C/SiC composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Yang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC composites were well-established light weight materials combining high specific strength and damage tolerance. For high-temperature applications, protective coatings had to provide oxidation and corrosion resistance. The literature data introduced various technologies and materials, which were suitable for the application of coatings. Coating procedures and conditions, materials design limitations related to the reactivity of the components of C/SiC composites, new approaches and coating systems to the selection of protective coatings materials were examined. The focus of future work was on optimization by further multilayer coating systems and the anti-oxidation ability of C/SiC composites at temperatures up to 2073 K or higher in water vapor.

  20. Synthesis, characterization, and wear and friction properties of variably structured SiC/Si elements made from wood by molten Si impregnation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dhiman, Rajnish; Rana, Kuldeep; Bengu, Erman

    2012-01-01

    We have synthesized pre-shaped SiC/Si ceramic material elements from charcoal (obtained from wood) by impregnation with molten silicon, which takes place in a two-stage process. In the first process, a porous structure of connected micro-crystals of β-SiC is formed, while, in the second process...

  1. Fabrication of mullite-bonded porous SiC ceramics from multilayer-coated SiC particles through sol-gel and in-situ polymerization techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimpour, Omid

    In this work, mullite-bonded porous silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics were prepared via a reaction bonding technique with the assistance of a sol-gel technique or in-situ polymerization as well as a combination of these techniques. In a typical procedure, SiC particles were first coated by alumina using calcined powder and alumina sol via a sol-gel technique followed by drying and passing through a screen. Subsequently, they were coated with the desired amount of polyethylene via an in-situ polymerization technique in a slurry phase reactor using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst. Afterward, the coated powders were dried again and passed through a screen before being pressed into a rectangular mold to make a green body. During the heating process, the polyethylene was burnt out to form pores at a temperature of about 500°C. Increasing the temperature above 800°C led to the partial oxidation of SiC particles to silica. At higher temperatures (above 1400°C) derived silica reacted with alumina to form mullite, which bonds SiC particles together. The porous SiC specimens were characterized with various techniques. The first part of the project was devoted to investigating the oxidation of SiC particles using a Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) apparatus. The effects of particle size (micro and nano) and oxidation temperature (910°C--1010°C) as well as the initial mass of SiC particles in TGA on the oxidation behaviour of SiC powders were evaluated. To illustrate the oxidation rate of SiC in the packed bed state, a new kinetic model, which takes into account all of the diffusion steps (bulk, inter and intra particle diffusion) and surface oxidation rate, was proposed. Furthermore, the oxidation of SiC particles was analyzed by the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique. The effect of different alumina sources (calcined Al2O 3, alumina sol or a combination of the two) on the mechanical, physical, and crystalline structure of mullite-bonded porous SiC ceramics was studied in the

  2. The crystalline-to-amorphous transition in ion-bombarded silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, G.; Kalbitzer, S.

    1980-01-01

    Hydrogen-free, but defect-rich a-Si can be obtained by ion bombardment of c-Si. The formation of such material has been studied in detail using carrier-removal measurements in the characterization of the bombardment damage. In order to develop an overall view of the disordering process these data are discussed together with results obtained on similar films by Rutherford back-scattering, electron spin resonance, electron microscopy and optical measurements. It is concluded that amorphous material generally evolves from an intermediate crystalline phase supersaturated with point defects. The transition occurs locally at the sites of energetic ion impacts into critically predamaged crystalline material. As a consequence, an amorphous layer is built up from small clusters with dimensions typically of the order of 50 A. From the net expansion of the bombarded layers it is concluded that regions of lower atomic density are locally present, very likely a consequence of a structural mismatch between individual amorphous clusters. In this way a heterogeneous defect structure may build up in these films which determines their electronic properties. (author)

  3. Advances in wide bandgap SiC for optoelectronics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ou, Haiyan; Ou, Yiyu; Argyraki, Aikaterini

    2014-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) has played a key role in power electronics thanks to its unique physical properties like wide bandgap, high breakdown field, etc. During the past decade, SiC is also becoming more and more active in optoelectronics thanks to the progress in materials growth and nanofabrication...

  4. Electrical leakage phenomenon in heteroepitaxial cubic silicon carbide on silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradeepkumar, Aiswarya; Zielinski, Marcin; Bosi, Matteo; Verzellesi, Giovanni; Gaskill, D. Kurt; Iacopi, Francesca

    2018-06-01

    Heteroepitaxial 3C-SiC films on silicon substrates are of technological interest as enablers to integrate the excellent electrical, electronic, mechanical, thermal, and epitaxial properties of bulk silicon carbide into well-established silicon technologies. One critical bottleneck of this integration is the establishment of a stable and reliable electronic junction at the heteroepitaxial interface of the n-type SiC with the silicon substrate. We have thus investigated in detail the electrical and transport properties of heteroepitaxial cubic silicon carbide films grown via different methods on low-doped and high-resistivity silicon substrates by using van der Pauw Hall and transfer length measurements as test vehicles. We have found that Si and C intermixing upon or after growth, particularly by the diffusion of carbon into the silicon matrix, creates extensive interstitial carbon traps and hampers the formation of a stable rectifying or insulating junction at the SiC/Si interface. Although a reliable p-n junction may not be realistic in the SiC/Si system, we can achieve, from a point of view of the electrical isolation of in-plane SiC structures, leakage suppression through the substrate by using a high-resistivity silicon substrate coupled with deep recess etching in between the SiC structures.

  5. Influence of microstructure on hydrothermal corrosion of chemically vapor processed SiC composite tubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Daejong; Lee, Ho Jung; Jang, Changheui; Lee, Hyeon-Geun; Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon-Ju

    2017-08-01

    Multi-layered SiC composites consisting of monolithic SiC and a SiCf/SiC composite are one of the accident tolerant fuel cladding concepts in pressurized light water reactors. To evaluate the integrity of the SiC fuel cladding under normal operating conditions of a pressurized light water reactor, the hydrothermal corrosion behavior of multi-layered SiC composite tubes was investigated in the simulated primary water environment of a pressurized water reactor without neutron fluence. The results showed that SiC phases with good crystallinity such as Tyranno SA3 SiC fiber and monolithic SiC deposited at 1200 °C had good corrosion resistance. However, the SiC phase deposited at 1000 °C had less crystallinity and severely dissolved in water, particularly the amorphous SiC phase formed along grain boundaries. Dissolved hydrogen did not play a significant role in improving the hydrothermal corrosion resistance of the CVI-processed SiC phases containing amorphous SiC, resulting in a significant weight loss and reduction of hoop strength of the multi-layered SiC composite tubes after corrosion.

  6. Electron doping through lithium intercalation to interstitial channels in tetrahedrally bonded SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakai, Yuki [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Center for Computational Materials, Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Oshiyama, Atsushi [Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

    2015-11-07

    We report on first-principles calculations that clarify the effect of lithium atom intercalation into zinc blende 3C-silicon carbide (3C-SiC) on electronic and structural properties. Lithium atoms inside 3C-SiC are found to donate electrons to 3C-SiC that is an indication of a new way of electron doping through the intercalation. The electrons doped into the conduction band interact with lithium cations and reduce the band spacing between the original valence and conduction bands. We have also found that a silicon monovacancy in 3C-SiC promotes the lithium intercalation, showing that the vacancy generation makes SiC as a possible anode material for lithium-ion battery.

  7. Characterization of rare-earth doped Si 3 N4 /SiC micro/nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Tatarko

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Influence of various rare-earth oxide additives (La2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Y2O3, Yb2O3 and Lu2O3 on the mechanical properties of hot-pressed silicon nitride and silicon nitride/silicon carbide micro/nano-composites has been investigated. The bimodal character of microstructures was observed in all studied materials where elongated β-Si3N4 grains were embedded in the matrix of much finer Si3N4 grains. The fracture toughness values increased with decreasing ionic radius of rare-earth elements. The fracture toughness of composites was always lower than that of monoliths due to their finer Si3N4/SiC microstructures. Similarly, the hardness and bending strength values increased with decreasing ionic radius of rare-earth elements either in monoliths or composites. On the other hand, the positive influence of finer microstructure of the composites on strength was not observed due to the present defects in the form of SiC clusters and non-reacted carbon zones. Wear resistance at room temperature also increased with decreasing ionic radius of rare-earth element. Significantly improved creep resistance was observed in case either of composite materials or materials with smaller radius of RE3+.

  8. Eutectic and solid-state wafer bonding of silicon with gold

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abouie, Maryam; Liu, Qi; Ivey, Douglas G.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Eutectic and solid-state Au-Si bonding are compared for both a-Si and c-Si samples. ► Exchange of a-Si and Au layer was observed in both types of bonded samples. ► Use of c-Si for bonding resulted in formation of craters at the Au/c-Si interface. ► Solid-state Au-Si bonding produces better bonds in terms of microstructure. - Abstract: The simple Au-Si eutectic, which melts at 363 °C, can be used to bond Si wafers. However, faceted craters can form at the Au/Si interface as a result of anisotropic and non-uniform reaction between Au and crystalline silicon (c-Si). These craters may adversely affect active devices on the wafers. Two possible solutions to this problem were investigated in this study. One solution was to use an amorphous silicon layer (a-Si) that was deposited on the c-Si substrate to bond with the Au. The other solution was to use solid-state bonding instead of eutectic bonding, and the wafers were bonded at a temperature (350 °C) below the Au-Si eutectic temperature. The results showed that the a-Si layer prevented the formation of craters and solid-state bonding not only required a lower bonding temperature than eutectic bonding, but also prevented spill out of the solder resulting in strong bonds with high shear strength in comparison with eutectic bonding. Using amorphous silicon, the maximum shear strength for the solid-state Au-Si bond reached 15.2 MPa, whereas for the eutectic Au-Si bond it was 13.2 MPa.

  9. Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kae Dal Kwack

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

  10. Photo-EMF sensitivity of porous silicon thin layer-crystalline silicon heterojunction to ammonia adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

    2011-01-01

    A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

  11. Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

    2011-01-01

    A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light. PMID:22319353

  12. Optical and microstructural investigations of porous silicon

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Raman scattering and photoluminescence (PL) measurements on (100) oriented -type crystalline silicon (-Si) and porous silicon (PS) samples were carried out. PS samples were prepared by anodic etching of -Si under the illumination of light for different etching times of 30, 60 and 90 min. Raman scattering from the ...

  13. Synthesis of biogenic silicon/silica (Si/SiO2) nanocomposites from rice husks and wheat bran through various microorganisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Taranjot; Pal Singh, Gurwinder; Kaur, Gurneet; Kaur, Sukhvir; Gill, Prabhjot Kaur

    2016-08-01

    Biosilification is an economically viable, energy saving and green approach for the commercial scale synthesis of oxide nanomaterials. The room temperature synthesis of oxide nanocomposites from cost effective agro-based waste is a particular example of biosilification. In this study, synthesis of Si/SiO2 nanocomposites from inexpensive agro-based waste material i.e. rice husks (RH) and wheat bran (WB) has been carried out by means of various eukaryotic microorganisms, i.e. Actinomycete, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma sp. and Penicillium sp., under ambient conditions. The XRD diffrectrograms represents that the synthesized nanomaterials exhibits silicon, amorphous silica and other crystal arrays such as cristobalite, trydimite and quartz, depending upon the type microorganism and time period used for extraction. All of the aforesaid microorganism bio transformed the naturally occurring amorphous silica to crystalline structures within the period of 24 h. However, the Actinomycete and Trichoderma sp. took 48 h in case of rice husks for biotransformation of naturally occurring plant silica to crystalline nanocomposite. While in case of wheat bran, Actinomycete and Trichoderma sp. took 24 h for biotransformation. The extracted nanocomposites exhibits band edge in the range 230-250 nm and blue emission. The procedure described in study can be used for commercial level production of Si/SiO2 nanocomposites from agro based waste materials.

  14. About the optical properties of oxidized black silicon structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pincik, E.; Brunner, R.; Kobayashi, H.; Mikula, M.; Kučera, M.; Švec, P.; Greguš, J.; Vojtek, P.; Zábudlá, Z.; Imamura, K.; Zahoran, M.

    2017-02-01

    The paper deals with the optical and morphological properties of thermally oxidized black silicon (OBSi) nano-crystalline specimens produced by the surface structure chemical transfer method (SSCT). This method can produce a nano-crystalline Si black color layer on c-Si with a range of thickness of ∼50 nm to ∼300 nm by the contact of c-Si immersed in chemical solutions HF + H2O2 with a catalytic mesh. We present and discuss mainly the photoluminescence properties of both polished c-Si and OBSi structures, respectively. The similar photoluminescence (PL) behaviors recorded at liquid helium (6 K) and room temperatures on both polished crystalline Si and OBSi samples, respectively, indicate the similar origin of recorded luminescence light. As the positions of PL maxima of OBSi structures are mainly related to the size of Si nanocrystallites and SiO(x), we therefore suppose that the size of the dominant parts of the luminated OBSi nanostructure is pre-determined by the used polishing Si procedure, and/or the distribution function of the number of formed crystallites on their size is very similar. The blue shift of both PL spectra reaching almost value of 0.40 eV observed after the decrease of the sample temperature to 6 K we relate also with the change of the semiconductor band gap width.

  15. Photoluminescence studies of cubic phase GaN grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (001) silicon covered with SiC layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godlewski, M.; Ivanov, V.Yu.; Bergman, J.P.; Monemar, B.; Barski, A.; Langer, R.

    1997-01-01

    In this work we evaluate optical properties of cubic phase GaN epilayers grown on top of (001) silicon substrate prepared by new process. Prior to the growth Si substrate was annealed at 1300-1400 o C in propane. The so-prepared substrate is covered within a thin (∼ 4 nm) SiC wafer, which allowed a successful growth of good morphological quality cubic phase GaN epilayers. The present results confirm recent suggestion on smaller ionization energies of acceptors in cubic phase GaN epilayers. (author)

  16. Al-oxynitride interfacial layer investigations for Pr{sub X}O{sub Y} on SiC and Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henkel, K; Karavaev, K; Torche, M; Schwiertz, C; Burkov, Y; Schmeisser, D [Brandenburgische Technische Universitaet Cottbus, Angewandte Physik-Sensorik, K-Wachsmann-Allee 17, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)], E-mail: henkel@tu-cottbus.de

    2008-01-15

    We investigate the dielectric properties of Praseodymium based oxides Pr{sub X}O{sub Y} by preparing MIS (metal insulator semiconductor) structures consisting of Pr{sub X}O{sub Y} as a high-k insulating layer and silicon (Si) or silicon carbide (SiC) as semiconductor substrates. The use of a buffer layer between Pr{sub X}O{sub Y} and the semiconductor is necessary as we found deleterious reactions between these materials such as silicate and graphite formation. Possessing a higher permittivity value ({epsilon}{sub r}) than silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}) and good lattice matching in conjunction with similar thermal expansion coefficient to SiC, we focus on aluminum oxynitride (AlON) as a suitable buffer layer for this high-k/wide-bandgap system. In our spectroscopic investigations we found a decrease or indeed prevention of silicon diffusion into the oxide and an increased Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} fraction after deposition. In electrical characterizations of Pr{sub X}O{sub Y}/AlON stacks we found considerable improvements in the leakage current by several orders on both substrates, especially on silicon where we obtain values down to 10{sup -7}A/cm{sup 2} at a CET (capacitance equivalent thickness) of 4nm. We observed interface state densities in the range of 5 x 10{sup 11}-1 x 10{sup 12}/eVcm{sup 2} and 1-5 x 10{sup 12}/eVcm{sup 2} on Si and SiC, respectively.

  17. High-pressure condition of SiH{sub 4}+Ar+H{sub 2} plasma for deposition of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parashar, A.; Kumar, Sushil; Dixit, P.N.; Gope, Jhuma; Rauthan, C.M.S. [Plasma Processed Materials Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Hashmi, S.A. [Department of Physics and Astro Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

    2008-10-15

    The characteristics of 13.56-MHz discharged SiH{sub 4}+Ar+H{sub 2} plasma at high pressure (2-8 Torr), used for the deposition of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films in a capacitively coupled symmetric PECVD system, has been investigated. Plasma parameters such as average electron density, sheath field and bulk field are extracted from equivalent circuit model of the plasma using outputs (current, voltage and phase) of RF V-I probe under different pressure conditions. The conditions of growth in terms of plasma parameters are correlated with properties of the hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films characterized by Raman, AFM and dc conductivity. The film deposited at 4 Torr of pressure, where relatively low sheath/bulk field ratio is observed, exhibits high crystallinity and conductivity. The crystalline volume fraction of the films estimated from the Raman spectra is found to vary from 23% to 79%, and the trend of variation is similar to the RF real plasma impedance data. (author)

  18. SiO 2/SiC interface proved by positron annihilation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Yoshikawa, M.; Itoh, H.

