Control of heat transfer in continuous-feeding Czochralski-silicon crystal growth with a water-cooled jacket

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wenhan; Liu, Lijun

2017-01-01

The continuous-feeding Czochralski method is an effective method to reduce the cost of single crystal silicon. By promoting the crystal growth rate, the cost can be reduced further. However, more latent heat will be released at the melt-crystal interface under a high crystal growth rate. In this study, a water-cooled jacket was applied to enhance the heat transfer at the melt-crystal interface. Quasi-steady-state numerical calculation was employed to investigate the impact of the water-cooled jacket on the heat transfer at the melt-crystal interface. Latent heat released during the crystal growth process at the melt-crystal interface and absorbed during feedstock melting at the feeding zone was modeled in the simulations. The results show that, by using the water-cooled jacket, heat transfer in the growing crystal is enhanced significantly. Melt-crystal interface deflection and thermal stress increase simultaneously due to the increase of radial temperature at the melt-crystal interface. With a modified heat shield design, heat transfer at the melt-crystal interface is well controlled. The crystal growth rate can be increased by 20%.

Numerical and experimental study of a solid pellet feed continuous Czochralski growth process for silicon single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmo, A.; Prasad, V.; Koziol, J.; Gupta, K. P.

1993-07-01

A polysilicon pellets (≅1 mm diameter) feed continuous Czochralski (CCZ) growth process for silicon single crystals is proposed and investigated. Experiments in an industrial puller (14-18 inch diameter crucible) successfully demonstrate the feasibility of this process. The advantages of the proposed scheme are: a steady state growth process, a low aspect ratio melt, uniformity of heat addition and a growth apparatus with single crucible and no baffle(s). The addition of dopant with the solid charge will allow a better control of oxygen concentration leading to crystals of uniform properties and better quality. This paper presents theoretical results on melting of fully and partially immersed silicon spheres and numerical solutions on temperature and flow fields in low aspect ration melts with and without the addition of solid pellets. The theoretical and experimental results obtained thus far show a great promise for the proposed scheme.

Characterization of Czochralski Silicon Detectors

OpenAIRE

Luukka, Panja-Riina; Haerkoenen, Jaakko

2012-01-01

This thesis describes the characterization of irradiated and non-irradiated segmenteddetectors made of high-resistivity (>1 kΩcm) magnetic Czochralski (MCZ) silicon. It isshown that the radiation hardness (RH) of the protons of these detectors is higher thanthat of devices made of traditional materials such as Float Zone (FZ) silicon or DiffusionOxygenated Float Zone (DOFZ) silicon due to the presence of intrinsic oxygen (> 5 x1017 cm-3). The MCZ devices therefore present an interesting alter...

LSA Large Area Silicon Sheet Task. Continuous Liquid Feed Czochralski Growth. [for solar cell fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Fiegl, G.

1979-01-01

The design and development of equipment and processes to demonstrate continuous growth of crystals by the Czochralski method suitable for producing single silicon crystals for use in solar cells is presented. The growth of at least 150 kg of mono silicon crystal, 150 mm in diameter is continuous from one growth container. A furnace with continuous liquid replenishment of the growth crucible, accomplished by a meltdown system with a continuous solid silicon feed mechanism and a liquid transfer system, with associated automatic feedback controls is discussed. Due to the silicon monoxide build up in the furnace and its retarding effect on crystal growth the furnace conversion for operation in the low pressure range is described. Development of systems for continuous solid recharging of the meltdown chamber for various forms of poly silicon is described.

Effects of growth conditions on thermal profiles during Czochralski silicon crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Kwang Su; Stefani, Jerry A.; Dettling, Theodore B.; Tien, John K.; Wallace, John P.

1991-01-01

An eddy current testing method was used to continuously monitor crystal growth process and investigate the effects of growth conditions on thermal profiles during Czochralski silicon crystal growth. The experimental concept was to monitor the intrinsic electrical conductivities of the growing crystal and deduce temperature values from them. In terms of the experiments, the effects of changes in growth parameters, which include the crystal and crucible rotation rates, crucible position, and pull rate, and hot-zone geometries were investigated. The results show that the crystal thermal profile could shift significantly as a function of crystal length if the closed-loop control fails to maintain a constant thermal condition. As a direct evidence to the effects of the melt flow on heat transfer processes, a thermal gradient minimum was observed when the crystal/crucible rotation combination was 20/-10 rpm cw. The thermal gradients in the crystal near the growth interface were reduced most by decreasing the pull rate or by reducing the radiant heat loss to the environment; a nearly constant axial thermal gradient was achieved when either the pull rate was decreased by half, the height of the exposed crucible wall was doubled, or a radiation shield was placed around the crystal. Under these conditions, the average axial thermal gradient along the surface of the crystal was about 4-5°C/mm. When compared to theoretical results found in literature, the axial profiles correlated well with the results of the models which included radiant interactions. However, the radial gradients estimated from three-frequency data were much higher than what were predicted by known theoretical models. This discrepancy seems to indicate that optical phenomenon within the crystal is significant and should be included in theoretical modeling.

Characterization of Czochralski silicon detectors

OpenAIRE

Luukka, Panja-Riina

2006-01-01

This thesis describes the characterization of irradiated and non-irradiated segmented detectors made of high-resistivity (>1 kΩcm) magnetic Czochralski (MCZ) silicon. It is shown that the radiation hardness (RH) of the protons of these detectors is higher than that of devices made of traditional materials such as Float Zone (FZ) silicon or Diffusion Oxygenated Float Zone (DOFZ) silicon due to the presence of intrinsic oxygen (> 5 × 1017 cm−3). The MCZ devices therefore present an interesting ...

Numerical simulation of the forced convection in silicon growth by the Czochralski's method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scalvi, L.V.A.; Mokross, B.J.; Zago, J.V.

1987-01-01

A numerical simulation of the Czochralski configuration for liquid silicon is done by solving the Navier-Stokes equations by the finite element technique. Galerkin's formulation is used with quadratic approximations for the components of the velocity and linear ones for the pressure. The results are discussed for different combinations of crystal-crucible rotations, considering in each case the effect of the velocity distribution on the impurity and/or dopand incorporation in the crystal. (auhor) [pt

LSA Large Area Silicon Sheet Task Continuous Liquid Feed Czochralski Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Fiegl, G.

1979-01-01

A process for the continuous growth of crystals by the Czochralski method, suitable for producing single silicon crystals for use in solar cells was studied. Continuous growth is the growth of 100 Kg of single silicon crystals, 10 cm in diameter, from one container. A furnace with continuous liquid replenishment of the growth crucible, accomplished by a melt-down system and a liquid transfer mechanism, with associated automatic feedback controls was developed. Elements of the transfer system were further developed and tested during actual transfer runs. Considerable simplification of the heating element of the transfer tube was achieved. Accuracy and reliability of the temperature sensor, which is part of the power input control system for the transfer tube, was improved. Electrical and thermal effectiveness were increased while assembly of the transfer tube system was further simplified.

The intrinsic gettering in neutron irradiation Czochralski-silicon

CERN Document Server

Li Yang Xian; Niu Ping Juan; Liu Cai Chi; Xu Yue Sheng; Yang Deren; Que Duan Lin

2002-01-01

The intrinsic gettering in neutron irradiated Czochralski-silicon is studied. The result shows that a denuded zone at the surface of the neutron irradiated Czochralski-silicon wafer may be formed through one-step short-time annealing. The width of the denuded zone is dependent on the annealing temperature and the dose of neutron irradiation, while it is irrelated to the annealing time in case the denuded zone is formed. The authors conclude that the interaction between the defects induced by neutron irradiation and the oxygen in the silicon accelerates the oxygen precipitation in the bulk, and becomes the dominating factor of the quick formation of intrinsic gettering. It makes the effect of thermal history as the secondary factor

Two-dimensional analysis of axial segregation in batchwise and continuous Czochralski process

Science.gov (United States)

Hoe Wang, Jong; Hyun Kim, Do; Yoo, Hak-Do

1999-03-01

Transient two-dimensional convection-diffusion model has been developed to simulate the segregation phenomena in batchwise and continuous Czochralski process. Numerical simulations have been performed using the finite element method and implicit Euler time integration. The mesh deformation due to the change of the melt depth in batchwise Czochralski process was considered. Experimental values of the growth and system parameters for Czochralski growth of boron-doped, 4-in silicon single crystal were used in the numerical calculations. The experimental axial segregation in batchwise Czochralski process can be described successfully using convection-diffusion model. It has been demonstrated with this model that silicon single crystal with uniform axial dopant concentration can be grown and radial segregation can be suppressed in the continuous Czochralski process.

Microdefects in an as-grown Czochralski silicon crystal studied by synchrotron radiation section topography with aid of computer simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, Satoshi; Aoki, Yoshirou; Okitsu, Kouhei; Sugita, Yoshimitsu; Kawata, Hiroshi; Abe, Takao

1998-01-01

Grown-in microdefects of a Czochralski (CZ) silicon crystal grown at a slow growth rate were studied by section topography using high energy synchrotron radiation. Images of the microdefects in the section topographs were analyzed quantitatively using computer simulation based on the Takagi-Taupin type dynamical diffraction theory of X-rays, and reproduced successfully by the simulation when the microdefects were assumed to be spherical strain centers. Sizes and positions of the microdefects were able to be determined by detailed comparison between the experiments and the computer simulations. The validity of the computer simulation in an analysis of the section topographs is discussed. (author)

Resistivity distribution of silicon single crystals using codoping

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jong Hoe

2005-07-01

Numerous studies including continuous Czochralski method and double crucible technique have been reported on the control of macroscopic axial resistivity distribution in bulk crystal growth. The simple codoping method for improving the productivity of silicon single-crystal growth by controlling axial specific resistivity distribution was proposed by Wang [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 43 (2004) 4079]. Wang [J. Crystal Growth 275 (2005) e73] demonstrated using numerical analysis and by experimental results that the axial specific resistivity distribution can be modified in melt growth of silicon crystals and relatively uniform profile is possible by B-P codoping method. In this work, the basic characteristic of 8 in silicon single crystal grown using codoping method is studied and whether proposed method has advantage for the silicon crystal growth is discussed.

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of Czochralski Crystal Growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaervinen, J.; Nieminen, R. [Center for Scientific Computing, Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

A detailed mathematical model and numerical simulation tools based on the SUPG Finite Element Method for the Czochralski crystal growth has been developed. In this presentation the mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the melt flow and the temperature distribution in a rotationally symmetric crystal growth environment is investigated. The temperature distribution and the position of the free boundary between the solid and liquid phases are solved by using the Enthalpy method. Heat inside of the Czochralski furnace is transferred by radiation, conduction and convection. The melt flow is governed by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the enthalpy equation. The melt flow is numerically demonstrated and the temperature distribution in the whole Czochralski furnace. (author)

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of Czochralski Crystal Growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaervinen, J; Nieminen, R [Center for Scientific Computing, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

A detailed mathematical model and numerical simulation tools based on the SUPG Finite Element Method for the Czochralski crystal growth has been developed. In this presentation the mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the melt flow and the temperature distribution in a rotationally symmetric crystal growth environment is investigated. The temperature distribution and the position of the free boundary between the solid and liquid phases are solved by using the Enthalpy method. Heat inside of the Czochralski furnace is transferred by radiation, conduction and convection. The melt flow is governed by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the enthalpy equation. The melt flow is numerically demonstrated and the temperature distribution in the whole Czochralski furnace. (author)

Growth and characterization of heavily doped silicon crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scala, R.; Porrini, M. [MEMC Electronic Materials SpA, via Nazionale 59, 39012 Merano (Italy); Borionetti, G. [MEMC Electronic Materials SpA, viale Gherzi 31, Novara (Italy)

2011-08-15

Silicon crystals grown with the Czochralski method are still the most common material used for the production of electronic devices. In recent years, a growing need of large diameter crystals with increasingly higher doping levels is observed, especially to support the expanding market of discrete devices and its trend towards lower and lower resistivity levels for the silicon substrate. The growth of such heavily doped, large-diameter crystals poses several new challenges to the crystal grower, and the presence of a high dopant concentration in the crystal affects significantly its main properties, requiring also the development of dedicated characterization techniques. This paper illustrates the recent advances in the growth and characterization of silicon crystals heavily doped with antimony, arsenic, phosphorus and boron. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Numerical simulation of the oxygen concentration distribution in silicon melt for different crystal lengths during Czochralski growth with a transverse magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jyh-Chen; Chiang, Pei-Yi; Nguyen, Thi Hoai Thu; Hu, Chieh; Chen, Chun-Hung; Liu, Chien-Cheng

2016-10-01

A three-dimensional simulation model is used to study the oxygen concentration distribution in silicon crystal during the Czochralski growth process under a transverse uniform magnetic field. The flow, temperature, and oxygen concentration distributions inside the furnace are calculated for different crystal lengths. There is significant variation in the flow structure in the melt with the growth length. The results show that in the initial stages, there is a decrease in the oxygen concentration at the crystal-melt interface as the length of the growing crystal increases. As the crystal lengthens further, a minimum value is reached after which the oxygen concentration increases continuously. This trend is consistent with that shown in the experimental results. The variation of the oxygen concentration with the growth length is strongly related to the depth of the melt in the crucible and the flow structure inside the melt. Better uniformity of the axial oxygen concentration can be achieved by proper adjustment of the crucible rotation rate during the growth process.

Full-scale experiments on solid-pellets feed continuous Czochralski growth of silicon crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmo, A.; Koziol, J.; Prasad, V.

1996-06-01

Two long-term solid-pellets feed continuous Czochralski growth experiments were performed in an industrial Czochralski crystal puller as an extension to our previous work [7]. The goals of these experiments were to examine how polysilicon pellets would melt in a standard Cz system, to discover the thermal effects the pellets would have on the overall melt, and to find if pellet addition could be an effective melt replenishment technique. These experiments demonstrate that the quality of the melt for the CCz growth is based heavily on the surface temperature of the melt. A novel characterization method ("impact severity") is developed to characterize the quality of the CCz melt. Stable feed rate and melt conditions were achieved for three different pull rates. These experiments demonstrate that the process is technically feasible, and can be retrofitted to the existing industrial systems. Several critical issues that need to be addressed to develop a successful CCz process are also discussed.

Centrifugal pumping during Czochralski silicon growth with a strong, non-uniform, axisymmetric magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Khine, Y. Y.; Walker, J. S.

1996-08-01

Centrifugal pumping flows are produced in the melt by the rotations of crystal and crucible during the Czochralski growth of silicon crystals. This paper treats the centrifugal pumping effects with a steady, strong, non-uniform axisymmetric magnetic field. We consider a family of magnetic fields ranging from a uniform axial field to a "cusp" field, which has a purely radial field at the crystal-melt interface and free surface. We present the numerical solutions for the centrifugal pumping flows as the magnetic field is changed continuously from a uniform axial field to a cusp one, and for arbitrary Hartmann number. Since the perfect alignment between the local magnetic field vector and the crystal-melt interface or free surface is not likely, we also investigate the effects of a slight misalignment.

Control and homogenization of oxygen distribution in Si crystals by the novel technique: electromagnetic Czochralski method (EMCZ)

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Masahito; Eguchi, Minoru; Hibiya, Taketoshi

1999-07-01

A novel method for control and homogenization oxygen distribution in silicon crystals by using electromagnetic force (EMF) to rotate the melt without crucible rotation has been developed. We call it electromagnetic Czochralski method. An EMF in the azimuthal direction is generated in the melt by the interaction between an electric current through the melt in the radial direction and a vertical magnetic field. (B). The rotation rate (ωm) of the silicon melt is continuously changed from 0 to over 105 rpm under I equals 0 to 8 A and B equals 0 to 0.1 T. Thirty-mm-diameter silicon single crystals free of dislocations could be grown under several conditions. The oxygen concentration in the crystals was continuously changed from 1 X 1017 to 1 X 1018 atoms/cm3 with increase of melt rotation by electromagnetic force. The homogeneous oxygen distributions in the radial directions were achieved. The continuous change of oxygen concentration and the homogenization of oxygen distribution along the radial direction are attributed to the control of the diffusion-boundary-layer at both the melt/crucible and crystal/melt by forced flow due to the EMF. This new method would be useful for growth of the large-diameter silicon crystals with a homogeneous distribution of oxygen.

Buoyant convection during Czochralski silicon growth with a strong, non-uniform, axisymmetric magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Khine, Y. Y.; Walker, J. S.

1995-02-01

This paper treats the buoyant convection during the Czochralski growth of silicon crystals with a steady, strong, non-uniform, axisymmetric magnetic field. We consider a family of magnetic fields which includes a uniform axial magnetic field and a "cusp" field which is produced by identical solenoids placed symmetrically above and below the plane of the crystal-melt interface and free surface. We investigate the evolution of the buoyant convection as the magnetic field is changed continuously from a uniform axial field to a cusp field, with a constant value of the root-mean-squared magnetic flux density in the melt. We also investigate changes as the magnetic flux density is increased. While the cusp field appears very promising, perfect alignment between the local magnetic field vector and the crystal-melt interface or free surface is not possible, so the effects of a slight misalignment are also investigated.

Nonlinear resonance ultrasonic vibrations in Czochralski-silicon wafers

Science.gov (United States)

Ostapenko, S.; Tarasov, I.

2000-04-01

A resonance effect of generation of subharmonic acoustic vibrations is observed in as-grown, oxidized, and epitaxial silicon wafers. Ultrasonic vibrations were generated into a standard 200 mm Czochralski-silicon (Cz-Si) wafer using a circular ultrasound transducer with major frequency of the radial vibrations at about 26 kHz. By tuning frequency (f) of the transducer within a resonance curve, we observed a generation of intense f/2 subharmonic acoustic mode assigned as a "whistle." The whistle mode has a threshold amplitude behavior and narrow frequency band. The whistle is attributed to a nonlinear acoustic vibration of a silicon plate. It is demonstrated that characteristics of the whistle mode are sensitive to internal stress and can be used for quality control and in-line diagnostics of oxidized and epitaxial Cz-Si wafers.

Deep level transient spectroscopy and minority carrier lifetime study on Ga-doped continuous Czochralski silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Yohan; Yan, Yixin; Ostrom, Nels P.; Kim, Jinwoo; Rozgonyi, George

2012-11-01

Continuous-Czochralski (c-Cz) crystal growth has been suggested as a viable technique for the fabrication of photovoltaic Si wafers due to its low resistivity variation of any dopant, independent of segregation, compared to conventional Cz. In order to eliminate light induced degradation due to boron-oxygen traps in conventional p-type silicon wafers, gallium doped wafers have been grown by c-Cz method and investigated using four point probe, deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), and microwave-photoconductance decay. Iron-gallium related electrically active defects were identified using DLTS as the main lifetime killers responsible for reduced non-uniform lifetimes in radial and axial positions of the c-Cz silicon ingot. A direct correlation between minority carrier lifetime and the concentration of electrically active Fe-Ga pairs was established.