    2003-06-01

    We have studied positron annihilation in a Silicon carbide (SiC)-metal/oxide/semiconductor (MOS) structure using a monoenergetic positron beam. The Doppler broadening of annihilation quanta were measured as functions of the incident positron energy and the gate bias. Applying negative gate bias, significant increases in S-parameters were observed. This indicates the migration of implanted positrons towards SiO 2/SiC interface and annihilation at open-volume type defects. The behavior of S-parameters depending on the bias voltage was well correlated with the capacitance-voltage ( C- V) characteristics. We observed higher S-parameters and the interfacial trap density in MOS structures fabricated using the dry oxidation method as compared to those by pyrogenic oxidation method.

  19. SiO2/SiC interface proved by positron annihilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Yoshikawa, M.; Itoh, H.

    2003-01-01

    We have studied positron annihilation in a Silicon carbide (SiC)-metal/oxide/semiconductor (MOS) structure using a monoenergetic positron beam. The Doppler broadening of annihilation quanta were measured as functions of the incident positron energy and the gate bias. Applying negative gate bias, significant increases in S-parameters were observed. This indicates the migration of implanted positrons towards SiO 2 /SiC interface and annihilation at open-volume type defects. The behavior of S-parameters depending on the bias voltage was well correlated with the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. We observed higher S-parameters and the interfacial trap density in MOS structures fabricated using the dry oxidation method as compared to those by pyrogenic oxidation method

  20. Formation of silicon carbide by laser ablation in graphene oxide-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone suspension on silicon surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaleh, Babak; Ghasemi, Samaneh; Torkamany, Mohammad Javad; Salehzadeh, Sadegh; Maleki, Farahnaz

    2018-01-01

    Laser ablation of a silicon wafer in graphene oxide-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (GO-NMP) suspension was carried out with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser (pulse duration = 250 ns, wavelength = 1064 nm). The surface of silicon wafer before and after laser ablation was studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The results showed that the ablation of silicon surface in liquid by pulsed laser was done by the process of melt expulsion under the influence of the confined plasma-induced pressure or shock wave trapped between the silicon wafer and the liquid. The X-ray diffraction‌ (XRD) pattern of Si wafer after laser ablation showed that 4H-SiC layer is formed on its surface. The formation of the above layer was also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy‌ (XPS), as well as EDX was utilized. The reflectance of samples decreased with increasing pulse energy. Therefore, the morphological alteration and the formation of SiC layer at high energy increase absorption intensity in the UV‌-vis regions. Theoretical calculations confirm that the formation of silicon carbide from graphene oxide and silicon wafer is considerably endothermic. Development of new methods for increasing the reflectance without causing harmful effects is still an important issue for crystalline Si solar cells. By using the method described in this paper, the optical properties of solar cells can be improved.

  1. Si/C composite lithium-ion battery anodes synthesized using silicon nanoparticles from porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jung-Bae; Lee, Kwan-Hee; Jeon, Young-Jun; Lim, Sung-Hwan; Lee, Sung-Man

    2014-01-01

    The synthesis of Si nanoparticles by ultrasonication processing of porous Si powder and a novel method for preparing a high-capacity Si/C composite using this technique is reported. The porous Si powder is prepared by selectively etching the silicide phase of a Ti 24 Si 76 alloy consisting of Si and silicide phases. The particle size of the nanocrystalline Si is determined by the crystallite size of the Si and silicide phases in the alloy powder. Ultrasonication of the porous Si obtained from the mechanically alloyed Ti 24 Si 76 alloy generates nanocrystalline Si particles of size about 5 nm. Growth of the Si and silicide phases in the alloy is induced by annealing of the mechanically alloyed sample, with a consequent increase in the size of the Si particles obtained after ultrasonication. Application of the ultrasonication process to the fabrication of Si/C composite anode materials generates nanometer-scale Si particles in situ that are distributed in the matrix. Analysis of the phases obtained and evaluation of the distribution of the nanometer-scale Si particles in the composites via XRD/TEM measurements show that the nanometer-scale Si particles are effectively synthesized and uniformly distributed in the carbon matrix, leading to enhanced electrochemical performance of the Si/C composites

  2. Structural and photoluminescence investigation on the hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition growth silicon nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chong, Su Kong; Goh, Boon Tong; Wong, Yuen-Yee; Nguyen, Hong-Quan; Do, Hien; Ahmad, Ishaq; Aspanut, Zarina; Muhamad, Muhamad Rasat; Dee, Chang Fu; Rahman, Saadah Abdul

    2012-01-01

    High density of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were synthesized by a hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The structural and optical properties of the as-grown SiNWs prepared at different rf power of 40 and 80 W were analyzed in this study. The SiNWs prepared at rf power of 40 W exhibited highly crystalline structure with a high crystal volume fraction, X C of ∼82% and are surrounded by a thin layer of SiO x . The NWs show high absorption in the high energy region (E>1.8 eV) and strong photoluminescence at 1.73 to 2.05 eV (red–orange region) with a weak shoulder at 1.65 to 1.73 eV (near IR region). An increase in rf power to 80 W reduced the X C to ∼65% and led to the formation of nanocrystalline Si structures with a crystallite size of <4 nm within the SiNWs. These NWs are covered by a mixture of uncatalyzed amorphous Si layer. The SiNWs prepared at 80 W exhibited a high optical absorption ability above 99% in the broadband range between 220 and ∼1500 nm and red emission between 1.65 and 1.95 eV. The interesting light absorption and photoluminescence properties from both SiNWs are discussed in the text. - Highlights: ► Growth of random oriented silicon nanowires using hot-wire assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. ► Increase in rf power reduces the crystallinity of silicon nanowires. ► High density and nanocrystalline structure in silicon nanowires significant enhance the near IR light absorption. ► Oxide defects and silicon nanocrystallites in silicon nanowires reveal photoluminescence in red–orange and red regions.

  3. Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prathap Pathi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer, providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin silicon (<2 μm and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small thicknesses (<10 μm and is slightly lower (by ~5% at wafer-scale thicknesses. Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 μm silicon and just 1%–2% for thicker (>100 μm cells. There is potential for 20 μm thick cells to provide 30 mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced light-trapping.

  4. Growth of light-emitting SiGe heterostructures on strained silicon-on-insulator substrates with a thin oxide layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baidakova, N. A., E-mail: banatale@ipmras.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Bobrov, A. I. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Drozdov, M. N.; Novikov, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation); Pavlov, D. A. [University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Shaleev, M. V.; Yunin, P. A.; Yurasov, D. V.; Krasilnik, Z. F. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation)

    2015-08-15

    The possibility of using substrates based on “strained silicon on insulator” structures with a thin (25 nm) buried oxide layer for the growth of light-emitting SiGe structures is studied. It is shown that, in contrast to “strained silicon on insulator” substrates with a thick (hundreds of nanometers) oxide layer, the temperature stability of substrates with a thin oxide is much lower. Methods for the chemical and thermal cleaning of the surface of such substrates, which make it possible to both retain the elastic stresses in the thin Si layer on the oxide and provide cleaning of the surface from contaminating impurities, are perfecte. It is demonstrated that it is possible to use the method of molecular-beam epitaxy to grow light-emitting SiGe structures of high crystalline quality on such substrates.

  5. Efficient conversion of sand to nano-silicon and its energetic Si-C composite anode design for high volumetric capacity lithium-ion battery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furquan, Mohammad; Raj Khatribail, Anish; Vijayalakshmi, Savithri; Mitra, Sagar

    2018-04-01

    Silicon is an attractive anode material for Li-ion cells, which can provide energy density 30% higher than any of the today's commercial Li-ion cells. In the current study, environmentally benign, high abundant, and low cost sand (SiO2) source has been used to prepare nano-silicon via scalable metallothermic reduction method using micro wave heating. In this research, we have developed and optimized a method to synthesis high purity nano silicon powder that takes only 5 min microwave heating of sand and magnesium mixture at 800 °C. Carbon coated nano-silicon electrode material is prepared by a unique method of coating, polymerization and finally in-situ carbonization of furfuryl alcohol on to the high purity nano-silicon. The electrochemical performance of a half cell using the carbon coated high purity Si is showed a stable capacity of 1500 mAh g-1 at 6 A g-1 for over 200 cycles. A full cell is fabricated using lithium cobalt oxide having thickness ≈56 μm as cathode and carbon coated silicon thin anode of thickness ≈9 μm. The fabricated full cell of compact size exhibits excellent volumetric capacity retention of 1649 mAh cm-3 at 0.5 C rate (C = 4200 mAh g-1) and extended cycle life (600 cycles). The full cell is demonstrated on an LED lantern and LED display board.

  6. Experimental investigation of slow-positron emission from 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ling, C.C.; Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.; Weng, H.M.

    2002-01-01

    Slow-positron emission from the surfaces of as-grown n-type 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC (silicon carbide) with a conversion efficiency of ∼10 -4 has been observed. After 30 min of 1000 deg. C annealing in forming gas, the conversion efficiency of the n-type 6H-SiC sample was observed to be enhanced by 75% to 1.9x10 -4 , but it then dropped to ∼10 -5 upon a further 30 min annealing at 1400 deg. C. The positron work function of the n-type 6H-SiC was found to increase by 29% upon 1000 deg. C annealing. For both p-type 4H-SiC and p-type 6H-SiC materials, the conversion efficiency was of the order of ∼10 -5 , some ten times lower than that for the n-type materials. This was attributed to the band bending at the p-type material surface which caused positrons to drift away from the positron emitting surface. (author)

  7. PIE of nuclear grade SiC/SiC flexural coupons irradiated to 10 dpa at LWR temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koyanagi, Takaaki [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Katoh, Yutai [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-03-01

    Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are being actively investigated for accident-tolerant core structures of light water reactors (LWRs). Owing to the limited number of irradiation studies previously conducted at LWR-coolant temperature, this study examined SiC/SiC composites following neutron irradiation at 230–340°C to 2.0 and 11.8 dpa in the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The investigated materials are chemical vapor infiltrated (CVI) SiC/SiC composites with three different reinforcement fibers. The fiber materials were monolayer pyrolytic carbon (PyC)-coated Hi-NicalonTM Type-S (HNS), TyrannoTM SA3 (SA3), and SCS-UltraTM (SCS) SiC fibers. The irradiation resistance of these composites was investigated based on flexural behavior, dynamic Young’s modulus, swelling, and microstructures. There was no notable mechanical properties degradation of the irradiated HNS and SA3 SiC/SiC composites except for reduction of the Young’s moduli by up to 18%. The microstructural stability of these composites supported the absence of degradation. In addition, no progressive swelling from 2.0 to 11.8 dpa was confirmed for these composites. On the other hand, the SCS composite showed significant mechanical degradation associated with cracking within the fiber. This study determined that SiC/SiC composites with HNS or SA3 SiC/SiC fibers, a PyC interphase, and a CVI SiC matrix retain their properties beyond the lifetime dose for LWR fuel cladding at the relevant temperature.

  8. SiC for microwave power transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sriram, S.; Siergiej, R.R.; Clarke, R.C.; Agarwal, A.K.; Brandt, C.D. [Northrop Grumman Sci. and Technol. Center, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    1997-07-16

    The advantages of SiC for high power, microwave devices are discussed. The design considerations, fabrication, and experimental results are described for SiC MESFETs and SITs. The highest reported f{sub max} for a 0.5 {mu}m MESFET using semi-insulating 4H-SiC is 42 GHz. These devices also showed a small signal gain of 5.1 dB at 20 GHz. Other 4H-SiC MESFETs have shown a power density of 3.3 W/mm at 850 MHz. The largest SiC power transistor reported is a 450 W SIT measured at 600 MHz. The power output density of this SIT is 2.5 times higher than that of comparable silicon devices. SITs have been designed to operate as high as 3.0 GHz, with a 3 cm periphery part delivering 38 W of output power. (orig.) 28 refs.

  9. Properties of SiC semiconductor detector of fast neutrons investigated using MCNPX code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sedlakova, K.; Sagatova, A.; Necas, V.; Zatko, B.

    2013-01-01

    The potential of silicon carbide (SiC) for use in semiconductor nuclear radiation detectors has been long recognized. The wide bandgap of SiC (3.25 eV for 4H-SiC polytype) compared to that for more conventionally used semiconductors, such as silicon (1.12 eV) and germanium (0.67 eV), makes SiC an attractive semiconductor for use in high dose rate and high ionization nuclear environments. The present work focused on the simulation of particle transport in SiC detectors of fast neutrons using statistical analysis of Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX. Its possibilities in detector design and optimization are presented.(authors)

  10. Ion beam synthesis and characterization of large area 3C-SiC pseudo substrates for homo- and heteroepitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haeberlen, Maik

    2006-12-01

    In this work, large area epitaxial 3C-SiC films on Si(100) and Si(111) were formed by ion beam synthesis and subsequently characterized for their structural and crystalline properties. These SiC/Si structures are meant to be used as SiC pseudosubstrates for the homo- and heteroepitaxial growth of other compound semiconductors. The suitability of these pseudosubstrates for this purpose was tested using various epitaxial systems and thin film growth methods. For this the homoepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC employing C 60 -MBE and the heteroepitaxial growth of hexagonal GaN films grown by MOCVD and IBAMBA was studied in detail. The comparison of the structural and crystalline properties with data from literature enabled a qualified judgement of the potential of the 3C-SiC pseudosubstrates as an alternative substrate for the epitaxial growth of such films. These new 3C-SiC pseudosubstrates also enabled studies of other little known epitaxial systems: For the first time hexagonal ZnO films on (111) oriented pseudosubstrates were grown using PLD. The method if IBAMBE enabled the growth of cubic GaN layers on (100)-oriented pseudosubstrates. (orig.)

  11. Preparation of SiC Compacts by the Rapid Proto typing Machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdelrahman, A.A.M.; Ahmed, A.Z.; Elmasry, M.A.A.

    2008-01-01

    The preparation of ceramic green bodies from powders by the rapid proto typing is a promising technique. In this work SiC green bodies were prepared from black SiC powder mixed with 10 wt % organic binder namely Ave be SP G20 starch. Different liquid binders were investigated and were successful in producing strong green bodies such as NH 4 OH in the ph range 9-10 or 1 % HCl solution in water and or a mixture of 1% NH 4 Cl and NH 4 OH in the ph range of 8.5 to 9. The green bodies were then preheated at 200 degree C to eliminate the starch by thermal decomposition. After that these parts were infiltrated using molten silicon at 1450 degree C in Argon atmosphere. Unfortunately it was impossible to infiltrate the green bodies using liquid silicon. Another technique was followed which is dipping of the green bodies in liquid silicon. This method was successful. The densities of the green and dipped bodies were determined and they were examined under the metallo graph and SEM. It was found that no SiC dissolved in the silicon after dipping. This was concluded from the presence of sharp corners of SiC grains

  12. Investigation of positive roles of hydrogen plasma treatment for interface passivation based on silicon heterojunction solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Liping; Liu, Wenzhu; Liu, Jinning; Shi, Jianhua; Meng, Fanying; Liu, Zhengxin; Guo, Wanwu; Bao, Jian

    2016-01-01

    The positive roles of H 2 -plasma treatment (HPT) have been investigated by using different treatment procedures in view of the distinctly improved passivation performance of amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunctions (SHJs). It has been found that a hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film and crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) interface with a high stretching mode (HSM) is detrimental to passivation. A moderate pre-HPT introduces atomic H, which plays an effective tuning role in decreasing the interfacial HSM; unfortunately, an epitaxial layer is formed. Further improvement in passivation can be achieved in terms of increasing the HSM of a-Si:H film treated by appropriate post-HPT based on the a-Si:H thickness. The minority carrier lifetime of crystalline wafers can be improved by treated films containing a certain quantity of crystallites. The microstructure factor R and the maximum intensity of the dielectric function ε 2max have been found to be critical microstructure parameters that describe high-quality a-Si:H passivation layers, which are associated with the amorphous-to-microcrystalline transition phase induced by multi-step HPT. Finally, the open circuit voltage and conversion efficiency of the SHJ solar cell can be improved by implementing an effective HPT process. (paper)

  13. Microstructural optimization of high temperature SiC/SiC composites by nite process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimoda, K.; Park, J.S.; Hinoki, T.; Kohyama, A.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: SiC/SiC composites are one of the promising structural materials for future fusion reactor because of the excellent potentiality in thermal and mechanical properties under very severe environment including high temperature and high energy neutron bombardment. For fusion-grade SiC/SiC composites, high-crystallinity and near-stoichiometric characteristic are required to keep excellent stability against neutron irradiation. The realization of the reactor will be strongly depend on optimization of SiC/SiC composites microstructure, particularly in regard to the materials and processes used for the fiber, interphase and matrix constituents. One of the important accomplishments is the new process, called nano-particle infiltration and transient eutectic phase (NITE) process developed in our group. The microstructure of NITE-SiC/SiC composites, such as fiber volume fraction, porosity and type of pores, can be controlled precisely by the selection of sintering temperature/applied stress history. The objective of this study is to investigate thermal stability and mechanical properties of NITE-SiC/SiC composites at high-temperature. Two kinds of highly-densified SiC/SiC composites with the difference of fiber volume fraction were prepared, and were subjected to exposure tests from 1000 deg. C to 1500 deg. C in an argon-oxygen gas mixture with an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 Pa. The thermal stability of the composites was characterized through mass change and TEM/SEM observation. The in-situ tensile tests at 1300 deg. C and 1500 deg. C were carried out in the same atmosphere. Most of SiC/SiC composites, even for the advanced CVI-SiC/SiC composites with multi-layered SiC/C inter-phases, underwent reduction in the maximum strength by about 20% at 1300 deg. C. In particular, this reduction was attributed to a slight burnout of the carbon interphase due to oxygen impurities in test atmosphere. However, there was no significant degradation for

  14. Microstructural optimization of high temperature SiC/SiC composites by nite process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shimoda, K. [Kyoto Univ., Graduate School of Energy Science (Japan); Park, J.S. [Kyoto Univ., Institute of Advanced Energy (Japan); Hinoki, T.; Kohyama, A. [Kyoto Univ., lnstitute of Advanced Energy, Gokasho, Uji (Japan)

    2007-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: SiC/SiC composites are one of the promising structural materials for future fusion reactor because of the excellent potentiality in thermal and mechanical properties under very severe environment including high temperature and high energy neutron bombardment. For fusion-grade SiC/SiC composites, high-crystallinity and near-stoichiometric characteristic are required to keep excellent stability against neutron irradiation. The realization of the reactor will be strongly depend on optimization of SiC/SiC composites microstructure, particularly in regard to the materials and processes used for the fiber, interphase and matrix constituents. One of the important accomplishments is the new process, called nano-particle infiltration and transient eutectic phase (NITE) process developed in our group. The microstructure of NITE-SiC/SiC composites, such as fiber volume fraction, porosity and type of pores, can be controlled precisely by the selection of sintering temperature/applied stress history. The objective of this study is to investigate thermal stability and mechanical properties of NITE-SiC/SiC composites at high-temperature. Two kinds of highly-densified SiC/SiC composites with the difference of fiber volume fraction were prepared, and were subjected to exposure tests from 1000 deg. C to 1500 deg. C in an argon-oxygen gas mixture with an oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 Pa. The thermal stability of the composites was characterized through mass change and TEM/SEM observation. The in-situ tensile tests at 1300 deg. C and 1500 deg. C were carried out in the same atmosphere. Most of SiC/SiC composites, even for the advanced CVI-SiC/SiC composites with multi-layered SiC/C inter-phases, underwent reduction in the maximum strength by about 20% at 1300 deg. C. In particular, this reduction was attributed to a slight burnout of the carbon interphase due to oxygen impurities in test atmosphere. However, there was no significant degradation for

  15. 14th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells& Modules: Materials and Processes; Extended Abstracts and Papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B. L.

    2004-08-01

    The 14th Workshop will provide a forum for an informal exchange of technical and scientific information between international researchers in the photovoltaic and relevant non-photovoltaic fields. It will offer an excellent opportunity for researchers in private industry and at universities to prioritize mutual needs for future collaborative research. The workshop is intended to address the fundamental properties of PV silicon, new solar cell designs, advanced solar cell processing techniques, and cell-related module issues. A combination of oral presentations by invited speakers, poster sessions, and discussion sessions will review recent advances in crystal growth, new cell designs, new processes and process characterization techniques, cell fabrication approaches suitable for future manufacturing demands, and solar cell encapsulation. This year's theme, ''Crystalline Si Solar Cells: Leapfrogging the Barriers,'' reflects the continued success of crystalline Si PV in overcoming technological barriers to improve solar cell performance and lower the cost of Si PV. The workshop will consist of presentations by invited speakers, followed by discussion sessions. In addition, there will be two poster sessions presenting the latest research and development results. Some presentations will address recent technologies in the microelectronics field that may have a direct bearing on PV. The sessions will include: Advances in crystal growth and material issues; Impurities and defects; Dynamics during device processing; Passivation; High-efficiency Si solar cells; Advanced processing; Thin Si solar cells; and Solar cell reliability and module issues.

  16. Passivation of hexagonal SiC surfaces by hydrogen termination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seyller, Thomas

    2004-01-01

    Surface hydrogenation is a well established technique in silicon technology. It is easily accomplished by wet-chemical procedures and results in clean and unreconstructed surfaces, which are extremely low in charged surface states and stable against oxidation in air, thus constituting an ideal surface preparation. As a consequence, methods for hydrogenation have been sought for preparing silicon carbide (SiC) surfaces with similar well defined properties. It was soon recognized, however, that due to different surface chemistry new ground had to be broken in order to find a method leading to the desired monatomic hydrogen saturation. In this paper the results of H passivation of SiC surfaces by high-temperature hydrogen annealing will be discussed, thereby placing emphasis on chemical, structural and electronic properties of the resulting surfaces. In addition to their unique properties, hydrogenated hexagonal SiC {0001} surfaces offer the interesting possibility of gaining insight into the formation of silicon- and carbon-rich reconstructions as well. This is due to the fact that to date hydrogenation is the only method providing oxygen-free surfaces with a C to Si ratio of 1:1. Last but not least, the electronic properties of hydrogen-free SiC {0001} surfaces will be alluded to. SiC {0001} surfaces are the only known semiconductor surfaces that can be prepared in their unreconstructed (1 x 1) state with one dangling bond per unit cell by photon induced hydrogen desorption. These surfaces give indications of a Mott-Hubbard surface band structure

  17. Efficiency Improvement of HIT Solar Cells on p-Type Si Wafers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Chun-You; Lin, Chu-Hsuan; Hsiao, Hao-Tse; Yang, Po-Chuan; Wang, Chih-Ming; Pan, Yen-Chih

    2013-11-22

    Single crystal silicon solar cells are still predominant in the market due to the abundance of silicon on earth and their acceptable efficiency. Different solar-cell structures of single crystalline Si have been investigated to boost efficiency; the heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) structure is currently the leading technology. The record efficiency values of state-of-the art HIT solar cells have always been based on n-type single-crystalline Si wafers. Improving the efficiency of cells based on p-type single-crystalline Si wafers could provide broader options for the development of HIT solar cells. In this study, we varied the thickness of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous Si layer to improve the efficiency of HIT solar cells on p-type Si wafers.

  18. Synthesis of SiC microstructures in Si technology by high dose carbon implantation: Etch-stop properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serre, C.; Perez-Rodriguez, A.; Romano-Rodriguez, A.; Calvo-Barrio, L.; Morante, J.R.; Esteve, J.; Acero, M.C.; Skorupa, W.; Koegler, R.

    1997-01-01

    The use of high dose carbon ion implantation in Si for the production of membranes and microstructures is investigated. Si wafers were implanted with carbon doses of 10 17 and 5 x 10 17 cm -2 , at an energy of 300 keV and a temperature of 500 C. The structural analysis of these samples revealed the formation of a highly stable buried layer of crystalline β-SiC precipitates aligned with the Si matrix. The etch-stop properties of this layer have been investigated using tetramethyl-ammonium hydroxide as etchant solution. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements performed on the etched samples have allowed an estimate of the minimum dose needed for obtaining an etch-stop layer to a value in the range 2 to 3 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 . This behavior has been explained assuming the existence of a percolation process in a SiC/Si binary system. Finally, very thin crystalline membranes and self-standing structures with average surface roughness in the range 6 to 7 nm have been obtained

  19. Three dimensional modelling of grain boundary interaction and evolution during directional solidification of multi-crystalline silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, T.; Lin, H. K.; Lan, C. W.

    2018-03-01

    The development of grain structures during directional solidification of multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) plays a crucial role in the materials quality for silicon solar cells. Three dimensional (3D) modelling of the grain boundary (GB) interaction and evolution based on phase fields by considering anisotropic GB energy and mobility for mc-Si is carried out for the first time to elucidate the process. The energy and mobility of GBs are allowed to depend on misorientation and the GB plane. To examine the correctness of our method, the known the coincident site lattice (CSL) combinations such as (∑ a + ∑ b → ∑ a × b) or (∑ a + ∑ b → ∑ a / b) are verified. We frther discuss how to use the GB normal to characterize a ∑ 3 twin GB into a tilt or a twist one, and show the interaction between tilt and twist ∑ 3 twin GBs. Two experimental scenarios are considered for comparison and the results are in good agreement with the experiments as well as the theoretical predictions.

  20. Heteroepitaxial growth of SiC films by carbonization of polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett films on Si

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goloudina S.I.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available High quality single crystal SiC films were prepared by carbonization of polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett films on Si substrate. The films formed after annealing of the polyimide films at 1000°C, 1100°C, 1200°C were studied by Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electon microscopy (TEM, transmission electron diffraction (TED, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. XRD study and HRTEM cross-section revealed that the crystalline SiC film begins to grow on Si (111 substrate at 1000°C. According to the HRTEM cross-section image five planes in 3C-SiC (111 film are aligned with four Si(111 planes at the SiC/Si interface. It was shown the SiC films (35 nm grown on Si(111 at 1200°C have mainly cubic 3C-SiC structure with a little presence of hexagonal polytypes. Only 3C-SiC films (30 nm were formed on Si (100 substrate at the same temperature. It was shown the SiC films (30-35 nm are able to cover the voids in Si substrate with size up to 10 μm.

  1. SiC Power MOSFET with Improved Gate Dielectric

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sbrockey, Nick M. [Structured Materials Industries, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (United States); Tompa, Gary S. [Structured Materials Industries, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (United States); Spencer, Michael G. [Structured Materials Industries, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (United States); Chandrashekhar, Chandra M.V. S. [Structured Materials Industries, Inc., Piscataway, NJ (United States)

    2010-08-23

    In this STTR program, Structured Materials Industries (SMI), and Cornell University are developing novel gate oxide technology, as a critical enabler for silicon carbide (SiC) devices. SiC is a wide bandgap semiconductor material, with many unique properties. SiC devices are ideally suited for high-power, highvoltage, high-frequency, high-temperature and radiation resistant applications. The DOE has expressed interest in developing SiC devices for use in extreme environments, in high energy physics applications and in power generation. The development of transistors based on the Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) structure will be critical to these applications.

  2. Surface passivation at low temperature of p- and n-type silicon wafers using a double layer a-Si:H/SiNx:H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Focsa, A.; Slaoui, A.; Charifi, H.; Stoquert, J.P.; Roques, S.

    2009-01-01

    Surface passivation of bare silicon or emitter region is of great importance towards high efficiency solar cells. Nowadays, this is usually accomplished by depositing an hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H) layer on n + p structures that serves also as an excellent antireflection layer. On the other hand, surface passivation of p-type silicon is better assured by an hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer but suffers from optical properties. In this paper, we reported the surface passivation of p-type and n-type silicon wafers by using an a-Si:H/SiNx:H double layer formed at low temperature (50-400 deg. C) with ECR-PECVD technique. We first investigated the optical properties (refraction index, reflectance, and absorbance) and structural properties by FTIR (bonds Si-H, N-H) of the deposited films. The hydrogen content in the layers was determined by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). The passivation effect was monitored by measuring the minority carrier effective lifetime vs. different parameters such as deposition temperature and amorphous silicon layer thickness. We have found that a 10-15 nm a-Si film with an 86 nm thick SiN layer provides an optimum of the minority carriers' lifetime. It increases from an initial value of about 50-70 μs for a-Si:H to about 760 and 800 μs for a-Si:H/SiNx:H on Cz-pSi and FZ-nSi, respectively, at an injection level 2 x 10 15 cm -3 . The effective surface recombination velocity, S eff , for passivated double layer on n-type FZ Si reached 11 cm/s and for FZ-pSi-14 cm/s, and for Cz-pSi-16-20 cm/s. Effect of hydrogen in the passivation process is discussed.

  3. Comparative Study of Si and SiC MOSFETs for High Voltage Class D Audio Amplifiers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Dennis; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2014-01-01

    Silicon (Si) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) are traditional utilised in class D audio amplifiers. It has been proposed to replace the traditional inefficient electrodynamic transducer with the electrostatic transducer. This imposes new high voltage requirements...... on the MOSFETs of class D amplifiers, and significantly reduces the selection of suitable MOSFETs. As a consequence it is investigated, if Silicon-Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs could represent a valid alternative. The theory of pulse timing errors are revisited for the application of high voltage and capactive loaded...... class D amplifiers. It is shown, that SiC MOSFETs can compete with Si MSOFETs in terms of THD. Validation is done using simulations and a 500 V amplifier driving a 100 nF load. THD+N below 0.3 % is reported...

  4. Interweaved Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composites as anode materials for Li-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Miao [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Hou, Xianhua, E-mail: houxh@scnu.edu.cn [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Engineering Research Center of Materials and Technology for Electrochemical Energy Storage Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Jie; Li, Min [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Hu, Shejun [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Engineering Research Center of Materials and Technology for Electrochemical Energy Storage Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Shao, Zongping [Nanjing University of Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing 210009 (China); Liu, Xiang [Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing 210009 (China)

    2014-03-05

    Graphical abstract: In summary, a serious of high-energy wet ball milling, closed spray drying and subsequent chemical vapor deposition methods were introduced successfully to fabricated novel Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composites with carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibres interweaved with carbon coated silicon spherical composites as superior anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The core-shell structure of Si@C composites can accommodate the volume change of electrode during charge and discharge. Meanwhile, the citric acid pyrolyzed carbon was coated on the surface of the silicon perfectly and constructs the connection network of nano silicon particles. Moreover, the carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibres, which is interweaved with nano-silicon, also allows high electrical conductivity, improved solid–electrolyte interface formation and structural integrity. Compared with pure silicon and Si@C composites, the novel Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composites had the best combination of reversible capacity and cycleablity, and this anode materials exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. The Si/C composite had a fairly high initial discharge capacity of 2168.7 mA h g{sup −1} with an efficiency of 73%, and the discharge capacity of the 50th cycle maintained surprisingly of 1194.9 mA h g{sup −1}. Meanwhile, spray drying and chemical vapor deposition are environmentally friendly, economical, and relatively high-yield method for the production of the Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composites in large quantities. Consequently, the novel Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composite electrodes may be a potential alternative to graphite for high energy density lithium ion batteries. Highlights: • The core/shell structured silicon/carbon composites were prepared by a facile way. • The as-prepared Si@C/CNTs and CNFs composites shows excellent electrochemical performance. • The preparation method has mild experiment conditions and high production rate. • The structure benefited electronic transfer and

  5. Naturally occurring 32 Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary; Bunker, Raymond; Finch, Zachary S.

    2018-05-01

    The naturally occurring radioisotope Si-32 represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of Si-32 and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the Si-32 concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon “ore” and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude that production of Si-32-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in Si-32. To quantitatively evaluate the Si-32 content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon-based detectors with low levels of Si-32, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.