The fluid flow of Czochralski melt under the electromagnetic field

OpenAIRE

加藤, 拓哉; 二條久保, 裕; 岩本, 光生; 齋藤, 晋一; 赤松, 正人; 尾添, 紘之; Takuya, Katoh; Yuu, Nijoukubo; Mitsuo, Iwamoto; Shinichi, Saitoh; Masato, Akamatsu; Hiroyuki, Ozoe; 大分大院; 大分大工; 大分大工

2009-01-01

The silicon single crystal is use for the semiconductor device and it is mainly manufactured by the Czochralski crystal growing method. Under the Cz method, the forced convection and natural convection caused by the crystal rotation and the temperature difference between the crystal and crucible. In traditional system, the melt convection is controlled by the heater power, the crystal and crucible rotation. We apply Lorentz force to control the melt convection in this study, the Lorentz force...

Development of Radiation Hard Radiation Detectors, Differences between Czochralski Silicon and Float Zone Silicon

CERN Document Server

Tuominen, Eija

2012-01-01

The purpose of this work was to develop radiation hard silicon detectors. Radiation detectors made ofsilicon are cost effective and have excellent position resolution. Therefore, they are widely used fortrack finding and particle analysis in large high-energy physics experiments. Silicon detectors willalso be used in the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment that is being built at the LHC (LargeHadron Collider) accelerator at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research). This work wasdone in the CMS programme of Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP).Exposure of the silicon material to particle radiation causes irreversible defects that deteriorate theperformance of the silicon detectors. In HIP CMS Programme, our approach was to improve theradiation hardness of the silicon material with increased oxygen concentration in silicon material. Westudied two different methods: diffusion oxygenation of Float Zone silicon and use of high resistivityCzochralski silicon.We processed, characterised, tested in a parti...

Lifetime degradation of n-type Czochralski silicon after hydrogenation

Science.gov (United States)

Vaqueiro-Contreras, M.; Markevich, V. P.; Mullins, J.; Halsall, M. P.; Murin, L. I.; Falster, R.; Binns, J.; Coutinho, J.; Peaker, A. R.

2018-04-01

Hydrogen plays an important role in the passivation of interface states in silicon-based metal-oxide semiconductor technologies and passivation of surface and interface states in solar silicon. We have shown recently [Vaqueiro-Contreras et al., Phys. Status Solidi RRL 11, 1700133 (2017)] that hydrogenation of n-type silicon slices containing relatively large concentrations of carbon and oxygen impurity atoms {[Cs] ≥ 1 × 1016 cm-3 and [Oi] ≥ 1017 cm-3} can produce a family of C-O-H defects, which act as powerful recombination centres reducing the minority carrier lifetime. In this work, evidence of the silicon's lifetime deterioration after hydrogen injection from SiNx coating, which is widely used in solar cell manufacturing, has been obtained from microwave photoconductance decay measurements. We have characterised the hydrogenation induced deep level defects in n-type Czochralski-grown Si samples through a series of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS), and high-resolution Laplace DLTS/MCTS measurements. It has been found that along with the hydrogen-related hole traps, H1 and H2, in the lower half of the gap reported by us previously, hydrogenation gives rise to two electron traps, E1 and E2, in the upper half of the gap. The activation energies for electron emission from the E1 and E2 trap levels have been determined as 0.12, and 0.14 eV, respectively. We argue that the E1/H1 and E2/H2 pairs of electron/hole traps are related to two energy levels of two complexes, each incorporating carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. Our results show that the detrimental effect of the C-O-H defects on the minority carrier lifetime in n-type Si:O + C materials can be very significant, and the carbon concentration in Czochralski-grown silicon is a key parameter in the formation of the recombination centers.

A multiple p-n junction structure obtained from as-grown Czochralski silicon crystals by heat treatment - Application to solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, J. Y.; Gatos, H. C.; Mao, B. Y.

1980-01-01

Multiple p-n junctions have been prepared in as-grown Czochralski p-type silicon through overcompensation near the oxygen periodic concentration maxima by oxygen thermal donors generated during heat treatment at 450 C. Application of the multiple p-n-junction configuration to photovoltaic energy conversion has been investigated. A new solar-cell structure based on multiple p-n-junctions was developed. Theoretical analysis showed that a significant increase in collection efficiency over the conventional solar cells can be achieved.

Czochralski growth of gallium indium antimonide alloy crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsaur, S.C.

1998-02-01

Attempts were made to grow alloy crystals of Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb by the conventional Czochralski process. A transparent furnace was used, with hydrogen purging through the chamber during crystal growth. Single crystal seeds up to about 2 to 5 mole% InSb were grown from seeds of 1 to 2 mole% InSb, which were grown from essentially pure GaSb seeds of the [111] direction. Single crystals were grown with InSb rising from about 2 to 6 mole% at the seed ends to about 14 to 23 mole% InSb at the finish ends. A floating-crucible technique that had been effective in reducing segregation in doped crystals, was used to reduce segregation in Czochralski growth of alloy crystals of Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb. Crystals close to the targeted composition of 1 mole% InSb were grown. However, difficulties were encountered in reaching higher targeted InSb concentrations. Crystals about 2 mole% were grown when 4 mole% was targeted. It was observed that mixing occurred between the melts rendering the compositions of the melts; and, hence, the resultant crystal unpredictable. The higher density of the growth melt than that of the replenishing melt could have triggered thermosolutal convection to cause such mixing. It was also observed that the floating crucible stuck to the outer crucible when the liquidus temperature of the replenishing melt was significantly higher than that of the growth melt. The homogeneous Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb single crystals were grown successfully by a pressure-differential technique. By separating a quartz tube into an upper chamber for crystal growth and a lower chamber for replenishing. The melts were connected by a capillary tube to suppress mixing between them. A constant pressure differential was maintained between the chambers to keep the growth melt up in the growth chamber. The method was first tested with a low temperature alloy Bi{sub 1{minus}x}Sb{sub x}. Single crystals of Ga{sub 1{minus}x}In{sub x}Sb were grown with uniform

Hydrogen diffusion at moderate temperatures in p-type Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Y.L.; Ma, Y.; Job, R.; Ulyashin, A.G.

2004-01-01

In plasma-hydrogenated p-type Czochralski silicon, rapid thermal donor (TD) formation is achieved, resulting from the catalytic support of hydrogen. The n-type counter doping by TD leads to a p-n junction formation. A simple method for the indirect determination of the diffusivity of hydrogen via applying the spreading resistance probe measurements is presented. Hydrogen diffusion in silicon during both plasma hydrogenation and post-hydrogenation annealing is investigated. The impact of the hydrogenation duration, annealing temperature, and resistivity of the silicon wafers on the hydrogen diffusion is discussed. Diffusivities of hydrogen are determined in the temperature range 270-450 deg. C. The activation energy for the hydrogen diffusion is deduced to be 1.23 eV. The diffusion of hydrogen is interpreted within the framework of a trap-limited diffusion mechanism. Oxygen and hydrogen are found to be the main traps

Boron, phosphorus, and gallium determination in silicon crystals doped with gallium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shklyar, B.L.; Dankovskij, Yu.V.; Trubitsyn, Yu.V.

1989-01-01

When studying IR transmission spectra of silicon doped with gallium in the range of concentrations 1 x 10 14 - 5 x 10 16 cm -3 , the possibility to quantity at low (∼ 20 K) temperatures residual impurities of boron and phosphorus is ascertained. The lower determination limit of boron is 1 x 10 12 cm -3 for a sample of 10 nm thick. The level of the impurities in silicon crystals, grown by the Czochralski method and method of crucible-free zone melting, is measured. Values of boron and phosphorus concentrations prior to and after their alloying with gallium are compared

Three-dimensional study of the pressure field and advantages of hemispherical crucible in silicon Czochralski crystal growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokhtari, F. [LTSE Laboratory, University of Science and Technol., USTHB BP 32 Elalia, Babezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); University Mouloud Mammeri, Tizi Ouzou (Algeria); Merah, A. [University M' hammed Bougara, Boumerdes (Algeria); Zizi, M. [LTSE Laboratory, University of Science and Technol., USTHB BP 32 Elalia, Babezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); Hanchi, S. [UER Mecanique/ E.M.P B.P 17 Bordj El Bahri, Algiers (Algeria); Alemany, A. [Laboratoire EPM, CNRS, Grenoble (France); Bouabdallah, A.

2010-06-15

The effects of several growth parameters in cylindrical and spherical Czochralski crystal process are studied numerically and particularly, we focus on the influence of the pressure field. We present a set of three-dimensional computational simulations using the finite volume package Fluent in two different geometries, a new geometry as cylindro-spherical and the traditional configuration as cylindro-cylindrical. We found that the evolution of pressure which is has not been studied before; this important function is strongly related to the vorticity in the bulk flow, the free surface and the growth interface. It seems that the pressure is more sensitive to the breaking of symmetry than the other properties that characterize the crystal growth as temperature or velocity fields. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Electrical properties of MOS structures on nitrogen-doped Czochralski-grown silicon: A positron annihilation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slugen, V.; Harmatha, L.; Tapajna, M.; Ballo, P.; Pisecny, P.; Sik, J.; Koegel, G.; Krsjak, V.