  6. Naturally occurring 32Si and low-background silicon dark matter detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orrell, John L.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Bliss, Mary; Bunker, Raymond; Finch, Zachary S.

    2018-05-01

    The naturally occurring radioisotope 32Si represents a potentially limiting background in future dark matter direct-detection experiments. We investigate sources of 32Si and the vectors by which it comes to reside in silicon crystals used for fabrication of radiation detectors. We infer that the 32Si concentration in commercial single-crystal silicon is likely variable, dependent upon the specific geologic and hydrologic history of the source (or sources) of silicon "ore" and the details of the silicon-refinement process. The silicon production industry is large, highly segmented by refining step, and multifaceted in terms of final product type, from which we conclude that production of 32Si-mitigated crystals requires both targeted silicon material selection and a dedicated refinement-through-crystal-production process. We review options for source material selection, including quartz from an underground source and silicon isotopically reduced in 32Si. To quantitatively evaluate the 32Si content in silicon metal and precursor materials, we propose analytic methods employing chemical processing and radiometric measurements. Ultimately, it appears feasible to produce silicon detectors with low levels of 32Si, though significant assay method development is required to validate this claim and thereby enable a quality assurance program during an actual controlled silicon-detector production cycle.

  7. Bond formation in hafnium atom implantation into SiC induced by high-energy electron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasuda, H.; Mori, H.; Sakata, T.; Naka, M.; Fujita, H.

    1992-01-01

    Bilayer films of Hf (target atoms)/α-SiC (substrate) were irradiated with 2 MeV electrons in an ultra-high voltage electron microscope (UHVEM), with the electron beam incident on the hafnium layer. As a result of the irradiation, hafnium atoms were implanted into the SiC substrate. Changes in the microstructure and valence electronic states associated with the implantation were studied by a combination of UHVEM and Auger valence electron spectroscopy. The implantation process is summarized as follows. (1) Irradiation with 2 MeV electrons first induces a crystalline-to-amorphous transition in α-SiC. (2) Hafnium atoms which have been knocked-off from the hafnium layer by collision with the 2 MeV electrons are implanted into the resultant amorphous SiC. (3) The implanted hafnium atoms make preferential bonding to carbon atoms. (4) With continued irradiation, the hafnium atoms repeat the displacement along the beam direction and the subsequent bonding with the dangling hybrids of carbon and silicon. The repetition of the displacement and subsequent bonding lead to the deep implantation of hafnium atoms into the SiC substrate. It is concluded that implantation successfully occurs when the bond strength between a constituent atom of a substrate and an injected atom is stronger than that between constituent atoms of a substrate. (Author)

  8. Ninth Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials and Processes: Extended Abstracts and Papers of the Workshop, 9-11 August 1999, Breckenridge, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B.L.; Gee, J.; Kalejs, J.; Saitoh, R.; Stavola, M.; Swanson, D.; Tan, T.; Weber, E.; Werner, J.

    2000-08-04

    Since 1997, the PV sales have exceeded 100 MW/yr with > 85% of the production coming from silicon photovoltaics (Si-PV). As the PV demands increase in the new millennium, there will be a host of challenges to Si-PV. The challenges will arise in developing strategies for cost reduction, increased production, higher throughput per manufacturing line, new sources of low-cost Si, and introduction of new manufacturing processes for cell fabrication. At the same time, newer thin-film technologies, based on CdTe and CIS, will come on board posing new competition. With these challenges come new opportunities for the Si-PV-to detach itself from the microelectronics industry, to embark on an aggressive program in thin-film Si solar cells, and to try new approaches to process monitoring. The 9th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Materials and Processes addressed these issues in a number of sessions. In addition to covering the usual topics of impurity gettering, defects, passivation, and solar cell processing, there were sessions on poly feedstock, mechanical properties of Si, metallization, and process monitoring.

  9. Key Success Factors and Future Perspective of Silicon-Based Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Binetti

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Today, after more than 70 years of continued progress on silicon technology, about 85% of cumulative installed photovolatic (PV modules are based on crystalline silicon (c-Si. PV devices based on silicon are the most common solar cells currently being produced, and it is mainly due to silicon technology that the PV has grown by 40% per year over the last decade. An additional step in the silicon solar cell development is ongoing, and it is related to a further efficiency improvement through defect control, device optimization, surface modification, and nanotechnology approaches. This paper attempts to briefly review the most important advances and current technologies used to produce crystalline silicon solar devices and in the meantime the most challenging and promising strategies acting to increase the efficiency to cost/ratio of silicon solar cells. Eventually, the impact and the potentiality of using a nanotechnology approach in a silicon-based solar cell are also described.

  10. Effect of PECVD SiNx/SiOy Nx –Si interface property on surface passivation of silicon wafer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Xiao-Jie; Zhou Chun-Lan; Zhou Su; Wang Wen-Jing; Zhu Jun-Jie

    2016-01-01

    It is studied in this paper that the electrical characteristics of the interface between SiO y N x /SiN x stack and silicon wafer affect silicon surface passivation. The effects of precursor flow ratio and deposition temperature of the SiO y N x layer on interface parameters, such as interface state density Di t and fixed charge Q f , and the surface passivation quality of silicon are observed. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal that inserting a thin SiO y N x layer between the SiN x and the silicon wafer can suppress Q f in the film and D it at the interface. The positive Q f and D it and a high surface recombination velocity in stacks are observed to increase with the introduced oxygen and minimal hydrogen in the SiO y N x film increasing. Prepared by deposition at a low temperature and a low ratio of N 2 O/SiH 4 flow rate, the SiO y N x /SiN x stacks result in a low effective surface recombination velocity (S eff ) of 6 cm/s on a p-type 1 Ω·cm–5 Ω·cm FZ silicon wafer. The positive relationship between S eff and D it suggests that the saturation of the interface defect is the main passivation mechanism although the field-effect passivation provided by the fixed charges also make a contribution to it. (paper)

  11. Growing GaN LEDs on amorphous SiC buffer with variable C/Si compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Chih-Hsien; Tzou, An-Jye; Chang, Jung-Hung; Chi, Yu-Chieh; Lin, Yung-Hsiang; Shih, Min-Hsiung; Lee, Chao-Kuei; Wu, Chih-I; Kuo, Hao-Chung; Chang, Chun-Yen; Lin, Gong-Ru

    2016-01-01

    The epitaxy of high-power gallium nitride (GaN) light-emitting diode (LED) on amorphous silicon carbide (a-SixC1−x) buffer is demonstrated. The a-SixC1−x buffers with different nonstoichiometric C/Si composition ratios are synthesized on SiO2/Si substrate by using a low-temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The GaN LEDs on different SixC1−x buffers exhibit different EL and C-V characteristics because of the extended strain induced interfacial defects. The EL power decays when increasing the Si content of SixC1−x buffer. The C-rich SixC1−x favors the GaN epitaxy and enables the strain relaxation to suppress the probability of Auger recombination. When the SixC1−x buffer changes from Si-rich to C-rich condition, the EL peak wavelengh shifts from 446 nm to 450 nm. Moreover, the uniform distribution contour of EL intensity spreads between the anode and the cathode because the traping density of the interfacial defect gradually reduces. In comparison with the GaN LED grown on Si-rich SixC1−x buffer, the device deposited on C-rich SixC1−x buffer shows a lower turn-on voltage, a higher output power, an external quantum efficiency, and an efficiency droop of 2.48 V, 106 mW, 42.3%, and 7%, respectively. PMID:26794268

  12. Nonlinear Optical Functions in Crystalline and Amorphous Silicon-on-Insulator Nanowires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baets, R.; Kuyken, B.; Liu, X.

    2012-01-01

    Silicon-on-Insulator nanowires provide an excellent platform for nonlinear optical functions in spite of the two-photon absorption at telecom wavelengths. Work on both crystalline and amorphous silicon nanowires is reviewed, in the wavelength range of 1.5 to 2.5 µm....

  13. Role of SiNx Barrier Layer on the Performances of Polyimide Ga2O3-doped ZnO p-i-n Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fang-Hsing; Kuo, Hsin-Hui; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Liu, Min-Chu

    2014-01-01

    In this study, silicon nitride (SiNx) thin films were deposited on polyimide (PI) substrates as barrier layers by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. The gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films were deposited on PI and SiNx/PI substrates at room temperature (RT), 100 and 200 °C by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The thicknesses of the GZO and SiNx thin films were controlled at around 160 ± 12 nm and 150 ± 10 nm, respectively. The optimal deposition parameters for the SiNx thin films were a working pressure of 800 × 10−3 Torr, a deposition power of 20 W, a deposition temperature of 200 °C, and gas flowing rates of SiH4 = 20 sccm and NH3 = 210 sccm, respectively. For the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI structures we had found that the GZO thin films deposited at 100 and 200 °C had higher crystallinity, higher electron mobility, larger carrier concentration, smaller resistivity, and higher optical transmittance ratio. For that, the GZO thin films deposited at 100 and 200 °C on PI and SiNx/PI substrates with thickness of ~000 nm were used to fabricate p-i-n hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si) thin film solar cells. 0.5% HCl solution was used to etch the surfaces of the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI substrates. Finally, PECVD system was used to deposit α-Si thin film onto the etched surfaces of the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI substrates to fabricate α-Si thin film solar cells, and the solar cells’ properties were also investigated. We had found that substrates to get the optimally solar cells’ efficiency were 200 °C-deposited GZO-SiNx/PI. PMID:28788494

  14. Role of SiNx Barrier Layer on the Performances of Polyimide Ga2O3-doped ZnO p-i-n Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Hsing Wang

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, silicon nitride (SiNx thin films were deposited on polyimide (PI substrates as barrier layers by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD system. The gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO thin films were deposited on PI and SiNx/PI substrates at room temperature (RT, 100 and 200 °C by radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering. The thicknesses of the GZO and SiNx thin films were controlled at around 160 ± 12 nm and 150 ± 10 nm, respectively. The optimal deposition parameters for the SiNx thin films were a working pressure of 800 × 10−3 Torr, a deposition power of 20 W, a deposition temperature of 200 °C, and gas flowing rates of SiH4 = 20 sccm and NH3 = 210 sccm, respectively. For the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI structures we had found that the GZO thin films deposited at 100 and 200 °C had higher crystallinity, higher electron mobility, larger carrier concentration, smaller resistivity, and higher optical transmittance ratio. For that, the GZO thin films deposited at 100 and 200 °C on PI and SiNx/PI substrates with thickness of ~1000 nm were used to fabricate p-i-n hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si thin film solar cells. 0.5% HCl solution was used to etch the surfaces of the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI substrates. Finally, PECVD system was used to deposit α-Si thin film onto the etched surfaces of the GZO/PI and GZO-SiNx/PI substrates to fabricate α-Si thin film solar cells, and the solar cells’ properties were also investigated. We had found that substrates to get the optimally solar cells’ efficiency were 200 °C-deposited GZO-SiNx/PI.

  15. 76 FR 66748 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Institution of Antidumping and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-27

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 701-TA-481 and 731-TA-1190 (Preliminary)] Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Institution of Antidumping and Countervailing... imports from China of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided for in subheadings 8541...

  16. Development of thin-film Si HYBRID solar module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakajima, Akihiko; Gotoh, Masahiro; Sawada, Toru; Fukuda, Susumu; Yoshimi, Masashi; Yamamoto, Kenji; Nomura, Takuji [Kaneka Corporation, 2-1-1, Hieitsuji, Otsu, Shiga 520-0104 (Japan)

    2009-06-15

    The device current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of thin-film silicon stacked tandem solar modules (HYBRID modules), consisting of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) cell and a thin-film crystalline silicon solar cell ({mu}c-Si), have been investigated under various spectral irradiance distributions. The performance of the HYBRID module varied periodically in natural sunlight due to the current-limiting property of the HYBRID module and the environmental effects. The behavior based on the current-limiting property was demonstrated by the modelling of the I-V curves using the linear interpolation method for each component cell. The improvement of the performance for the HYBRID module in natural sunlight will also be discussed from the viewpoint of the device design of the component cells. (author)

  17. Symmetry, strain, defects, and the nonlinear optical response of crystalline BaTiO3/silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kormondy, Kristy; Abel, Stefan; Popoff, Youri; Sousa, Marilyne; Caimi, Daniele; Siegwart, Heinz; Marchiori, Chiara; Rossell, Marta; Demkov, Alex; Fompeyrine, Jean

    Recent progress has been made towards exploiting the linear electro-optic or Pockels effect in ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) for novel integrated silicon photonics devices. In such structures, the crystalline symmetry and domain structure of BTO determine which electro-optic tensor elements are accessible under application of an external electric field. For epitaxial thin films of BTO on Si (001), the role of defects in strain relaxation can lead to very different crystalline symmetry even for films of identical thickness. Indeed, through geometric phase analysis of high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy images, we map changes of the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters across two 80-nm-thick BTO films. A corresponding 20% difference in the effective electro-optic response was measured by analyzing induced rotation of the polarization of a laser beam (λ = 1550 nm) transmitted through lithographically defined electrodes. Understanding, controlling, and modelling the role of BTO symmetry in nonlinear optics is of fundamental importance for the development of a hybrid BTO/Si photonics platform.. Work supported by the NSF (IRES-1358111), AFOSR (FA9550-12-10494), and European Commission (FP7-ICT-2013-11-619456-SITOGA).

  18. Effects of Interface Coating and Nitride Enhancing Additive on Properties of Hi-Nicalon SiC Fiber Reinforced Reaction-Bonded Silicon Nitride Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, Ramakrishana T.; Hull, David R.; Eldridge, Jeffrey I.; Babuder, Raymond

    2000-01-01

    Strong and tough Hi-Nicalon SiC fiber reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride matrix composites (SiC/ RBSN) have been fabricated by the fiber lay-up approach. Commercially available uncoated and PBN, PBN/Si-rich PBN, and BN/SiC coated SiC Hi-Nicalon fiber tows were used as reinforcement. The composites contained approximately 24 vol % of aligned 14 micron diameter SiC fibers in a porous RBSN matrix. Both one- and two-dimensional composites were characterized. The effects of interface coating composition, and the nitridation enhancing additive, NiO, on the room temperature physical, tensile, and interfacial shear strength properties of SiC/RBSN matrix composites were evaluated. Results indicate that for all three coated fibers, the thickness of the coatings decreased from the outer periphery to the interior of the tows, and that from 10 to 30 percent of the fibers were not covered with the interface coating. In the uncoated regions, chemical reaction between the NiO additive and the SiC fiber occurs causing degradation of tensile properties of the composites. Among the three interface coating combinations investigated, the BN/SiC coated Hi-Nicalon SiC fiber reinforced RBSN matrix composite showed the least amount of uncoated regions and reasonably uniform interface coating thickness. The matrix cracking stress in SiC/RBSN composites was predicted using a fracture mechanics based crack bridging model.

  19. Fracture Characteristics of C/SiC Composites for Rocket Nozzle at Elevated Temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Dong Hyun; Lee, Jeong Won; Kim, Jae Hoon [Chungnam Nat’l Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Sihn, Ihn Cheol; Lim, Byung Joo [Dai-Yang Industries Co., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-15

    In a solid propulsion system, the rocket nozzle is exposed to high temperature combustion gas. Hence, choosing an appropriate material that could demonstrate adequate performance at high temperature is important. As advanced materials, carbon/silicon carbide composites (C/SiC) have been studied with the aim of using them for the rocket nozzle throat. However, when compared with typical structural materials, C/SiC composites are relatively weak in terms of both strength and toughness, owing to their quasi-brittle behavior and oxidation at high temperatures. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the thermal and mechanical properties of this material before using it in this application. This study presents an experimental method to investigate the fracture behavior of C/SiC composite material manufactured using liquid silicon infiltration (LSI) method at elevated temperatures. In particular, the effects of major parameters, such as temperature, loading, oxidation conditions, and fiber direction on strength and fracture characteristics were investigated. Fractography analysis of the fractured specimens was performed using an SEM.

  20. Determination of thicknesses and temperatures of crystalline silicon wafers from optical measurements in the far infrared region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franta, Daniel; Franta, Pavel; Vohánka, Jiří; Čermák, Martin; Ohlídal, Ivan

    2018-05-01

    Optical measurements of transmittance in the far infrared region performed on crystalline silicon wafers exhibit partially coherent interference effects appropriate for the determination of thicknesses of the wafers. The knowledge of accurate spectral and temperature dependencies of the optical constants of crystalline silicon in this spectral region is crucial for the determination of its thickness and vice versa. The recently published temperature dependent dispersion model of crystalline silicon is suitable for this purpose. Because the linear thermal expansion of crystalline silicon is known, the temperatures of the wafers can be determined with high precision from the evolution of the interference patterns at elevated temperatures.

  1. Nickel Electroless Plating: Adhesion Analysis for Mono-Type Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Eun Gu; Rehman, Atteq ur; Lee, Sang Hee; Lee, Soo Hong

    2015-10-01

    The adhesion of the front electrodes to silicon substrate is the most important parameters to be optimized. Nickel silicide which is formed by sintering process using a silicon substrate improves the mechanical and electrical properties as well as act as diffusion barrier for copper. In this experiment p-type mono-crystalline czochralski (CZ) silicon wafers having resistivity of 1.5 Ω·cm were used to study one step and two step nickel electroless plating process. POCl3 diffusion process was performed to form the emitter with the sheet resistance of 70 ohm/sq. The Six, layer was set down as an antireflection coating (ARC) layer at emitter surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Laser ablation process was used to open SiNx passivation layer locally for the formation of the front electrodes. Nickel was deposited by electroless plating process by one step and two step nickel electroless deposition process. The two step nickel plating was performed by applying a second nickel deposition step subsequent to the first sintering process. Furthermore, the adhesion analysis for both one step and two steps process was conducted using peel force tester (universal testing machine, H5KT) after depositing Cu contact by light induced plating (LIP).

  2. Investigation of the agglomeration and amorphous transformation effects of neutron irradiation on the nanocrystalline silicon carbide (3C-SiC) using TEM and SEM methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huseynov, Elchin M., E-mail: elchin.h@yahoo.com [Department of Nanotechnology and Radiation Material Science, National Nuclear Research Center, Inshaatchilar pr. 4, AZ 1073 Baku (Azerbaijan); Institute of Radiation Problems of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, B.Vahabzade 9, AZ 1143 Baku (Azerbaijan)

    2017-04-01

    Nanocrystalline 3C-SiC particles irradiated by neutron flux during 20 h in TRIGA Mark II light water pool type research reactor. Silicon carbide nanoparticles were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) devices before and after neutron irradiation. The agglomeration of nanoparticles was studied comparatively before and after neutron irradiation. After neutron irradiation the amorphous layer surrounding the nanoparticles was analyzed in TEM device. Neutron irradiation defects in the 3C-SiC nanoparticles and other effects investigated by TEM device. The effect of irradiation on the crystal structure of the nanomaterial was studied by selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and electron diffraction patterns (EDP) analysis.

  3. Bovine serum albumin adsorption on passivated porous silicon layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockwood, David; Boukherroub, Rabah

    2005-03-01

    Hydrogen-terminated porous silicon (pSi) films were fabricated through electrochemical anodization of crystalline Si in HF-based solutions. The pSi-H surface was chemically functionalized by thermal reaction with undecylenic acid to produce an organic monolayer covalently attached to the silicon surface through Si-C bonds and bearing an acid terminal group. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was then adsorbed onto the modified surface. SEM showed that the porous films were damaged and partially lifted off the Si substrate after a prolonged BSA adsorption. Ellipsometry revealed that the BSA had penetrated ˜ 1.3 micrometers into the porous structure. The film damage results from BSA anchoring itself tightly through strong electrostatic interactions to the acid-covered Si sidewalls. A change in surface tension during BSA film formation then causes the pSi layer to buckle and lift-off the underlying Si substrate. FTIR results from the modified pSi surfaces showed the presence of strong characteristic Amide I, II and III vibrational bands after BSA adsorption.

  4. Graphene Quantum Dot Layers with Energy-Down-Shift Effect on Crystalline-Silicon Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyung D; Park, Myung J; Kim, Do-Yeon; Kim, Soo M; Kang, Byungjun; Kim, Seongtak; Kim, Hyunho; Lee, Hae-Seok; Kang, Yoonmook; Yoon, Sam S; Hong, Byung H; Kim, Donghwan

    2015-09-02

    Graphene quantum dot (GQD) layers were deposited as an energy-down-shift layer on crystalline-silicon solar cell surfaces by kinetic spraying of GQD suspensions. A supersonic air jet was used to accelerate the GQDs onto the surfaces. Here, we report the coating results on a silicon substrate and the GQDs' application as an energy-down-shift layer in crystalline-silicon solar cells, which enhanced the power conversion efficiency (PCE). GQD layers deposited at nozzle scan speeds of 40, 30, 20, and 10 mm/s were evaluated after they were used to fabricate crystalline-silicon solar cells; the results indicate that GQDs play an important role in increasing the optical absorptivity of the cells. The short-circuit current density was enhanced by about 2.94% (0.9 mA/cm(2)) at 30 mm/s. Compared to a reference device without a GQD energy-down-shift layer, the PCE of p-type silicon solar cells was improved by 2.7% (0.4 percentage points).

  5. Structural investigations of silicon nanostructures grown by self-organized island formation for photovoltaic applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roczen, Maurizio; Malguth, Enno; Barthel, Thomas; Gref, Orman; Toefflinger, Jan A.; Schoepke, Andreas; Schmidt, Manfred; Ruske, Florian; Korte, Lars; Rech, Bernd [Institute for Silicon Photovoltaics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Schade, Martin; Leipner, Hartmut S. [Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg, Interdisziplinaeres Zentrum fuer Materialwissenschaften, Halle (Germany); Callsen, Gordon; Hoffmann, Axel [Technische Universitaet Berlin, Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Berlin (Germany); Phillips, Matthew R. [University of Technology Sydney, Department of Physics and Advanced Materials, NSW (Australia)

    2012-09-15

    The self-organized growth of crystalline silicon nanodots and their structural characteristics are investigated. For the nanodot synthesis, thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers with different thicknesses have been deposited onto the ultrathin (2 nm) oxidized (111) surface of Si wafers by electron beam evaporation under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The solid phase crystallization of the initial layer is induced by a subsequent in situ annealing step at 700 C, which leads to the dewetting of the initial a-Si layer. This process results in the self-organized formation of highly crystalline Si nanodot islands. Scanning electron microscopy confirms that size, shape, and planar distribution of the nanodots depend on the thickness of the initial a-Si layer. Cross-sectional investigations reveal a single-crystalline structure of the nanodots. This characteristic is observed as long as the thickness of the initial a-Si layer remains under a certain threshold triggering coalescence. The underlying ultra-thin oxide is not structurally affected by the dewetting process. Furthermore, a method for the fabrication of close-packed stacks of nanodots is presented, in which each nanodot is covered by a 2 nm thick SiO{sub 2} shell. The chemical composition of these ensembles exhibits an abrupt Si/SiO{sub 2} interface with a low amount of suboxides. A minority charge carrier lifetime of 18 {mu}s inside of the nanodots is determined. (orig.)

  6. InSitu SEM Investigation of Microstructural Damage Evolution and Strain Relaxation in a Melt Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevener, Kathy; Chen, Zhe; Daly, Sam; Tracy, Jared; Kiser, Doug

    2016-01-01

    With CMC components poised to complete flight certification in turbine engines on commercial aircraft within the near future, there are many efforts within the aerospace community to model the mechanical and environmental degradation of CMCs. Direct observations of damage evolution are needed to support these modeling efforts and provide quantitative measures of damage parameters used in the various models. This study was performed to characterize the damage evolution during tensile loading of a melt infiltrated (MI) silicon carbide reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) composite. A SiC/SiC tensile coupon was loaded to a maximum global stress of 30 ksi in a tensile fixture within an SEM while observations were made at 5 ksi increments. Both traditional image analysis and DIC (digital image correlation) were used to quantify damage evolution. With the DIC analysis, microscale damage was observed at the fiber-matrix interfaces at stresses as low as 5 ksi. First matrix cracking took place between 20 and 25 ksi, accompanied by an observable relaxation in strain near matrix cracks. Matrix crack opening measurements at the maximum load ranged from 200 nm to 1.5 m. Crack opening along the fiber-matrix interface was also characterized as a function of load and angular position relative to the loading axis. This characterization was funded by NASA GRC and was performed to support NASA GRC modeling of SiC/SiC environmental degradation

  7. Porous Silicon Nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Yongquan; Zhou, Hailong; Duan, Xiangfeng

    2011-01-01

    In this minreview, we summarize recent progress in the synthesis, properties and applications of a new type of one-dimensional nanostructures — single crystalline porous silicon nanowires. The growth of porous silicon nanowires starting from both p- and n-type Si wafers with a variety of dopant concentrations can be achieved through either one-step or two-step reactions. The mechanistic studies indicate the dopant concentration of Si wafers, oxidizer concentration, etching time and temperature can affect the morphology of the as-etched silicon nanowires. The porous silicon nanowires are both optically and electronically active and have been explored for potential applications in diverse areas including photocatalysis, lithium ion battery, gas sensor and drug delivery. PMID:21869999

  8. Green synthesis of Si-incorporated hydroxyapatite using sodium metasilicate as silicon precursor and in vitro antibiotic release studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abinaya Sindu, P; Kolanthai, Elayaraja; Suganthi, R V; Thanigai Arul, K; Manikandan, E; Catalani, Luiz H; Narayana Kalkura, S

    2017-10-01

    The aim of the current study is to synthesize nanosized silicon incorporated HAp (Si-HAP) using sodium metasilicate as the silicon source. The sol-gel derived samples were further subjected to microwave irradiation. Incorporation of Si into HAp did not alter the HAp phase, as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Moreover, variation in the lattice parameters of the Si-incorporated HAp indicates that Si is substituted into the HAp lattice. The decrease in the intensity of the peaks attributed to hydroxyl groups, which appeared in the FTIR and Raman spectra of Si-HAp, further confirms the Si substitution in HAp lattices. The silicon incorporation enhanced the nanorods length by 70%, when compared to that of pure HAp. Microwave irradiation improved the crystallinity of Si-HAp when compared to as-synthesized Si-HAp samples. As-synthesized Si-incorporated HAp sample showed an intense blue emission under UV excitation. Microwave irradiation reduced the intensity of blue emission and exhibited red shift due to the reduction of defects in the Si-HAp crystal. The morphological change from rod to spherical and ribbon-like forms was observed with an increase in silicon content. Further, Si-HAp exhibited better bioactivity and low dissolution rate. Initially there was a burst release of amoxicillin from all the samples, subsequently it followed a sustained release. The microwave-irradiated HAp showed extended period of sustained release than that of as-synthesized HAp and Si-HAp. Similarly, the microwave-irradiated Si-incorporated samples exhibited prolonged drug release, as compared to that of the as-synthesized samples. Hence, Si-HAp is rapidly synthesized by a simple and cost effective method without inducing any additional phases, as compared to the conventional sintering process. This study provides a new insight into the rapid green synthesis of Si-HAp. Si-HAp could emerge as a promising material for the bone tissue replacement and as a drug delivery system

  9. Effect of silicon solar cell processing parameters and crystallinity on mechanical strength

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Popovich, V.A.; Yunus, A.; Janssen, M.; Richardson, I.M. [Delft University of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft (Netherlands); Bennett, I.J. [Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Solar Energy, PV Module Technology, Petten (Netherlands)

    2011-01-15

    Silicon wafer thickness reduction without increasing the wafer strength leads to a high breakage rate during subsequent handling and processing steps. Cracking of solar cells has become one of the major sources of solar module failure and rejection. Hence, it is important to evaluate the mechanical strength of solar cells and influencing factors. The purpose of this work is to understand the fracture behavior of silicon solar cells and to provide information regarding the bending strength of the cells. Triple junctions, grain size and grain boundaries are considered to investigate the effect of crystallinity features on silicon wafer strength. Significant changes in fracture strength are found as a result of metallization morphology and crystallinity of silicon solar cells. It is observed that aluminum paste type influences the strength of the solar cells. (author)

  10. SiC/SiC composites by preceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiroky, G.H.

    1997-01-01

    Lanxide Corporation has been developing fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites using the technique of preceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis, commonly referred to as the PIP-process. In this method, liquid CERASET TM preceramic polymer is being infiltrated into lay-ups of ceramic fibers, thermoset, and pyrolized at elevated temperatures for conversion into a SiC matrix. Several cycles of reinfiltration and pyrolysis must be performed to build up the SiC matrix because of the increase in density during pyrolysis from 1.0 g/cm 3 for the liquid polymer to between 2.2 and 3.2 g/cm 3 for the ceramic matrix. Composites have been fabricated using three different approaches: first, polymer infiltration of free-standing fiber preforms in which the fiber plies are being held together with a C/SiC duplex coating applied by chemical vapor infiltration; second, infiltration of individually coated fiber plies contained in a mold using the resin transfer molding method; and third, infiltration of vacuum-bagged, individually coated fiber plies using the vacuum assisted resin infiltration technique. Very good mechanical properties of Nicalon TM /SiC and Hi-Nicalon TM /SiC composites have been obtained, with four-point flexural strengths exceeding 400 MPa and toughnesses in the 20 to 30 MPa·m 1/2 range. The thermal conductivity of the fabricated composites is low (below 5 W/m·K) and must be improved substantially to meet the requirements for fusion structural applications. The fabricated components are relatively dense and impermeable to nitrogen, however, are readily permeated by helium. Chemical analysis has indicated the presence of a small amount of nitrogen (ca. 1 wt%) in the SiC material after pyrolysis of the CERASET preceramic polymer at 1600degC. (author)

  11. SiC/SiC composites by preceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schiroky, G.H. [Lanxide Corporation, Newark, DE (United States)

    1997-12-31

    Lanxide Corporation has been developing fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites using the technique of preceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis, commonly referred to as the PIP-process. In this method, liquid CERASET{sup TM} preceramic polymer is being infiltrated into lay-ups of ceramic fibers, thermoset, and pyrolized at elevated temperatures for conversion into a SiC matrix. Several cycles of reinfiltration and pyrolysis must be performed to build up the SiC matrix because of the increase in density during pyrolysis from 1.0 g/cm{sup 3} for the liquid polymer to between 2.2 and 3.2 g/cm{sup 3} for the ceramic matrix. Composites have been fabricated using three different approaches: first, polymer infiltration of free-standing fiber preforms in which the fiber plies are being held together with a C/SiC duplex coating applied by chemical vapor infiltration; second, infiltration of individually coated fiber plies contained in a mold using the resin transfer molding method; and third, infiltration of vacuum-bagged, individually coated fiber plies using the vacuum assisted resin infiltration technique. Very good mechanical properties of Nicalon{sup TM}/SiC and Hi-Nicalon{sup TM}/SiC composites have been obtained, with four-point flexural strengths exceeding 400 MPa and toughnesses in the 20 to 30 MPa{center_dot}m{sup 1/2} range. The thermal conductivity of the fabricated composites is low (below 5 W/m{center_dot}K) and must be improved substantially to meet the requirements for fusion structural applications. The fabricated components are relatively dense and impermeable to nitrogen, however, are readily permeated by helium. Chemical analysis has indicated the presence of a small amount of nitrogen (ca. 1 wt%) in the SiC material after pyrolysis of the CERASET preceramic polymer at 1600degC. (author)

  12. Electrical properties of SiO{sub 2}/SiC interfaces on 2°-off axis 4H-SiC epilayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vivona, M., E-mail: marilena.vivona@imm.cnr.it [CNR-IMM, Strada VIII, n. 5 – Zona Industriale, I-95121 Catania (Italy); Fiorenza, P. [CNR-IMM, Strada VIII, n. 5 – Zona Industriale, I-95121 Catania (Italy); Sledziewski, T.; Krieger, M. [Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Physics, Staudtstrasse 7/Bld. A3, D-91058 Erlangen (Germany); Chassagne, T.; Zielinski, M. [NOVASiC, Savoie Technolac, BP267, F-73375 Le Bourget-du-Lac Cedex (France); Roccaforte, F. [CNR-IMM, Strada VIII, n. 5 – Zona Industriale, I-95121 Catania (Italy)

    2016-02-28

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Processing and electrical characterization of MOS capacitors fabricated on 4H-SiC epilayers grown on 2°-off axis heavily doped substrates. • Excellent characteristics of the SiO{sub 2}/4H-SiC interface in terms of flatness, interface state density and oxide reliability. • Electrical behavior of the MOS devices comparable with that obtained for the state-of-the-art of 4°-off axis 4H-SiC material. • Demonstration of the maturity of the 2°-off axis material for application in 4H-SiC MOSFET device technology. - Abstract: In this paper, the electrical properties of the SiO{sub 2}/SiC interface on silicon carbide (4H-SiC) epilayers grown on 2°-off axis substrates were studied. After epilayer growth, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) allowed to obtain an atomically flat surface with a roughness of 0.14 nm. Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, fabricated on this surface, showed an interface state density of ∼1 × 10{sup 12} eV{sup −1} cm{sup −2} below the conduction band, a value which is comparable to the standard 4°-off-axis material commonly used for 4H-SiC MOS-based device fabrication. Moreover, the Fowler–Nordheim and time-zero-dielectric breakdown analyses confirmed an almost ideal behavior of the interface. The results demonstrate the maturity of the 2°-off axis material for 4H-SiC MOSFET device fabrication.