2006-01-01

Measurements of interface trap density, effective generation lifetime (GL) and effective surface generation velocity have been performed using different methods on selected MOS structures prepared on nitrogen-doped Czochralski-grown (NCz) silicon. The application of the positron annihilation technique using a pulsed low energy positron system (PLEPS) focused on the detection of nitrogen-related defects in NCz silicon in the near surface region. In the case of p-type Cz silicon, all the results could be used for the testing of homogeneity. In n-type Cz silicon, positron annihilation was found insensitive to nitrogen doping

Diffuse X-ray scattering near the Bragg reflection of P-doped Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stojanoff, V.; Pimentel, C.A.F.

1983-01-01

Bragg line profile and high resolution diffuse X-ray scattering measurements around the (400) reciprocal lattice point of dislocation-free Czochralski Si single crystals P-doped have shown defects of interstitial nature with typical size about 1000 A. (Author) [pt

Eliminating Light-Induced Degradation in Commercial p-Type Czochralski Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brett Hallam

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses developments in the mitigation of light-induced degradation caused by boron-oxygen defects in boron-doped Czochralski grown silicon. Particular attention is paid to the fabrication of industrial silicon solar cells with treatments for sensitive materials using illuminated annealing. It highlights the importance and desirability of using hydrogen-containing dielectric layers and a subsequent firing process to inject hydrogen throughout the bulk of the silicon solar cell and subsequent illuminated annealing processes for the formation of the boron-oxygen defects and simultaneously manipulate the charge states of hydrogen to enable defect passivation. For the photovoltaic industry with a current capacity of approximately 100 GW peak, the mitigation of boron-oxygen related light-induced degradation is a necessity to use cost-effective B-doped silicon while benefitting from the high-efficiency potential of new solar cell concepts.

Shallow Melt Apparatus for Semicontinuous Czochralski Crystal Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, T.; Ciszek, T. F.

2006-01-10

In a single crystal pulling apparatus for providing a Czochralski crystal growth process, the improvement of a shallow melt crucible (20) to eliminate the necessity supplying a large quantity of feed stock materials that had to be preloaded in a deep crucible to grow a large ingot, comprising a gas tight container a crucible with a deepened periphery (25) to prevent snapping of a shallow melt and reduce turbulent melt convection; source supply means for adding source material to the semiconductor melt; a double barrier (23) to minimize heat transfer between the deepened periphery (25) and the shallow melt in the growth compartment; offset holes (24) in the double barrier (23) to increase melt travel length between the deepened periphery (25) and the shallow growth compartment; and the interface heater/heat sink (22) to control the interface shape and crystal growth rate.

Charge collection measurements with p-type Magnetic Czochralski silicon single pad detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tosi, C.; Bruzzi, M.; Macchiolo, A.; Scaringella, M.; Petterson, M.K.; Sadrozinski, H.F.-W.; Betancourt, C.; Manna, N.; Creanza, D.; Boscardin, M.; Piemonte, C.; Zorzi, N.; Borrello, L.; Messineo, A.

2007-01-01

The charge collected from beta source particles in single pad detectors produced on p-type Magnetic Czochralski (MCz) silicon wafers has been measured before and after irradiation with 26 MeV protons. After a 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence of 1x10 15 cm -2 the collected charge is reduced to 77% at bias voltages below 900 V. This result is compared with previous results from charge collection measurements

Role of crucible partition in improving Czochralski melt conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Jafri, I. H.; Prasad, V.; Anselmo, A. P.; Gupta, K. P.

1995-09-01

Many of the inhomogeneities and defects in the crystal grown from a pool of melt are because of the inherent unsteady growth kinetics and flow instabilities of the process. A scaled up version of the Czochralski process induces oscillatory and turbulent conditions in the melt, thereby resulting in the production of non-uniform silicon crystals. This numerical study reveals that a crucible partition shorter than the melt height can significantly improve the melt conditions. The obstruction at the bottom of the crucible is helpful but the variations in heat flux and flow patterns remain random. However, when the obstruction is introduced at the top of the melt, the flow conditions become much more desirable and oscillations are greatly suppressed. It is also found that a full-melt height partition or a double-crucible may not be a good choice. An optimal size of the blockage and its location to produce the most desirable process conditions will depend on the growth parameters including the melt height and the crucible diameter. These findings should be particularly useful in designing a solid polysilicon pellets-feed continuous Czochralski process for Si crystals.

Characterization of GaInSb crystal obtained by Czochralski Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streicher, M.; Costa, E.M.; Dedavid, B.A.; Corregidor, V.; Franco, N.; Dias, M.; Alves, E.; Alves, L.C.

2014-01-01

The surface morphology and chemical composition of a Ga 0.93 In 0.07 Sb ternary alloy crystal grown by liquid encapsulated Czochralski were investigated by means of scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Results indicate that poor mixing of the starting compounds during the synthesizing process lead to a ternary alloy with different compositions along the growth direction. Small regions with high concentrations of indium were highlighted throughout the crystal. Different parts removed from the crystal present similar microstructures with planar defects. Up to five different regions were identified in the sample. (author)

Characterization of GaInSb crystal obtained by Czochralski Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Streicher, M.; Costa, E.M.; Dedavid, B.A. [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Corregidor, V.; Franco, N.; Dias, M.; Alves, E.; Alves, L.C. [Universidade de Lisboa, Sacavem (Portugal)

2014-07-01

The surface morphology and chemical composition of a Ga{sub 0.93}In{sub 0.07}Sb ternary alloy crystal grown by liquid encapsulated Czochralski were investigated by means of scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Results indicate that poor mixing of the starting compounds during the synthesizing process lead to a ternary alloy with different compositions along the growth direction. Small regions with high concentrations of indium were highlighted throughout the crystal. Different parts removed from the crystal present similar microstructures with planar defects. Up to five different regions were identified in the sample. (author)

Comparison on mechanical properties of heavily phosphorus- and arsenic-doped Czochralski silicon wafers

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Kang; Sun, Yuxin; Lu, Yunhao; Liang, Xingbo; Tian, Daxi; Ma, Xiangyang; Yang, Deren

2018-04-01

Heavily phosphorus (P)- and arsenic (As)-doped Czochralski silicon (CZ-Si) wafers generally act as the substrates for the epitaxial silicon wafers used to fabricate power and communication devices. The mechanical properties of such two kinds of n-type heavily doped CZ silicon wafers are vital to ensure the quality of epitaxial silicon wafers and the manufacturing yields of devices. In this work, the mechanical properties including the hardness, Young's modulus, indentation fracture toughness and the resistance to dislocation motion have been comparatively investigated for heavily P- and As-doped CZ-Si wafers. It is found that heavily P-doped CZ-Si possesses somewhat higher hardness, lower Young's modulus, larger indentation fracture toughness and stronger resistance to dislocation motion than heavily As-doped CZ-Si. The mechanisms underlying this finding have been tentatively elucidated by considering the differences in the doping effects of P and As in silicon.

Modelling of thermal field and point defect dynamics during silicon single crystal growth using CZ technique

Science.gov (United States)

Sabanskis, A.; Virbulis, J.

2018-05-01

Mathematical modelling is employed to numerically analyse the dynamics of the Czochralski (CZ) silicon single crystal growth. The model is axisymmetric, its thermal part describes heat transfer by conduction and thermal radiation, and allows to predict the time-dependent shape of the crystal-melt interface. Besides the thermal field, the point defect dynamics is modelled using the finite element method. The considered process consists of cone growth and cylindrical phases, including a short period of a reduced crystal pull rate, and a power jump to avoid large diameter changes. The influence of the thermal stresses on the point defects is also investigated.

Numerical modeling of Czochralski growth of Li2MoO4 crystals for heat-scintillation cryogenic bolometers

Science.gov (United States)

Stelian, Carmen; Velázquez, Matias; Veber, Philippe; Ahmine, Abdelmounaim; Sand, Jean-Baptiste; Buşe, Gabriel; Cabane, Hugues; Duffar, Thierry

2018-06-01

Lithium molybdate Li2MoO4 (LMO) crystals of mass ranging between 350 and 500 g are excellent candidates to build heat-scintillation cryogenic bolometers likely to be used for the detection of rare events in astroparticle physics. In this work, numerical modeling is applied in order to investigate the Czochralski growth of Li2MoO4 crystals in an inductive furnace. The numerical model was validated by comparing the numerical predictions of the crystal-melt interface shape to experimental visualization of the growth interface. Modeling was performed for two different Czochralski furnaces that use inductive heating. The simulation of the first furnace, which was used to grow Li2MoO4 crystals of 3-4 cm in diameter, reveals non-optimal heat transfer conditions for obtaining good quality crystals. The second furnace, which will be used to grow crystals of 5 cm in diameter, was numerically optimized in order to reduce the temperature gradients in the crystal and to avoid fast crystallization of the bath at the later stages of the growth process.