  13. Interface state density evaluation of high quality hetero-epitaxial 3C–SiC(0 0 1) for high-power MOSFET applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anzalone, R., E-mail: ruggero.anzalone@imm.cnr.it; Privitera, S.; Camarda, M.; Alberti, A.; Mannino, G.; Fiorenza, P.; Di Franco, S.; La Via, F.

    2015-08-15

    Graphical abstract: Figure shows the normalized capacitance (C/C{sub OX}) versus voltage (V) for the MOS capacitors on 3 μm, 7 μm thick 3C–SiC films and silicon (as reference), respectively. The shift of the curve respect to the reference is due to the presence of fixed and/or trapped charge in the oxide and interface trapped charge, due to the presence of interface states of density D{sub it}, located at the semiconductor/oxide interface. - Highlights: • We analyzed the flat-band voltage shift for different semiconductor epi-thickness. • The interface state density as a function of epi-defects was evaluated. • We observed the relationship between XRD and C–V results. • Epitaxial thickness influence on interface state density was evaluated. - Abstract: The effects of the crystal quality and surface morphology on the electrical properties of MOS capacitors have been studied in devices manufactured on 3C–SiC epitaxial layers grown on silicon (1 0 0) substrate. The interface state density, which represents one of the most important parameters, has been determined through capacitance measurements. A cross-correlation between high resolution X-ray diffraction, AFM analysis and electrical conductance measurements has allowed to determine the relationship between the crystalline quality and the interface state density. A decrease of the interface state density down to about 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2} eV{sup −1} was observed with improving the crystalline quality.

  14. Irradiation induced improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag thin films on Si substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahiro, Katsumi; Nagata, Shinji; Yamaguchi, Sadae [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Inst. for Materials Research

    1997-03-01

    We report the improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag films on Si(100) substrates with ion irradiation. The irradiation of 0.5 MeV Si ions to 2x10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2} at 200degC, for example, reduces the channeling minimum yield from 60% to 6% at Ag surface. The improvement originates from the decrease of mosaic spread in the Ag thin film. In our experiments, ion energy, ion species and irradiation temperature have been varied. The better crystallinity is obtained as the higher concentration of defect is generated. The mechanism involved in the irradiation induced improvement is discussed. (author)

  15. Evolutionary process development towards next generation crystalline silicon solar cells : a semiconductor process toolbox application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tous L.

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Bulk crystalline Silicon solar cells are covering more than 85% of the world’s roof top module installation in 2010. With a growth rate of over 30% in the last 10 years this technology remains the working horse of solar cell industry. The full Aluminum back-side field (Al BSF technology has been developed in the 90’s and provides a production learning curve on module price of constant 20% in average. The main reason for the decrease of module prices with increasing production capacity is due to the effect of up scaling industrial production. For further decreasing of the price per wattpeak silicon consumption has to be reduced and efficiency has to be improved. In this paper we describe a successive efficiency improving process development starting from the existing full Al BSF cell concept. We propose an evolutionary development includes all parts of the solar cell process: optical enhancement (texturing, polishing, anti-reflection coating, junction formation and contacting. Novel processes are benchmarked on industrial like baseline flows using high-efficiency cell concepts like i-PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell. While the full Al BSF crystalline silicon solar cell technology provides efficiencies of up to 18% (on cz-Si in production, we are achieving up to 19.4% conversion efficiency for industrial fabricated, large area solar cells with copper based front side metallization and local Al BSF applying the semiconductor toolbox.

  16. SiC/C components for nuclear applications from low cost precursor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narciso, J.; Calderon, N.R.

    2009-01-01

    The development of structural materials with the desired properties to produce the components facing the plasma in fusion reactors is one of the key problems in fusion technology. The structural materials used in the first wall and breeder blanket limits the operating temperature of the system, and higher operating temperatures means higher efficiency. Among the advanced material under consideration for those parts (first wall and breeder blanket) SiC based composites offers the greatest potential. However, considerable research is still required in order to solve engineering feasibility and manufacturing issues, as the improvement of the maximum working temperature and the capability of fabrication of components with homogeneous properties at reasonable cost. Last decade, there has been a strong effort in blanket design using SiC f /SiC composites which are rather expensive while excellent mechanical properties are not so mandatory as resistance to neutron irradiation for this application. In this work, an experimental procedure for manufacturing SiC/C composite materials with homogeneous properties from low cost precursors is described. The process consists in classical reactive infiltration of porous carbon preforms by liquid silicon to produce RBSC where the porous carbon preforms are tailor-made for the fabrication of SiC components without residual Si. The proper selection of the feedstock nature and the pyrolysis conditions determine the microstructure and sinterability of the carbon particles, respectively. These two features control the reactivity of the carbon substrate and porosity of the carbon preform for complete infiltration. The absence of silicon and the homogeneous microstructure of the SiC materials produced by this procedure make them suitable for structural applications at temperatures higher than 1200 deg. C. Furthermore, the technique allows near-net-shape capability and the carbon source is a low cost material. (author)

  17. Structural and optical properties of SiC-SiO2 nanocomposite thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozetine, I.; Keffous, A.; Kaci, S.; Menari, H.; Manseri, A.

    2018-03-01

    This study deals with the deposition of thin films of a SiC-SiO2nanocomposite deposited on silicon substrates. The deposition is carried out by a co-sputtering RF magnetron 13.56 MHz, using two targets a polycristallin 6H-SiC and sprigs of SiO2. In order to study the influence of the deposition time on the morphology, the structural and optical properties of the thin films produced, two series of samples were prepared, namely a series A with a 30 min deposition time and a series B of one hour duration. The samples were investigated using different characterization techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (DRX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and photoluminescence. The results obtained, reveal an optical gap varies between 1.4 and 2.4 eV depending on the thickness of the film; thus depending on the deposition time. The SIMS profile recorded the presence of oxygen (16O) on the surface, which the signal beneath the silicon signal (28Si) and carbon (12C) signals, which confirms that the oxide (SiO2) is the first material deposited at the interface film - substrate with an a-OSiC structure. The photoluminescence (PL) measurement exhibits two peaks, centred at 390 nm due to the oxide and at 416 nm due probably to the nanocrystals of SiC crystals, note that when the deposition time increases, the intensity of the PL drops drastically, result in agreement with dense and smooth film.

  18. Silicon for ultra-low-level detectors and sup 32 Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plaga, R. (Max Planck Inst. fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany))

    1991-11-15

    A recent dark matter experiment using a silicon diode detector confirms that the decay of {sup 32}Si is a dangerous background in ultra-low-level experiments using silicon as detector material or shielding. In this Letter we study the mechanism of how {sup 32}Si enters commercially available silicon. Ways to avoid this contamination are pointed out. Limits on the {sup 32}Si content of silicon from measurements with miniaturized low-level proportional counters are also given. (orig.).

  19. Demonstration of SiC Pressure Sensors at 750 C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okojie, Robert S.; Lukco, Dorothy; Nguyen, Vu; Savrun, Ender

    2014-01-01

    We report the first demonstration of MEMS-based 4H-SiC piezoresistive pressure sensors tested at 750 C and in the process confirmed the existence of strain sensitivity recovery with increasing temperature above 400 C, eventually achieving near or up to 100% of the room temperature values at 750 C. This strain sensitivity recovery phenomenon in 4H-SiC is uncharacteristic of the well-known monotonic decrease in strain sensitivity with increasing temperature in silicon piezoresistors. For the three sensors tested, the room temperature full-scale output (FSO) at 200 psig ranged between 29 and 36 mV. Although the FSO at 400 C dropped by about 60%, full recovery was achieved at 750 C. This result will allow the operation of SiC pressure sensors at higher temperatures, thereby permitting deeper insertion into the engine combustion chamber to improve the accurate quantification of combustor dynamics.

  20. Fundamental Research and Development for Improved Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Final Subcontract Report, March 2002 - July 2006

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rohatgi, A.

    2007-11-01

    This report summarizes the progress made by Georgia Tech in the 2002-2006 period toward high-efficiency, low-cost crystalline silicon solar cells. This program emphasize fundamental and applied research on commercial substrates and manufacturable technologies. A combination of material characterization, device modeling, technology development, and complete cell fabrication were used to accomplish the goals of this program. This report is divided into five sections that summarize our work on i) PECVD SiN-induced defect passivation (Sections 1 and 2); ii) the effect of material inhomogeneity on the performance of mc-Si solar cells (Section 3); iii) a comparison of light-induced degradation in commercially grown Ga- and B-doped Czochralski Si ingots (Section 4); and iv) the understanding of the formation of high-quality thick-film Ag contacts on high sheet-resistance emitters (Section 5).

  1. Ge nanocrystals embedded in ultrathin Si3N4 multilayers with SiO2 barriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahariqushchi, R.; Gundogdu, Sinan; Aydinli, A.

    2017-04-01

    Multilayers of germanium nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in thin films of silicon nitride matrix separated with SiO2 barriers have been fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). SiGeN/SiO2 alternating bilayers have been grown on quartz and Si substrates followed by post annealing in Ar ambient from 600 to 900 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) as well as Raman spectroscopy show good crystallinity of Ge confined to SiGeN layers in samples annealed at 900 °C. Strong compressive stress for SiGeN/SiO2 structures were observed through Raman spectroscopy. Size, as well as NC-NC distance were controlled along the growth direction for multilayer samples by varying the thickness of bilayers. Visible photoluminescence (PL) at 2.3 and 3.1 eV with NC size dependent intensity is observed and possible origin of PL is discussed.

  2. Silicon electrodeposition from chloride-fluoride melts containing K2SiF6 and SiO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuk Sergey I.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Silicon electrodeposition on glassy carbon from the KF-KCl-K2SiF6, KF-KCl-K2SiF6-KOH and KF-KCl-K2SiF6-SiO2 melts was studied by the cyclic voltammetry. Тhe electroreduction of Si(IV to metallic Si was observed as a single 4-electron wave under all considered conditions. The reactions of cathode reduction of silicon from fluoride and oxyfluoride complexes were suggested. It was shown that the process can be controlled by the preliminary transformation of SiO44- to SiF62- and SiOxFyz-. The influence of the current density on structure and morphology of silicon deposits obtained during galvanostatic electrolysis of the KF-KCl-K2SiF6-SiO2 melt was studied.

  3. A study of metal-ceramic wettability in SiC-Al using dynamic melt infiltration of SiC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asthana, R.; Rohatgi, P. K.

    1993-01-01

    Pressure-assisted infiltration with a 2014 Al alloy of plain and Cu-coated single crystal platelets of alpha silicon carbide was used to study particulate wettability under dynamic conditions relevant to pressure casting of metal-matrix composites. The total penetration length of infiltrant metal in porous compacts was measured at the conclusion of solidification as a function of pressure, infiltration time, and SiC size for both plain and Cu-coated SiC. The experimental data were analyzed to obtain a threshold pressure for the effect of melt intrusion through SiC compacts. The threshold pressure was taken either directly as a measure of wettability or converted to an effective wetting angle using the Young-Laplace capillary equation. Cu coating resulted in partial but beneficial improvements in wettability as a result of its dissolution in the melt, compared to uncoated SiC.

  4. High quality β-FeSi2 thin films prepared on silicon (100) by using pulsed laser ablation of Fe target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, S.C.; Yang, C.; Liu, M.; Jiang, S.Z.; Ma, Y.Y.; Chen, C.S.; Gao, X.G.; Sun, Z.C.; Hu, B.; Wang, C.C.; Man, B.Y.

    2012-01-01

    High quality β-FeSi 2 thin films have been fabricated on silicon (100) substrate by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique with the Fe and sintered FeSi 2 targets. The crystalline quality and surface morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These results indicate that the samples prepared with a Fe target can acquire a better crystalline quality and a smoother surface than those with a sintered FeSi 2 target. The reasons were discussed with subsurface superheating mechanism. The intrinsic PL spectrum attributed to the interband transition of β-FeSi 2 for all the samples was compared, showing that the film prepared with Fe target can acquire a good PL property by optimizing experimental parameters. It is suggested that sputtering Fe on Si substrate by the pulsed laser offers a cheap and convenient way to prepare the β-FeSi 2 thin films. -- Highlights: ► β-FeSi 2 films were fabricated by PLD technique with the Fe and FeSi 2 targets. ► The films prepared with Fe target have good crystalline quality and smooth surface. ► The Fe target prepared film acquired a high PL intensity. ► Sputtering Fe on Si substrate offers a convenient way to prepare the β-FeSi 2 films.

  5. pH Sensitivity of Si-C Linked Organic Monolayers on Crystalline Silicon Surfaces: Titration Experiments, Mott Schottky Analysis and Site-Binding Modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Faber, E.J.; Sparreboom, W.; Groeneveld, W.; Smet, de L.C.P.M.; Bomer, J.; Olthuis, W.; Zuilhof, H.; Sudhölter, E.J.R.; Bergveld, P.; Berg, van den A.

    2007-01-01

    The electrochemical behavior of SiC linked organic monolayers is studied in electrolyte-insulator-Si devices, under conditions normally encountered in potentiometric biosensors, to gain fundamental knowledge on the behavior of such Si electrodes under practical conditions. This is done via titration

  6. Structural and thermal characterization of polyvinylalcohol grafted SiC nanocrystals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saini, Isha; Sharma, Annu; Dhiman, Rajnish

    2017-01-01

    introduced in the characteristic TO and LO mode of vibration of SiC nanocrystals after grafting procedure.XRD analysis confirmed that the grafting procedure did not alter the crystalline geometry of SiC nanocrystals. TEM and SEM images further support the FTIR and Raman spectroscopic results and confirm...... of semiconducting SiC nanocrystals using a novel method. FTIR spectroscopy reveals the introduction of new peaks corresponding to various functional groups of PVA alongwith the presence of characteristic Si-C vibrational peak in the spectra of grafted SiC nanocrystals. Raman spectra depict the presence of changes...... the presence of PVA layer around SiC nanocrystals. Thermal degradation behavior of PVA-g-SiC nanocrystals has been studied using TGA analysis....

  7. Research on SiC Whisker Prepared by H-PSO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Yao

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available SiC whiskers were prepared on the matrix of graphite by using high hydrogenous silicone oil(PSO as raw material. The effect of surface conditions of graphite and heating temperature on the growth of SiC whisker was mainly studied in this paper. The main factor which affects the nucleation and growth of SiC whisker is the heating temperature, with the heating temperature rising, the production of SiC whisker increases. The surface condition of graphite matrix also influences the growth of SiC whisker. With the nucleation points provided by graphite matrix defects increasing, the production of SiC whisker incleases and SiC whisker starts to overlap with each other. The formation process of SiC whisker includes two steps:nucleation and growth. SiC whisker nucleates at low temperature and grows at high temperature, which follows the VLS (vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism.