Impurity engineering for germanium-doped Czochralski silicon wafer used for ultra large scale integrated circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jiahe; Yang, Deren [State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China)

2009-07-01

Internal gettering (IG) technology has been challenged by both the reduction of thermal budget during device fabrication and the enlargement of wafer diameter. Improving the properties of Czochralski (Cz) silicon wafers by intentional impurity doping, the so-called 'impurity engineering (IE)', is defined. Germanium has been found to be one of the important impurities for improving the internal gettering effect in Cz silicon wafer. In this paper, the investigations on IE involved with the conventional furnace anneal based denudation processing for germanium-doped Cz silicon wafer are reviewed. Meanwhile, the potential mechanisms of germanium effects for the IE of Cz silicon wafer are also interpreted based on the experimental facts. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Light-induced enhancement of the minority carrier lifetime in boron-doped Czochralski silicon passivated by doped silicon nitride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hongzhe; Chen, Chao; Pan, Miao; Sun, Yiling; Yang, Xi

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The phosphorus-doped SiN x with negative fixed charge was deposited by PECVD. • The increase of lifetime was observed on P-doped SiN x passivated Si under illumination. • The enhancement of lifetime was caused by the increase of negative fixed charges. - Abstract: This study reports a doubling of the effective minority carrier lifetime under light soaking conditions, observed in a boron-doped p-type Czochralski grown silicon wafer passivated by a phosphorus-doped silicon nitride thin film. The analysis of capacitance–voltage curves revealed that the fixed charge in this phosphorus-doped silicon nitride film was negative, which was unlike the well-known positive fixed charges observed in traditional undoped silicon nitride. The analysis results revealed that the enhancement phenomenon of minority carrier lifetime was caused by the abrupt increase in the density of negative fixed charge (from 7.2 × 10 11 to 1.2 × 10 12 cm −2 ) after light soaking.

Application of hydrogen-plasma technology for property modification of silicon and producing the silicon-based structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedotov, A.K.; Mazanik, A.V.; Ul'yashin, A.G.; Dzhob, R; Farner, V.R.

2000-01-01

Effects of atomic hydrogen on the properties of Czochralski-grown single crystal silicon as well as polycrystalline shaped silicon have been investigated. It was established that the buried defect layers created by high-energy hydrogen or helium ion implantation act as a good getter centers for hydrogen atoms introduced in silicon in the process of hydrogen plasma hydrogenation. Atomic hydrogen was shown to be active as a catalyzer significantly enhancing the rate of thermal donors formation in p-type single crystal silicon. This effect can be used for n-p- and p-n-p-silicon based device structures producing [ru

Sensitivity of triple-crystal X-ray diffractometers to microdefects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molodkin, V.B.; Olikhovskii, S.I.; Len, E.G.; Kislovskii, E.N.; Kladko, V.P.; Reshetnyk, O.V.; Vladimirova, T.P.; Sheludchenko, B.V.

2009-01-01

The dynamical theory, which describes both diffraction profiles and reciprocal space maps measured from imperfect crystals with account for instrumental factors of triple-crystal diffractometer (TCD), has been developed for adequate quantitative characterization of microdefects. Analytical expressions for coherent and diffuse scattering (DS) intensities measured by TCD in the Bragg diffraction geometry have been derived by using the generalized statistical dynamical theory of X-ray scattering in real single crystals with randomly distributed defects. The DS intensity distributions from single crystals containing clusters and dislocation loops have been described by explicit analytical expressions. Particularly, these expressions take into account anisotropy of displacement fields around defects with discrete orientations. Characteristics of microdefect structures in silicon single crystals grown by Czochralsky- and float-zone methods have been determined by analyzing the measured TCD profiles and reciprocal space maps. The sensitivities of reciprocal space maps and diffraction profiles to defect characteristics have been compared. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Numerical investigation of magnetic field effect on pressure in cylindrical and hemispherical silicon CZ crystal growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokhtari, F.; Bouabdallah, A.; Merah, A.; Oualli, H.

2012-01-01

The effect of axial magnetic field of different intensities on pressure in silicon Czochralski crystal growth is investigated in cylindrical and hemispherical geometries with rotating crystal and crucible and thermocapillary convection. As one important thermodynamic variable, the pressure is found to be more sensitive than temperature to magnetic field with strong dependence upon the vorticity field. The pressure at the triple point is proposed as a convenient parameter to control the homogeneity of the grown crystal. With a gradual increase of the magnetic field intensity the convection effect can be reduced without thermal fluctuations in the silicon melt. An evaluation of the magnetic interaction parameter critical value corresponding to flow, pressure and temperature homogenization leads to the important result that a relatively low axial magnetic field is required for the spherical system comparatively to the cylindrical one. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Numerical investigation of magnetic field effect on pressure in cylindrical and hemispherical silicon CZ crystal growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokhtari, F. [Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi Ouzou (Algeria); LTSE Laboratory, University of Science and Technology. BP 32 Elalia, Babezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); Bouabdallah, A. [LTSE Laboratory, University of Science and Technology. BP 32 Elalia, Babezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); Merah, A. [LTSE Laboratory, University of Science and Technology. BP 32 Elalia, Babezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); M' hamed Bougara University, Boumerdes (Algeria); Oualli, H. [EMP, Bordj ElBahri, Algiers (Algeria)

2012-12-15

The effect of axial magnetic field of different intensities on pressure in silicon Czochralski crystal growth is investigated in cylindrical and hemispherical geometries with rotating crystal and crucible and thermocapillary convection. As one important thermodynamic variable, the pressure is found to be more sensitive than temperature to magnetic field with strong dependence upon the vorticity field. The pressure at the triple point is proposed as a convenient parameter to control the homogeneity of the grown crystal. With a gradual increase of the magnetic field intensity the convection effect can be reduced without thermal fluctuations in the silicon melt. An evaluation of the magnetic interaction parameter critical value corresponding to flow, pressure and temperature homogenization leads to the important result that a relatively low axial magnetic field is required for the spherical system comparatively to the cylindrical one. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Development of advanced Czochralski Growth Process to produce low cost 150 KG silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness

Science.gov (United States)

1981-01-01

The goals in this program for advanced czochralski growth process to produce low cost 150 kg silicon ingots from a single crucible for technology readiness are outlined. To provide a modified CG2000 crystal power capable of pulling a minimum of five crystals, each of approximately 30 kg in weight, 150 mm diameter from a single crucible with periodic melt replenishment. Crystals to have: resistivity of 1 to 3 ohm cm, p-type; dislocation density below 1- to the 6th power per cm; orientation (100); after growth yield of greater than 90%. Growth throughput of greater than 2.5 kg per hour of machine operation using a radiation shield. Prototype equipment suitable for use as a production facility. The overall cost goal is $.70 per peak watt by 1986. To accomplish these goals, the modified CG2000 grower and development program includes: (1) increased automation with a microprocessor based control system; (2) sensors development which will increase the capability of the automatic controls system, and provide technology transfer of the developed systems.

Solidification interface shape control in a continuous Czochralski silicon growth system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenlei; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Tihu; Zheng, Lili

2006-01-01

In a continuous Czochralski (CCZ) growth system with a shallow and replenished melt proposed earlier, large-diameter crystals may be grown at a high pull rate and reduced melt convection. The proposed system consists of two heaters. In this paper, the relationship between the solidification interface and the power levels is established. An interface control algorithm is developed to achieve the desired interface shape by adjusting the power level of the bottom heater. The control algorithm is incorporated into an existing process model, and the efficiency of the control algorithm is tested.

Temperature fields in a growing solar silicon crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kondrik A. I.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The optimal thermal terms for growing by Czochralski method Si single-crystals, suitable for making photoelectric energy converters, has been defined by the computer simulation method. Dependences of temperature fields character and crystallization front form on the diameter of the crystal, stage and speed of growing, and also on correlation between diameter and height of the crystal has been studied.

Denuded zone in Czochralski silicon wafer with high carbon content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jiahe; Yang Deren; Ma Xiangyang; Que Duanlin

2006-01-01

The thermal stability of the denuded zone (DZ) created by high-low-high-temperature annealing in high carbon content (H[C]) and low carbon content (L[C]) Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) has been investigated in a subsequent ramping and isothermal 1050 deg. C annealing. The tiny oxygen precipitates which might occur in the DZ were checked. It was found in the L[C] Cz-Si that the DZ shrank and the density of bulk micro-defects (BMDs) reduced with the increase of time spent at 1050 deg. C. Also, the DZs above 15 μm of thickness present in the H[C] Cz-Si wafers continuously and the density and total volume of BMDs first decreased then increased and finally decreased again during the treatments. Moreover, tiny oxygen precipitates were hardly generated inside the DZs, indicating that H[C] Cz-Si wafers could support the fabrication of integrated circuits

Denuded zone in Czochralski silicon wafer with high carbon content

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiahe; Yang, Deren; Ma, Xiangyang; Que, Duanlin

2006-12-01

The thermal stability of the denuded zone (DZ) created by high-low-high-temperature annealing in high carbon content (H[C]) and low carbon content (L[C]) Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) has been investigated in a subsequent ramping and isothermal 1050 °C annealing. The tiny oxygen precipitates which might occur in the DZ were checked. It was found in the L[C] Cz-Si that the DZ shrank and the density of bulk micro-defects (BMDs) reduced with the increase of time spent at 1050 °C. Also, the DZs above 15 µm of thickness present in the H[C] Cz-Si wafers continuously and the density and total volume of BMDs first decreased then increased and finally decreased again during the treatments. Moreover, tiny oxygen precipitates were hardly generated inside the DZs, indicating that H[C] Cz-Si wafers could support the fabrication of integrated circuits.

Impurity engineering of Czochralski silicon used for ultra large-scaled-integrated circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Deren; Chen, Jiahe; Ma, Xiangyang; Que, Duanlin

2009-01-01

Impurities in Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) used for ultra large-scaled-integrated (ULSI) circuits have been believed to deteriorate the performance of devices. In this paper, a review of the recent processes from our investigation on internal gettering in Cz-Si wafers which were doped with nitrogen, germanium and/or high content of carbon is presented. It has been suggested that those impurities enhance oxygen precipitation, and create both denser bulk microdefects and enough denuded zone with the desirable width, which is benefit of the internal gettering of metal contamination. Based on the experimental facts, a potential mechanism of impurity doping on the internal gettering structure is interpreted and, a new concept of 'impurity engineering' for Cz-Si used for ULSI is proposed.

The effect of polycrystalline rod insertion in a low Prandtl number melt for continuous Czochralski system

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Phil-Ouk; Son, Seung-Suk; Yi, Kyung-Woo

2010-04-01

The increased wafer size results in greater instabilities and complexities within the silicon melt, and melt flow control through the application of magnetic fields is not adequate to stabilize the melt. Therefore, continuous Czochralski systems are being studied as a solution to these issues, with higher productivity and no change in size. The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of polycrystalline rod insertion on the melt for a continuous Czochralski system. In order to observe flow patterns within the melt both broadly and specifically, we employ experimentation on a model system in tandem with numerical simulation. The rod insertion do not significantly affect near the crystal edge. In the melt height from 0.14 to 0.09 m, an asymmetric temperature distributions arise when the crystal rotation is counterclockwise direction (-15 rpm) and the crucible rotation is clockwise direction (3 rpm). The axis-symmetrical temperature distribution is formed at lower melt heights (0.08 and 0.07 m). When the melt height is 0.07 m, the axis-symmetric temperature distribution is maintained even after the rod insertion.

Continuous Czochralski growth: Silicon sheet growth development of the large area silicon sheet task of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array project

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The primary objective of this contract is to develop equipment and methods for the economic production of single crystal ingot material by the continuous Czochralski (CZ) process. Continuous CZ is defined for the purpose of this work as the growth of at least 100 kilograms of ingot from only one melt container. During the reporting period (October, 1977 - September, 1978), a modified grower was made fully functional and several recharge runs were performed. The largest run lasted 44 hours and over 42 kg of ingot was produced. Little, if any, degradation in efficiency was observed as a result of pulling multiple crystals from one crucible. Solar efficiencies observed were between 9.3 and 10.4% AMO (13.0 and 14.6% AMI) compared to 10.5% (14.7% AMI) for optimum CZ material control samples. Using the SAMICS/IPEG format, economic analysis of continuous CZ suggests that 1986 DoE cost goals can only be met by the growth of large diameter, large mass crystals.

Continuous Czochralski growth: Silicon sheet growth development of the large area sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, C. M.

1980-12-01

The growth of 100 kg of silicon single crystal material, ten cm in diameter or greater, and 150 kg of silicon single crystal material 15 cm or greater utilizing one common silicon container material (one crucible) is investigated. A crystal grower that is recharged with a new supply of polysilicon material while still under vacuum and at temperatures above the melting point of silicon is developed. It accepts large polysilicon charges up to 30 kg, grows large crystal ingots (to 15 cm diameter and 25 kg in weight), and holds polysilicon material for recharging (rod or lump) while, at the same time, growing crystal ingots. Special equipment is designed to recharge polysilicon rods, recharge polysilicon lumps, and handle and store large, hot silicon crystal ingots. Many continuous crystal growth runs were performed lasting as long as 109 hours and producing as many as ten crystal ingots, 15 cm with weights progressing to 27 kg.

Oscillatory convection in low aspect ratio Czochralski melts

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmo, A.; Prasad, V.; Koziol, J.; Gupta, K. P.

1993-11-01

Modeling of the crucible in bulk crystal growth simulations as a right circular cylinder may be adequate for high aspect ratio melts but this may be unrealistic when the melt height is low. Low melt height is a unique feature of a solid feed continuous Czochralski growth process for silicon single crystals currently under investigation. At low melt heights, the crucible bottom curvature has a dampening effect on the buoyancy-induced oscillations, a source of inhomogeneities in the grown crystal. The numerical results demonstrate how the mode of convection changes from vertical wall-dominated recirculating flows to Benard convection as the aspect ratio is lowered. This phenomenon is strongly dependent on the boundary condition at the free surface of the melt, which has been generally considered to be either adiabatic or radiatively cooled. A comparison of the flow oscillations in crucibles with and without curved bottoms at aspect ratios in the range of 0.25 to 0.50, and at realistic Grashof numbers (10 7 < Gr < 10 8) illustrate that changing the shape of the crucible may be an effective means of suppressing oscillations and controlling the melt flow.

3-D time-dependent numerical model of flow patterns within a large-scale Czochralski system

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Phil-Ouk; O, Sang-Kun; Yi, Kyung-Woo

2008-04-01

Silicon single crystals grown through the Czochralski (Cz) method have increased in size to 300 mm, resulting in the use of larger crucibles. The objective of this study is to investigate the continuous Cz method in a large crucible (800 mm), which is performed by inserting a polycrystalline silicon rod into the melt. The numerical model is based on a time-dependent and three-dimensional standard k- ɛ turbulent model using the analytical software package CFD-ACE+, version 2007. Wood's metal melt, which has a low melting point ( Tm=70 °C), was used as the modeling fluid. Crystal rotation given in the clockwise direction with rotation rates varying from 0 to 15 rpm, while the crucible was rotated counter-clockwise, with rotation rates between 0 and 3 rpm. The results show that asymmetrical phenomena of fluid flow arise as results of crystal and crucible rotation, and that these phenomena move with the passage of time. Near the crystal, the flow moves towards the crucible at the pole of the asymmetrical phenomena. Away from the poles, a vortex begins to form, which is strongly pronounced in the region between the poles.

Analysis of Side-Wall Structure of Grown-in Twin-Type Octahedral Defects in Czochralski Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Ueki, Takemi; Itsumi, Manabu; Takeda, Tadao

1998-04-01

We analyzed the side-wall structure of grown-in octahedral defects in Czochralski silicon standard wafers for large-scale integrated circuits. There are two types of twin octahedral defects: an overlapping type and an adjacent type. In the twin octahedral defects of the overlapping type, a hole is formed in the connection part. The side-wall layer in the hole part is formed continually and is the same thickness as the side-wall layers of both octahedrons. In the twin octahedral defects of the adjacent type, a partition layer is formed in the connection part. Our electron energy-loss spectroscopy analyses identified that the side-wall layer includes SiO2.

Determination of intrinsic polarization for K{sub 2}ZnCl{sub 4} single crystal grown by Czochralski technique for ferroelectric applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Sonu [Crystal Lab, Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India); Ray, Geeta [Crystal Lab, Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India); Physics Department, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India); Sinha, Nidhi [Crystal Lab, Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India); Department of Electronics, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India); Kumar, Binay, E-mail: b3kumar69@yahoo.co.in [Crystal Lab, Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-7 (India)

2017-04-01

Large sized single crystal of K{sub 2}ZnCl{sub 4} (KZC) was grown by Czochralski (Cz) technique. Structural parameters of KZC were determined by Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). From DSC analysis and temperature dependent dielectric measurement, KZC crystal was found to show Curie phase transition at 151 °C. TG/DTA confirmed the melting point that was found to be 443 °C. The value of piezoelectric charge coefficient (d{sub 33}) for KZC crystal was found to be 32 pC/N demonstrating their applicability in transducers and piezoelectric devices. Ferroelectric P-E loop for the grown crystal was traced at room temperature and the intrinsic polarization obtained by PUND measurement was found to be 0.1398 μC/cm{sup 2} indicating its applicability in switching devices. The energy band gap for KZC single crystal was found to be 6.13 eV. Vickers micro-hardness test revealed soft nature of KZC single crystals. - Highlights: • Large sized K{sub 2}ZnCl{sub 4} (KZC) single crystal was grown by Czochralski technique. • It possesses high Curie temperature as 151 °C. • d{sub 33} coefficient was found to be 32 pC/N. • Intrinsic polarization measured by PUND. • Its direct band gap energy was calculated to be 6.13 eV.

Numerical investigation of flows in Czochralski crystal growth by an axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann method

CERN Document Server

Peng, Y; Chew, Y T; Qiu, J

2003-01-01

An alternative new method called lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied in this work to simulate the flows in Czochralski crystal growth, which is one of the widely used prototypical systems for melt-crystal growth. The standard LBM can only be used in Cartesian coordinate system and we extend it to be applicable to this axisymmetric thermal flow problem, avoiding the use of three-dimensional LBM on Cartesian coordinate system. The extension is based on the following idea. By inserting position and time dependent source terms into the evolution equation of standard LBM, the continuity and NS equations on the cylindrical coordinate system can be recovered. Our extension is validated by its application to the benchmark problem suggested by Wheeler .

Numerical investigation of flows in Czochralski crystal growth by an axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann method

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Y.; Shu, C.; Chew, Y. T.; Qiu, J.

2003-03-01

An alternative new method called lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied in this work to simulate the flows in Czochralski crystal growth, which is one of the widely used prototypical systems for melt-crystal growth. The standard LBM can only be used in Cartesian coordinate system and we extend it to be applicable to this axisymmetric thermal flow problem, avoiding the use of three-dimensional LBM on Cartesian coordinate system. The extension is based on the following idea. By inserting position and time dependent source terms into the evolution equation of standard LBM, the continuity and NS equations on the cylindrical coordinate system [1] can be recovered. Our extension is validated by its application to the benchmark problem suggested by Wheeler [2].

Numerical investigation of flows in Czochralski crystal growth by an axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Y.; Shu, C.; Chew, Y.T.; Qiu, J.