  8. Development and Performance Evaluations of HfO2-Si and Rare Earth-Si Based Environmental Barrier Bond Coat Systems for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Dongming

    2014-01-01

    Ceramic environmental barrier coatings (EBC) and SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) will play a crucial role in future aircraft propulsion systems because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, improve component durability, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. Advanced EBC systems for SiCSiC CMC turbine and combustor hot section components are currently being developed to meet future turbine engine emission and performance goals. One of the significant material development challenges for the high temperature CMC components is to develop prime-reliant, high strength and high temperature capable environmental barrier coating bond coat systems, since the current silicon bond coat cannot meet the advanced EBC-CMC temperature and stability requirements. In this paper, advanced NASA HfO2-Si based EBC bond coat systems for SiCSiC CMC combustor and turbine airfoil applications are investigated. The coating design approach and stability requirements are specifically emphasized, with the development and implementation focusing on Plasma Sprayed (PS) and Electron Beam-Physic Vapor Deposited (EB-PVD) coating systems and the composition optimizations. High temperature properties of the HfO2-Si based bond coat systems, including the strength, fracture toughness, creep resistance, and oxidation resistance were evaluated in the temperature range of 1200 to 1500 C. Thermal gradient heat flux low cycle fatigue and furnace cyclic oxidation durability tests were also performed at temperatures up to 1500 C. The coating strength improvements, degradation and failure modes of the environmental barrier coating bond coat systems on SiCSiC CMCs tested in simulated stress-environment interactions are briefly discussed and supported by modeling. The performance enhancements of the HfO2-Si bond coat systems with rare earth element dopants and rare earth-silicon based bond coats are also highlighted. The advanced bond coat systems, when

  9. Triple Layer Antireflection Design Concept for the Front Side of c-Si Heterojunction Solar Cell Based on the Antireflective Effect of nc-3C-SiC:H Emitter Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erick Omondi Ateto

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the antireflective (AR effect of hydrogenated nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (nc-3C-SiC:H emitter and its application in the triple layer AR design for the front side of silicon heterojunction (SHJ solar cell. We found that the nc-3C-SiC:H emitter can serve both as an emitter and antireflective coating for SHJ solar cell, which enables us to realize the triple AR design by adding one additional dielectric layer to normally used SHJ structure with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO and an emitter layer. The optimized SHJ structure with the triple layer AR coating (LiF/ITO/nc-3C-SiC:H exhibit a short circuit current density (Jsc of 38.65 mA/cm2 and lower reflectivity of about 3.42% at wavelength range of 300 nm–1000 nm.

  10. Fabrication of 20.19% Efficient Single-Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell with Inverted Pyramid Microstructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chunyang; Chen, Lingzhi; Zhu, Yingjie; Guan, Zisheng

    2018-04-03

    This paper reports inverted pyramid microstructure-based single-crystalline silicon (sc-Si) solar cell with a conversion efficiency up to 20.19% in standard size of 156.75 × 156.75 mm 2 . The inverted pyramid microstructures were fabricated jointly by metal-assisted chemical etching process (MACE) with ultra-low concentration of silver ions and optimized alkaline anisotropic texturing process. And the inverted pyramid sizes were controlled by changing the parameters in both MACE and alkaline anisotropic texturing. Regarding passivation efficiency, the textured sc-Si with normal reflectivity of 9.2% and inverted pyramid size of 1 μm was used to fabricate solar cells. The best batch of solar cells showed a 0.19% higher of conversion efficiency and a 0.22 mA cm -2 improvement in short-circuit current density, and the excellent photoelectric property surpasses that of the same structure solar cell reported before. This technology shows great potential to be an alternative for large-scale production of high efficient sc-Si solar cells in the future.

  11. Inductively and capacitively coupled plasmas at interface: A comparative study towards highly efficient amorphous-crystalline Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yingnan; Ong, Thiam Min Brian; Levchenko, I.; Xu, Shuyan

    2018-01-01

    A comparative study on the application of two quite different plasma-based techniques to the preparation of amorphous/crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) interfaces for solar cells is presented. The interfaces were fabricated and processed by hydrogen plasma treatment using the conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vacuum deposition (PECVD) and inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) methods The influence of processing temperature, radio-frequency power, treatment duration and other parameters on interface properties and degree of surface passivation were studied. It was found that passivation could be improved by post-deposition treatment using both ICP-CVD and PECVD, but PECVD treatment is more efficient for the improvement on passivation quality, whereas the minority carrier lifetime increased from 1.65 × 10-4 to 2.25 × 10-4 and 3.35 × 10-4 s after the hydrogen plasma treatment by ICP-CVD and PECVD, respectively. In addition to the improvement of carrier lifetimes at low temperatures, low RF powers and short processing times, both techniques are efficient in band gap adjustment at sophisticated interfaces.

  12. Remote plasma enhanced chemical deposition of non-crystalline GeO2 on Ge and Si substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucovsky, Gerald; Zeller, Daniel

    2011-09-01

    Non-crystalline GeO2 films remote were plasma deposited at 300 degrees C onto Ge substrates after a final rinse in NH4OH. The reactant precursors gas were: (i) down-stream injected 2% GeH4 in He as the Ge precursor, and (ii) up-stream, plasma excited O2-He mixtures as the O precursor. Films annealed at 400 degrees C displayed no evidence for loss of O resulting in Ge sub-oxide formation, and for a 5-6 eV mid-gap absorption associated with formation of GeOx suboxide bonding, x deposited on Ge and annealed at 600 degrees C and 700 degrees C display spectra indicative of loss of O-atoms, accompanied with a 5.5 eV absorption. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and many-electron theory are combined to describe symmetries and degeneracies for O-vacancy bonding defects. These include comparisons with remote plasma-deposited non-crystalline SiO2 on Si substrates with SiON interfacial layers. Three different properties of remote plasma GeO2 films are addressed comparisons between (i) conduction band and band edge states of GeO2 and SiO2, and (ii) electronic structure of O-atom vacancy defects in GeO2 and SiO2, and differences between (iii) annealing of GeO2 films on Ge substrates, and Si substrates passivated with SiON interfacial transition regions important for device applications.

  13. Nano-SiC region formation in (100) Si-on-insulator substrate: Optimization of hot-C+-ion implantation process to improve photoluminescence intensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, Tomohisa; Omata, Yuhsuke; Kanazawa, Rikito; Iguchi, Yusuke; Nakada, Shinji; Aoki, Takashi; Sasaki, Tomokazu

    2018-04-01

    We experimentally studied the optimization of the hot-C+-ion implantation process for forming nano-SiC (silicon carbide) regions in a (100) Si-on-insulator substrate at various hot-C+-ion implantation temperatures and C+ ion doses to improve photoluminescence (PL) intensity for future Si-based photonic devices. We successfully optimized the process by hot-C+-ion implantation at a temperature of about 700 °C and a C+ ion dose of approximately 4 × 1016 cm-2 to realize a high intensity of PL emitted from an approximately 1.5-nm-thick C atom segregation layer near the surface-oxide/Si interface. Moreover, atom probe tomography showed that implanted C atoms cluster in the Si layer and near the oxide/Si interface; thus, the C content locally condenses even in the C atom segregation layer, which leads to SiC formation. Corrector-spherical aberration transmission electron microscopy also showed that both 4H-SiC and 3C-SiC nanoareas near both the surface-oxide/Si and buried-oxide/Si interfaces partially grow into the oxide layer, and the observed PL photons are mainly emitted from the surface SiC nano areas.

  14. Structural studies of n-type nc-Si-QD thin films for nc-Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Debajyoti; Kar, Debjit

    2017-12-01

    A wide optical gap nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) dielectric material is a basic requirement at the n-type window layer of nc-Si solar cells in thin film n-i-p structure on glass substrates. Taking advantage of the high atomic-H density inherent to the planar inductively coupled low-pressure (SiH4 + CH4)-plasma, development of an analogous material in P-doped nc-Si-QD/a-SiC:H network has been tried. Incorporation of C in the Si-network extracted from the CH4 widens the optical band gap; however, at enhanced PH3-dilution of the plasma spontaneous miniaturization of the nc-Si-QDs below the dimension of Bohr radius (∼4.5 nm) further enhances the band gap by virtue of the quantum size effect. At increased flow rate of PH3, dopant induced continuous amorphization of the intrinsic crystalline network is counterbalanced by the further crystallization promoted by the supplementary atomic-H extracted from PH3 (1% in H2) in the plasma, eventually holding a moderately high degree of crystallinity. The n-type wide band gap (∼1.93 eV) window layer with nc-Si-QDs in adequate volume fraction (∼52%) could furthermore be instrumental as an effective seed layer for advancing sequential crystallization in the i-layer of nc-Si solar cells with n-i-p structure in superstrate configuration.

  15. Impact of porous SiC-doped PVA based LDS layer on electrical parameters of Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaci, S.; Rahmoune, R.; Kezzoula, F.; Boudiaf, Y.; Keffous, A.; Manseri, A.; Menari, H.; Cheraga, H.; Guerbous, L.; Belkacem, Y.; Chalal, R.; Bozetine, I.; Boukezzata, A.; Talbi, L.; Benfadel, K.; Ouadfel, M.-A.; Ouadah, Y.

    2018-06-01

    Nowadays, the advanced photon management is regarded as an area of intensive research investment. Ever since the most widely used commercial photovoltaic cells are fabricated with single gap semiconductors like silicon, photon management has offered opportunities to make better use of the photons, both inside and outside the single junction window. In this study, the impact of new down shifting layer on the photoelectrical parameters of silicon based solar cell was studied. An effort to enhance the photovoltaic performance of textured silicon solar cells through the application of porous SiC particles-doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layers using the spin-coating technique, is reported. Current-voltage curves under artificial illumination were used to confirm the contribution of LDS (SiC-PVA) thin layers. Experiment results revealed that LDS based on SiC particles which were etched in HF/K2S2O8 solution at T = 80 °C under UV light of 254 nm exhibited the best solar cell photoelectrical parameters due to its strong photoluminescence.

  16. High-temperature protective coatings for C/SiC composites

    OpenAIRE

    Xiang Yang; Chen Zhao-hui; Cao Feng

    2014-01-01

    Carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites were well-established light weight materials combining high specific strength and damage tolerance. For high-temperature applications, protective coatings had to provide oxidation and corrosion resistance. The literature data introduced various technologies and materials, which were suitable for the application of coatings. Coating procedures and conditions, materials design limitations related to the reactivity of the components of C...

  17. Characterization of μc-Si:H/a-Si:H tandem solar cell structures by spectroscopic ellipsometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murata, Daisuke; Yuguchi, Tetsuya; Fujiwara, Hiroyuki

    2014-01-01

    In order to perform the structural characterization of Si thin-film solar cells having submicron-size rough textured surfaces, we have developed an optical model that can be utilized for the spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) analysis of a multilayer solar cell structure consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline siliconc-Si:H) layers fabricated on textured SnO 2 :F substrates. To represent the structural non-uniformity in the textured structure, the optical response has been calculated from two regions with different thicknesses of the Si layers. Moreover, in the optical model, the interface layers are modeled by multilayer structures assuming two-phase composites and the volume fractions of the phases in the layers are controlled by the structural curvature factor. The polarized reflection from the μc-Si:H layer that shows extensive surface roughening during the growth has also been modeled. In this study, a state-of-the-art solar cell structure with the textured μc-Si:H (2000 nm)/ZnO (100 nm)/a-Si:H (200 nm)/SnO 2 :F/glass substrate structure has been characterized. The μc-Si:H/a-Si:H textured structure deduced from our SE analysis shows remarkable agreement with that observed by transmission electron microscopy. From the above results, we have demonstrated the high-precision characterization of highly-textured μc-Si:H/a-Si:H solar cell structures. - Highlights: • Characterization of textured μc-Si:H/a-Si:H solar cell structures by ellipsometry • A new optical model using surface area and multilayer models • High precision characterization of submicron-range rough interface structures

  18. A pulse synthesis of beta-FeSi sub 2 layers on silicon implanted with Fe sup + ions

    CERN Document Server

    Batalov, R I; Terukov, E I; Kudoyarova, V K; Weiser, G; Kuehne, H

    2001-01-01

    The synthesis of thin beta-FeSi sub 2 films was performed by means of the Fe sup + ion implantation into Si (100) and the following nanosecond pulsed ion treatment of implanted layer. Using the beta-FeSi sub 2 beta-FeSi sub 2 e X-ray diffraction it is shown that the pulsed ion treatment results in the generation of the mixture of two phases: FeSi and beta-FeSi sub 2 with stressed crystal lattices. The following short-time annealing leads to the total transformation of the FeSi phase into the beta-FeSi sub 2 one. The Raman scattering data prove the generation of the beta-FeSi sub 2 at the high degree of the silicon crystallinity. The experimental results of the optical absorption testify to the formation of beta-FeSi sub 2 layers and precipitates with the straight-band structure. The photoluminescence signal at lambda approx = 1.56 mu m observes up to 210 K

  19. Process control of high rate microcrystalline silicon based solar cell deposition by optical emission spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilper, T.; Donker, M.N. van den; Carius, R.; Rech, B.; Braeuer, G.; Repmann, T.

    2008-01-01

    Silicon thin-film solar cells based on microcrystalline siliconc-Si:H) were prepared in a 30 x 30 cm 2 plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor using 13.56 or 40.68 MHz plasma excitation frequency. Plasma emission was recorded by optical emission spectroscopy during μc-Si:H absorber layer deposition at deposition rates between 0.5 and 2.5 nm/s. The time course of SiH * and H β emission indicated strong drifts in the process conditions particularly at low total gas flows. By actively controlling the SiH 4 gas flow, the observed process drifts were successfully suppressed resulting in a more homogeneous i-layer crystallinity along the growth direction. In a deposition regime with efficient usage of the process gas, the μc-Si:H solar cell efficiency was enhanced from 7.9 % up to 8.8 % by applying process control

  20. Stressing effects on the charge trapping of silicon oxynitride prepared by thermal oxidation of LPCVD Si-rich silicon nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, H.Y.; Wong, H.; Filip, V.; Sen, B.; Kok, C.W.; Chan, M.; Poon, M.C.

    2006-01-01

    It was recently found that the silicon oxynitride prepared by oxidation of silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRN) has several important features. The high nitrogen and extremely low hydrogen content of this material allows it to have a high dielectric constant and a low trap density. The present work investigates in further detail the electrical reliability of this kind of gate dielectric films by studying the charge trapping and interface state generation induced by constant current stressing. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements indicate that for oxidation temperatures of 850 and 950 deg. C, the interface trap generation is minimal because of the high nitrogen content at the interface. At a higher oxidation temperature of 1050 deg. C, a large flatband shift is found for constant current stressing. This observation can be explained by the significant reduction of the nitrogen content and the phase separation effect at this temperature as found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study. In addition to the high nitrogen content, the Si atoms at the interface exist in the form of random bonding to oxygen and nitrogen atoms for samples oxidized at 850 and 950 deg. C. This structure reduces the interface bonding constraint and results in the low interface trap density. For heavily oxidized samples the trace amount of interface nitrogen atoms exist in the form of a highly constraint SiN 4 phase and the interface oxynitride layer is a random mixture of SiO 4 and SiN 4 phases, which consequently reduces the reliability against high energy electron stressing

  1. Improving the back surface field on an amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) thin film photocathode for solar water splitting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Perez Rodriguez, P.; Cardenas-Morcoso, Drialys; Digdaya, I.A.; Mangel Raventos, A.; Procel Moya, P.A.; Isabella, O.; Gimenez, Sixto; Zeman, M.; Smith, W.A.; Smets, A.H.M.

    2018-01-01

    Amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) is a promising material for photoelectrochemical water splitting owing to its relatively small band-gap energy and high chemical and optoelectrical stability. This work studies the interplay between charge-carrier separation and collection, and their injection

  2. Are Nonadiabatic Reaction Dynamics the Key to Novel Organosilicon Molecules? The Silicon (Si(3P))-Dimethylacetylene (C4H6(X1A1g)) System as a Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Aaron M; Dangi, Beni B; Yang, Tao; Kaiser, Ralf I; Lin, Lin; Chou, Tzu-Jung; Chang, Agnes H H

    2018-06-06

    The bimolecular gas phase reaction of ground-state silicon (Si; 3 P) with dimethylacetylene (C 4 H 6 ; X 1 A 1g ) was investigated under single collision conditions in a crossed molecular beams machine. Merged with electronic structure calculations, the data propose nonadiabatic reaction dynamics leading to the formation of singlet SiC 4 H 4 isomer(s) and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) via indirect scattering dynamics along with intersystem crossing (ISC) from the triplet to the singlet surface. The reaction may lead to distinct energetically accessible singlet SiC 4 H 4 isomers ( 1 p8- 1 p24) in overall exoergic reaction(s) (-107 -20 +12 kJ mol -1 ). All feasible reaction products are either cyclic, carry carbene analogous silylene moieties, or carry C-Si-H or C-Si-C bonds that would require extensive isomerization from the initial collision complex(es) to the fragmenting singlet intermediate(s). The present study demonstrates the first successful crossed beams study of an exoergic reaction channel arising from bimolecular collisions of silicon, Si( 3 P), with a hydrocarbon molecule.