2003-01-01

An alternative new method called lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied in this work to simulate the flows in Czochralski crystal growth, which is one of the widely used prototypical systems for melt-crystal growth. The standard LBM can only be used in Cartesian coordinate system and we extend it to be applicable to this axisymmetric thermal flow problem, avoiding the use of three-dimensional LBM on Cartesian coordinate system. The extension is based on the following idea. By inserting position and time dependent source terms into the evolution equation of standard LBM, the continuity and NS equations on the cylindrical coordinate system can be recovered. Our extension is validated by its application to the benchmark problem suggested by Wheeler

Computational analysis of heat transfer, thermal stress and dislocation density during resistively Czochralski growth of germanium single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakoli, Mohammad Hossein; Renani, Elahe Kabiri; Honarmandnia, Mohtaram; Ezheiyan, Mahdi

2018-02-01

In this paper, a set of numerical simulations of fluid flow, temperature gradient, thermal stress and dislocation density for a Czochralski setup used to grow IR optical-grade Ge single crystal have been done for different stages of the growth process. A two-dimensional steady state finite element method has been applied for all calculations. The obtained numerical results reveal that the thermal field, thermal stress and dislocation structure are mainly dependent on the crystal height, heat radiation and gas flow in the growth system.

KBr-Li Br and KBr-LiBr doped with Ti mixed single crystal by Czochralski method and glow curve studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faripour, H.; Faripour, N.

2003-01-01

Mixed-single Crystals: pure KBr-LiBr and KBr-LiBr with Ti dopant were grown by Czochralski method. Because of difference between lattice parameters of KBr and LiBr, the growth speed of crystals were relatively low, and they were annealed in a special temperature condition providing some cleavages. They were exposed by β radiation and the glow curve was analysed for each crystal. Analysing of glow curve, showed that Ti impurity has been the curves of main peak curve appearance temperature decreasing

FY 1977 Annual report on Sunshine Project results. Research and development of photovoltaic power generation systems (Research and development of particle nonacceleration growth type silicon thin-film crystals); 1977 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Ryushi hikasoku seichogata silicon usumaku kessho no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1978-03-01

As part of the research and development project for producing photovoltaic power generation systems at reduced cost, the R and D efforts are made for producing particle nonacceleration growth type silicon thin-film crystals. The research items are (1) research on thin-film crystals, and (2) research on cell-structuring method. The item (1) studies quantities, types and electrical properties of impurities and crystal defects in the polycrystalline ingots, produced by the Czochralski method from metal grade silicon and purified metal grade silicon stocks. Next, the substrate prepared above is coated with a thin film of silicon by the vapor-phase growth method with dichlorosilane as the source, to evaluate the thin-film crystals by measuring the crystal defects and lifetime of small numbers of carriers. The item (2) studies the effects of the solder dipping method. In addition, unevenness of photoelectric current is analyzed by a laser scanning microscope, to investigate the effects of the secondary impurities and crystal defects in the substrate crystals on photoelectric current. As a result, it is found that conversion efficiency is improved by grading the hole concentration in the p-type activated layer. The targets of 10 to 20 m{sup 2} as the area and 7 to 8% as the conversion efficiency are attained by preparing the crystals again. (NEDO)

Temperature effect on phase states of quartz nano-crystals in silicon single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalanov, M.U.; Ibragimova, E.M.; Khamraeva, R.N.; Rustamova, V.M.; Ummatov, Kh.D.

2006-01-01

Full text: Oxygen penetrates into the silicon lattice up to the concentration of 2·10 18 cm -3 in the course of growing [1]. By the author's opinion at a low oxygen content the formation of solid solution is possible in the local defect places of the silicon single crystal lattice due to the difference in effective ion radius of oxygen and silicon (r O 0.176 and r Si = 0.065 nm). Upon reaching some critical content (∼ 10 17 cm -3 ), it becomes favorable energetically for oxygen ions to form precipitates (SiO x ) and finally a dielectric layer (stoichiometric inclusions of SiO 2 ). It was shown later that depending on the growth conditions, indeed the quartz crystal inclusions are formed in the silicon single crystals at an amount of 0.3 /0.5 wt. % [2]. However the authors did not study a phase state of the quartz inclusions. Therefore the aim of this work was to study a phase state of the quartz inclusions in silicon crystal at various temperatures. We examined the silicon single crystals grown by Czochralski technique, which were cut in (111) plane in the form of disk of 20 mm diameter and 1.5 thickness and had hole conductivity with the specific resistance ρ o ≅ 1/10 Ohm cm. The dislocation density was N D ≅ 10 1 /10 3 cm -2 , the concentrations of oxygen and boron were N 0 ≅ 2/ 4·10 17 cm -3 and N B ≅ 3*10 15 cm -3 . Structure was analyzed at the set-up DRON-UM1 with high temperature supply UVD-2000 ( CuK = 0.1542 nm) at the temperatures of 300, 1173 and 1573 K measured with platinum-platinum-rhodium thermocouple. The high temperature diffraction spectrum measured at 1573 K in the angle range (2Θ≅10/70 d egree ) there is only one main structure reflection (111) with a high intensity and d/n ≅ 0.3136 nm (2 Θ≅ 28.5 d egree ) from the matrix lattice of silicon single crystal. The weak line at 2 Θ≅ 25.5 d egree ( d/n≅0.3136 nm) is β component of the main reflection (111), and the weak structure peak at 2Θ≅59 d egree ( d/n≅ 0.1568 nm

Boron deactivation in heavily boron-doped Czochralski silicon during rapid thermal anneal: Atomic level understanding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Chao; Dong, Peng; Yi, Jun; Ma, Xiangyang; Yang, Deren; Lu, Yunhao

2014-01-01

The changes in hole concentration of heavily boron (B)-doped Czochralski silicon subjected to high temperature rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and following conventional furnace anneal (CFA) have been investigated. It is found that decrease in hole concentration, namely, B deactivation, is observed starting from 1050 °C and increases with RTA temperature. The following CFA at 300–500 °C leads to further B deactivation, while that at 600–800 °C results in B reactivation. It is supposed that the interaction between B atoms and silicon interstitials (I) thus forming BI pairs leads to the B deactivation during the high temperature RTA, and, moreover, the formation of extended B 2 I complexes results in further B deactivation in the following CFA at 300–500 °C. On the contrary, the dissociation of BI pairs during the following CFA at 600–800 °C enables the B reactivation. Importantly, the first-principles calculation results can soundly account for the above-mentioned supposition

Boron deactivation in heavily boron-doped Czochralski silicon during rapid thermal anneal: Atomic level understanding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Chao; Dong, Peng; Yi, Jun; Ma, Xiangyang, E-mail: luyh@zju.edu.cn, E-mail: mxyoung@zju.edu.cn; Yang, Deren [State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Lu, Yunhao, E-mail: luyh@zju.edu.cn, E-mail: mxyoung@zju.edu.cn [International Center for New-Structured Materials and Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

2014-01-20

The changes in hole concentration of heavily boron (B)-doped Czochralski silicon subjected to high temperature rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and following conventional furnace anneal (CFA) have been investigated. It is found that decrease in hole concentration, namely, B deactivation, is observed starting from 1050 °C and increases with RTA temperature. The following CFA at 300–500 °C leads to further B deactivation, while that at 600–800 °C results in B reactivation. It is supposed that the interaction between B atoms and silicon interstitials (I) thus forming BI pairs leads to the B deactivation during the high temperature RTA, and, moreover, the formation of extended B{sub 2}I complexes results in further B deactivation in the following CFA at 300–500 °C. On the contrary, the dissociation of BI pairs during the following CFA at 600–800 °C enables the B reactivation. Importantly, the first-principles calculation results can soundly account for the above-mentioned supposition.

Cost of Czochralski wafers as a function of diameter

Science.gov (United States)

Leipold, M. H.; Radics, C.; Kachare, A.

1980-02-01

The impact of diameter in the range of 10 to 15 cm on the cost of wafers sliced from Czochralski ingots was analyzed. Increasing silicon waste and decreasing ingot cost with increasing ingot size were estimated along with projected costs. Results indicate a small but continuous decrease in sheet cost with increasing ingot size in this size range. Sheet costs including silicon are projected to be $50 to $60/sq m (1980 $) depending upon technique used.

Distribution of Al and in impurities along homogeneous Ge-Si crystals grown by the Czochralski method using Si feeding rod

Science.gov (United States)

Kyazimova, V. K.; Alekperov, A. I.; Zakhrabekova, Z. M.; Azhdarov, G. Kh.

2014-05-01

A distribution of Al and In impurities in Ge1 - x Si x crystals (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) grown by a modified Czochralski method (with continuous feeding of melt using a Si rod) have been studied experimentally and theoretically. Experimental Al and In concentrations along homogeneous crystals have been determined from Hall measurements. The problem of Al and In impurity distribution in homogeneous Ge-Si single crystals grown in the same way is solved within the Pfann approximation. A set of dependences of Al and In concentrations on the crystal length obtained within this approximation demonstrates a good correspondence between the experimental and theoretical data.

Das Stefan-Problem bei der Kristallzucht nach Czochralski

OpenAIRE

Kopetsch, H.

1987-01-01

The shape of the crystal-melt interface in Czochralski crystal growth may strongly influence the quality of the grown crystal. Thus a numerical algorithm has been developed which allows us to study the dynamics of this interface subject to various growth conditions. Especially the hydrodynamics in the melt is taken into account. Mathematically, a moving boundary problem (Stefan problem) has to be solved along with the flow and temperature field in melt and crystal which is treated by the meth...