  3. Surface engineering of porous silicon microparticles for intravitreal sustained delivery of rapamycin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieto, Alejandra; Hou, Huiyuan; Moon, Sang Woong; Sailor, Michael J; Freeman, William R; Cheng, Lingyun

    2015-01-22

    To understand the relationship between rapamycin loading/release and surface chemistries of porous silicon (pSi) to optimize pSi-based intravitreal delivery system. Three types of surface chemical modifications were studied: (1) pSi-COOH, containing 10-carbon aliphatic chains with terminal carboxyl groups grafted via hydrosilylation of undecylenic acid; (2) pSi-C12, containing 12-carbon aliphatic chains grafted via hydrosilylation of 1-dodecene; and (3) pSiO2-C8, prepared by mild oxidation of the pSi particles followed by grafting of 8-hydrocarbon chains to the resulting porous silica surface via a silanization. The efficiency of rapamycin loading follows the order (micrograms of drug/milligrams of carrier): pSiO2-C8 (105 ± 18) > pSi-COOH (68 ± 8) > pSi-C12 (36 ± 6). Powder X-ray diffraction data showed that loaded rapamycin was amorphous and dynamic drug-release study showed that the availability of the free drug was increased by 6-fold (compared with crystalline rapamycin) by using pSiO2-C8 formulation (P = 0.0039). Of the three formulations in this study, pSiO2-C8-RAP showed optimal performance in terms of simultaneous release of the active drug and carrier degradation, and drug-loading capacity. Released rapamycin was confirmed with the fingerprints of the mass spectrometry and biologically functional as the control of commercial crystalline rapamycin. Single intravitreal injections of 2.9 ± 0.37 mg pSiO2-C8-RAP into rabbit eyes resulted in more than 8 weeks of residence in the vitreous while maintaining clear optical media and normal histology of the retina in comparison to the controls. Porous silicon-based rapamycin delivery system using the pSiO2-C8 formulation demonstrated good ocular compatibility and may provide sustained drug release for retina. Copyright 2015 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

  4. Increasing the efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells and modules by light soaking

    KAUST Repository

    Kobayashi, Eiji

    2017-06-24

    Silicon heterojunction solar cells use crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers as optical absorbers and employ bilayers of doped/intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) to form passivating contacts. Recently, we demonstrated that such solar cells increase their operating voltages and thus their conversion efficiencies during light exposure. We found that this performance increase is due to improved passivation of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and is induced by injected charge carriers (either by light soaking or forward-voltage biasing of the device). Here, we discuss this counterintuitive behavior and establish that: (i) the performance increase is observed in solar cells as well as modules; (ii) this phenomenon requires the presence of doped a-Si:H films, but is independent from whether light is incident from the a-Si:H(p) or the a-Si:H(n) side; (iii) UV and blue photons do not play a role in this effect; (iv) the performance increase can be observed under illumination intensities as low as 20Wm (0.02-sun) and appears to be almost identical in strength when under 1-sun (1000Wm); (v) the underlying physical mechanism likely differs from annealing-induced surface passivation.

  5. Development of the fabrication process of SiC composite by polycarbosilane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon Ju; Kim, Jung Il; Ryu, Woo Seog

    2004-11-01

    This technical report reviewed the fabrication process of fiber reinforced ceramic composites, characteristics of the PIP process, and applications of SiC f /SiC composite to develop a silicon carbide composite by PIP method. Additionally, characteristics and thermal behaviors of a PCS+SiC powder slurry and infiltration behaviors of slurry into the SiC fabric was evaluated. The stacking behaviors of SiC fabrics infiltrated a PCS+SiC powder slurry was also investigated. Using this stacked preforms, SiC f /SiC composites were fabricated by the electron beam curing and pyrolysis process and the thermal oxidation curing and pyrolysis process, respectively. And the characteristics of both composites were compared

  6. 77 FR 4764 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-31

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Second... preliminary determination of the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells... February 13, 2012.\\1\\ \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules...

  7. 77 FR 37877 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-25

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary... crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (``solar cells''), from the.... Correction In the Federal Register notice Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled...

  8. Preparation and infrared absorption properties of buried SiC layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Hui; Chen Guanghua; Wong, S.P.; Kwok, R.W.M.

    1997-01-01

    Buried SiC layers were formed by using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) ion source, with C + ions implanted into Si substrates under different doses. In the present study, the extracted voltage was 50 kV and the ion dose was varied from 3.0 x 10 17 to 1.6 x 10 18 cm -2 . According to infrared absorption measurements, it was fount that the structure of the buried SiC layers depended on the ion dose. Moreover, the results also demonstrated that the buried SiC layers including cubic crystalline SiC could be synthesized at an averaged substrate temperature of lower than 400 degree C with the MEVVA ion source

  9. Effect of defects on electrical properties of 4H-SiC Schottky diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ben Karoui, M.; Gharbi, R.; Alzaied, N.; Fathallah, M.; Tresso, E.; Scaltrito, L.; Ferrero, S.

    2008-01-01

    Most of power electronic circuits use power semiconductor switching devices which ideally present infinite resistance when off, zero resistance when on, and switch instantaneously between those two states. Switches and rectifiers are key components in power electronic systems, which cover a wide range of applications, from power transmission to control electronics and power supplies. Typical power switching devices such as diodes, thyristors, and transistors are based on a monocrystalline silicon semiconductor or silicon carbide. Silicon is less expensive, more widely used, and a more versatile processing material than silicon carbide. The silicon carbide (SiC) has properties that allow devices with high power voltage rating and high operating temperatures. The technology overcomes some crystal growth obstacles, by using the hydrogen in the fabrication of 4H-SiC wafers. The presence of structural defects on 4H-SiC wafers was shown by different techniques such as optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The presence of different SiC polytypes inclusions was found by Raman spectroscopy. Schottky diodes were realized on investigated wafers in order to obtain information about the correlation between those defects and electrical properties of the devices. The diodes with voltage breakdown as 600 V and ideality factor as 1.05 were obtained and characterized after packaging

  10. Fracture of crystalline silicon nanopillars during electrochemical lithium insertion

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, S. W.

    2012-02-27

    From surface hardening of steels to doping of semiconductors, atom insertion in solids plays an important role in modifying chemical, physical, and electronic properties of materials for a variety of applications. High densities of atomic insertion in a solid can result in dramatic structural transformations and associated changes in mechanical behavior: This is particularly evident during electrochemical cycling of novel battery electrodes, such as alloying anodes, conversion oxides, and sulfur and oxygen cathodes. Silicon, which undergoes 400% volume expansion when alloying with lithium, is an extreme case and represents an excellent model system for study. Here, we show that fracture locations are highly anisotropic for lithiation of crystalline Si nanopillars and that fracture is strongly correlated with previously discovered anisotropic expansion. Contrary to earlier theoretical models based on diffusion-induced stresses where fracture is predicted to occur in the core of the pillars during lithiation, the observed cracks are present only in the amorphous lithiated shell. We also show that the critical fracture size is between about 240 and 360 nm and that it depends on the electrochemical reaction rate.

  11. Impedance spectroscopy of heterojunction solar cell a-SiC/c-Si with ITO antireflection film investigated at different temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Šály, V.; Perný, M.; Janíček, F.; Huran, J.; Mikolášek, M.; Packa, J.

    2017-04-01

    Progressive smart photovoltaic technologies including heterostructures a-SiC/c-Si with ITO antireflection film are one of the prospective replacements of conventional photovoltaic silicon technology. Our paper is focused on the investigation of heterostructures a-SiC/c-Si provided with a layer of ITO (indium oxide/tin oxide 90/10 wt.%) which acts as a passivating and antireflection coating. Prepared photovoltaic cell structure was investigated at various temperatures and the influence of temperature on its operation was searched. The investigation of the dynamic properties of heterojunction PV cells was carried out using impedance spectroscopy. The equivalent AC circuit which approximates the measured impedance data was proposed. Assessment of the influence of the temperature on the operation of prepared heterostructure was carried out by analysis of the temperature dependence of AC equivalent circuit elements.

  12. Optimal enhancement in conversion efficiency of crystalline Si solar cells using inverse opal photonic crystals as back reflectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaouachi, A; M’nif, A; Hamzaoui, A H; Chtourou, R

    2015-01-01

    The effect of using inverse opal photonic crystals as back reflectors on the power conversion efficiency of c-Si solar cells is investigated. The reflection spectra of inverse opal photonic crystals with different diameters of air spheres are simulated using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. The reflection peaks are correlated with photonic band gaps present in the photonic band gap diagram. Significant improvement in the optical absorption of the crystalline silicon layer is recorded when inverse opal photonic crystals are considered. Physical mechanisms which may contribute to the enhancement of the light absorption are underlined. With higher short-circuit current enhancement possible, and with no corresponding degradation in open-circuit voltage V oc or the fill factor, the power conversion efficiency is increased significantly when inverse opal photonic crystals are used as back reflectors with optimized diameter of air spheres. (paper)

  13. Creep-behavior of different SiC-materials in vacuum and in air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnuerer, K.

    1979-10-01

    Creep data under 4-point loading conditions of two hot-pressed SiC-materials with different amounts of aluminium in the SiC powder and of two reaction-sintered and silicon-infiltrated materials with different amounts of free silicon are presented. Creep tests in vacuum and also in air are performed in a temperature range from 1273 K up to 1973 K and in a stress range from 100MN/m 2 to 190MN/m 2 . For the hot-pressed SiC a stress exponent of n = 1 and activation energies of 363kJ/mol and 386kJ/mol have been found by temperature and stress change tests in vacuum. From these data one can conclude that Coble-creep is the rate-controlling process. A measurable creep-rate can be observed at temperatures above 1673 K. On the opposite a creep-rate in vacuum for Si-infiltrated SiC is measurable at temperatures already below 1273 K. TEN-observation of this materials show the presence of a second phase at grain-boundaries (silicon), thus an influence of free silicon on creep can be deduced. Besides that, a stress dependence on stress exponent can be seen for one of the reaction-sintered materials. This is referred to the activity of dislocations. (orig./RW) [de

  14. 16th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Modules: Materials and Processes; Program, Extended Abstracts, and Papers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sopori, B. L.

    2006-08-01

    The National Center for Photovoltaics sponsored the 16th Workshop on Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells and Modules: Materials and Processes held August 6-9, 2006 in Denver, Colorado. The workshop addressed the fundamental properties of PV-Si, new solar cell designs, and advanced solar cell processing techniques. It provided a forum for an informal exchange of technical and scientific information between international researchers in the photovoltaic and relevant non-photovoltaic fields. The Workshop Theme was: "Getting more (Watts) for Less ($i)". A combination of oral presentations by invited speakers, poster sessions, and discussion sessions reviewed recent advances in crystal growth, new cell structures, new processes and process characterization techniques, and cell fabrication approaches suitable for future manufacturing demands. The special sessions included: Feedstock Issues: Si Refining and Purification; Metal-impurity Engineering; Thin Film Si; and Diagnostic Techniques.

  15. Development of Novel Front Contract Pastes for Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duty, C.; Jellison, D. G.E. P.; Joshi, P.

    2012-04-05

    In order to improve the efficiencies of silicon solar cells, paste to silicon contact formation mechanisms must be more thoroughly understood as a function of paste chemistry, wafer properties and firing conditions. Ferro Corporation has been involved in paste development for over 30 years and has extensive expertise in glass and paste formulations. This project has focused on the characterization of the interface between the top contact material (silver paste) and the underlying silicon wafer. It is believed that the interface between the front contact silver and the silicon wafer plays a dominant role in the electrical performance of the solar cell. Development of an improved front contact microstructure depends on the paste chemistry, paste interaction with the SiNx, and silicon (“Si”) substrate, silicon sheet resistivity, and the firing profile. Typical front contact ink contains silver metal powders and flakes, glass powder and other inorganic additives suspended in an organic medium of resin and solvent. During fast firing cycles glass melts, wets, corrodes the SiNx layer, and then interacts with underlying Si. Glass chemistry is also a critical factor in the development of an optimum front contact microstructure. Over the course of this project, several fundamental characteristics of the Ag/Si interface were documented, including a higher-than-expected distribution of voids along the interface, which could significantly impact electrical conductivity. Several techniques were also investigated for the interfacial analysis, including STEM, EDS, FIB, EBSD, and ellipsometry.

  16. 77 FR 10478 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-22

    ... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Postponement of... determination in the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not... Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of...

  17. Structure and optical properties of aSiAl and aSiAlHx magnetron sputtered thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annett Thøgersen

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Thin films of homogeneous mixture of amorphous silicon and aluminum were produced with magnetron sputtering using 2-phase Al–Si targets. The films exhibited variable compositions, with and without the presence of hydrogen, aSi1−xAlx and aSi1−xAlxHy. The structure and optical properties of the films were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-VisNIR spectrometry, ellipsometry, and atomistic modeling. We studied the effect of alloying aSi with Al (within the range 0–25 at. % on the optical band gap, refractive index, transmission, and absorption. Alloying aSi with Al resulted in a non-transparent film with a low band gap (1 eV. Variations of the Al and hydrogen content allowed for tuning of the optoelectronic properties. The films are stable up to a temperature of 300 °C. At this temperature, we observed Al induced crystallization of the amorphous silicon and the presence of large Al particles in a crystalline Si matrix.

  18. New Possibilities of Power Electronic Structures Using SiC Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Sul

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is dedicated to the recent unprecedented boom of SiC electronic technology. The contribution deals with brief survey of those properties. In particular, the differences (both good and bad between SiC electronics technology and well-known silicon VLSI technology are highlighted. Projected performance benefits of SiC electronics are given for several large-scale applications on the end of the contribution. The basic properties of SiC material have been discussed already on the beginning of 80’s, also at our university.

  19. EPR of the lattice damage from energetic Si in silicon at 40K

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brower, K.L.

    1976-01-01

    An EPR study of the lattice damage produced by 14.2-MeV neutrons in p-type silicon at 4 0 K is presented. The EPR measurements were made at 5 0 K without any intermediate warmup of the sample. The EPR spectra indicate that each damage region, which is produced by a Si recoil of energy less than or equal to 1.89 MeV, is characterized by a high density of localized defects. A significant fraction of the lattice damage consists of distorted (110) 4-vacancies (Si-P3) embedded in a quasi-crystalline environment. Although a search for isolated vacancies was made, none was found. Even though the defects are complex and overlap, there is no evidence that a less than or equal to 1.89-MeV Si recoil produces amorphous regions at 4 0 K. Upon annealing the lattice damage to 50 0 K, a trace of the Si-G6 spectrum due to (V + V) + was observed. After annealing to 500 0 K, the Si-B3 center, which has recently been identified as a [001] Si split interstitial, emerged

  20. Reproduction of mouse-pup ultrasonic vocalizations by nanocrystalline silicon thermoacoustic emitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kihara, Takashi; Harada, Toshihiro; Kato, Masahiro; Nakano, Kiyoshi; Murakami, Osamu; Kikusui, Takefumi; Koshida, Nobuyoshi

    2006-01-01

    As one of the functional properties of ultrasound generator based on efficient thermal transfer at the nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) layer surface, its potential as an ultrasonic simulator of vocalization signals is demonstrated by using the acoustic data of mouse-pup calls. The device composed of a surface-heating thin-film electrode, an nc-Si layer, and a single-crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafer, exhibits an almost completely flat frequency response over a wide range without any mechanical surface vibration systems. It is shown that the fabricated emitter can reproduce digitally recorded ultrasonic mouse-pups vocalizations very accurately in terms of the call duration, frequency dispersion, and sound pressure level. The thermoacoustic nc-Si device provides a powerful physical means for the understanding of ultrasonic communication mechanisms in various living animals.