Crystal growth by Bridgman and Czochralski method of the ferromagnetic quantum critical material YbNi4P2

Science.gov (United States)

Kliemt, K.; Krellner, C.

2016-09-01

The tetragonal YbNi4P2 is one of the rare examples of compounds that allow the investigation of a ferromagnetic quantum critical point. We report in detail on two different methods which have been used to grow YbNi4P2 single crystals from a self-flux. The first, a modified Bridgman method, using a closed crucible system yields needle-shaped single crystals oriented along the [001]-direction. The second method, the Czochralski growth from a levitating melt, yields large single crystals which can be cut in any desired orientation. With this crucible-free method, samples without flux inclusions and a resistivity ratio at 1.8 K of RR1.8K = 17 have been grown.

Structural characteristics and physical properties of diortho(pyro)silicate crystals of lanthanides yttrium and scandium grown by the Czochralski technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anan' eva, G.V.; Karapetyan, V.E.; Korovkin, A.M.; Merkulyaeva, T.I.; Peschanskaya, I.A.; Savinova, I.P.; Feofilov, P.P. (Gosudarstvennyj Opticheskij Inst., Leningrad (USSR))

1982-03-01

Optically uniform monocrystals of diortho (pyro) silicates of lanthanides, yttrium, and scandium were grown by the Czochralski technique. Four structural types of Ln/sub 2/(Si/sub 2/O/sub 7/) crystals were determined by the roentgenographic method. The presence of structural subgroups was also supported by the method of spectroscopic probes. Structural parameters were determined and data on certain physical properties (fusion temperature, density, refractive indices, transparency) of investigated crystals were presented. The generation of induced emission at lambda=1.057 ..mu..m was obtained in La/sub 2/(Si/sub 2/O/sub 7/)-Nd/sup 3 +/ crystal.

Study of defects created in silicon during thermal annealings - Correlation with the presence of oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olivier, Michel

1975-01-01

Defects generation and precipitation phenomena in Czochralski silicon crystals annealed ten of hours at 1000 C have been observed. The defects (perfect dislocation loops emitted by semi-coherent precipitates, Frank loops in correlation with coherent precipitates) are studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Topography and chemical etching. The generation of defects is connected to the precipitation of interstitial oxygen as it is shown by studying the infrared absorption at 9 μm. We present a lot of experimental results which indicates that the precipitates are SiO 2 clusters; in particular, we show that this hypothesis can explain the presence, after annealing, of an infrared absorption band at 8,2 μm. Some results on Czochralski silicon crystals annealed at 1150 deg. C and 1250 deg. C are then presented. In particular, X-Ray Topography studies show the presence of large (∼100 μm) Frank loops which seem connected to oxygen precipitation. (author) [fr

Numerical Simulation of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet(YAG) Single Crystal Growth by Resistance Heating Czochralski(CZ) Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You, Myeong Hyeon; Cha, Pil Ryung [Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) single crystal has received much attention as the high power solid-state laser’s key component in industrial and medical applications. Various growth methods have been proposed, and currently the induction-heating Czochralski (IHCZ) growth method is mainly used to grow YAG single crystal. Due to the intrinsic properties of the IHCZ method, however, the solid/liquid interface has a downward convex shape and a sharp tip at the center, which causes a core defect and reduces productivity. To produce YAG single crystals with both excellent quality and higher yield, it is essential to control the core defects. In this study, using computer simulations we demonstrate that the resistance-heating CZ (RHCZ) method may avoid a downward convex interface and produce core defect free YAG single crystal. We studied the effects of various design parameters on the interface shape and found that there was an optimum combination of design parameter and operating conditions that produced a flat solid-liquid interface.

Czochralski growth and optical properties of Li 6Gd 1-xEu x(BO 3) 3 ( x=0-1) single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Yavetskiy, R. P.; Dolzhenkova, E. F.; Dubovik, M. F.; Korshikova, T. I.; Tolmachev, A. V.

2005-04-01

It was shown that a continuous series of Li 6Gd 1-xEu x(BO 3) 3 solid solutions exist within the whole concentration range ( x=0-1). Li 6Gd 1-xEu x(BO 3) 3 ( x=0-0.03; 1) single crystals up to 25 mm in length and up to 20 mm in diameter have been grown by the Czochralski method. The structural perfection of the crystals has been estimated from etch patterns and XPA analysis results. The optical absorption and thermally stimulated luminescence of the grown crystals has been studied.

REVIEW ARTICLE: Oxygen diffusion and precipitation in Czochralski silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, R. C.

2000-06-01

The objective of this article is to review our understanding of the properties of oxygen impurities in Czochralski silicon that is used to manufacture integrated circuits (ICs). These atoms, present at a concentration of ~1018 cm-3, occupy bond-centred sites (Oi) in as-grown Si and the jump rate between adjacent sites defines `normal' diffusion for the temperature range 1325 - 330 °C. Anneals at high temperatures lead to the formation of amorphous SiO2 precipitates that act as traps for fast diffusing metallic contaminants, such as Fe and Cu, that may be inadvertently introduced at levels as low as 1011 cm-3. Without this `gettering', there may be severe degradation of fabricated ICs. To accommodate the local volume increase during oxygen precipitation, there is parallel generation of self-interstitials that diffuse away and form lattice defects. High temperature (T > 700 °C) anneals are now well understood. Details of lower temperature processes are still a matter of debate: measurements of oxygen diffusion into or out of the Si surface and Oi atom aggregation have implied enhanced diffusion that has variously been attributed to interactions of Oi atoms with lattice vacancies, self-interstitials, metallic elements, carbon, hydrogen impurities etc. There is strong evidence for oxygen-hydrogen interactions at T continue to decrease as the size of future device features decreases below the lower end of the sub-micron range, currently close to 0.18 µm.

Electrical and Structural Characterization of Web Dendrite Crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Schwuttke, G. H.; Koliwad, K.; Dumas, K. A.

1985-01-01

Minority carrier lifetime distributions in silicon web dendrites are measured. Emphasis is placed on measuring areal homogeneity of lifetime, show its dependency on structural defects, and its unique change during hot processing. The internal gettering action of defect layers present in web crystals and their relation to minority carrier lifetime distributions is discussed. Minority carrier lifetime maps of web dendrites obtained before and after high temperature heat treatment are compared to similar maps obtained from 100 mm diameter Czochralski silicon wafers. Such maps indicate similar or superior areal homogeneity of minority carrier lifetime in webs.

X-ray Topographic Investigations of Domain Structure in Czochralski Grown PrxLa1-xAlO3 Crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wieteska, K.; Wierzchowski, W.; Malinowska, A.; Turczynski, S.; Pawlak, D.A.; Lukasiewicz, T.; Lefeld-Sosnowska, M.; Graeff, W.

2010-01-01

In the present paper X-ray diffraction topographic techniques were applied to a number of samples cut from Czochralski grown Pr x La 1-x AlO 3 crystals with different ratio of praseodymium and lanthanum. Conventional and synchrotron X-ray topographic investigations revealed differently developed domain structures dependent on the composition of mixed praseodymium lanthanum aluminium perovskites. Some large mosaic blocks were observed together with the domains. In the best crystals, X-ray topographs revealed striation fringes and individual dislocations inside large domains. Synchrotron topographs allowed us to indicate that the domains correspond to three different crystallographic planes, and to evaluate the lattice misorientation between domains in the range of 20-50 arc min (authors)

Effect of Thermal Annealing on Light-Induced Minority Carrier Lifetime Enhancement in Boron-Doped Czochralski Silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hong-Zhe; Zheng Song-Sheng; Chen Chao

2015-01-01

The effect of thermal annealing on the light-induced effective minority carrier lifetime enhancement (LIE) phenomenon is investigated on the p-type Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) wafer passivated by a phosphorus-doped silicon nitride (P-doped SiN_x) thin film. The experimental results show that low temperature annealing (below 300°C) can not only increase the effective minority carrier lifetime of P-doped SiN_x passivated boron-doped Cz-Si, but also improve the LIE phenomenon. The optimum annealing temperature is 180°C, and its corresponding effective minority carrier lifetime can be increased from initial 7.5 μs to maximum 57.7 μs by light soaking within 15 min after annealing. The analysis results of high-frequency dark capacitance-voltage characteristics reveal that the mechanism of the increase of effective minority carrier lifetime after low temperature annealing is due to the sharp enhancement of field effect passivation induced by the negative fixed charge density, while the mechanism of the LIE phenomenon after low temperature annealing is attributed to the enhancement of both field effect passivation and chemical passivation. (paper)

Quasimetallic silicon micromachined photonic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temelkuran, B.; Bayindir, Mehmet; Ozbay, E.; Kavanaugh, J. P.; Sigalas, M. M.; Tuttle, G.

2001-01-01

We report on fabrication of a layer-by-layer photonic crystal using highly doped silicon wafers processed by semiconductor micromachining techniques. The crystals, built using (100) silicon wafers, resulted in an upper stop band edge at 100 GHz. The transmission and defect characteristics of these structures were found to be analogous to metallic photonic crystals. We also investigated the effect of doping concentration on the defect characteristics. The experimental results agree well with predictions of the transfer matrix method simulations

Modeling of dislocation dynamics in germanium Czochralski growth

Science.gov (United States)

Artemyev, V. V.; Smirnov, A. D.; Kalaev, V. V.; Mamedov, V. M.; Sidko, A. P.; Podkopaev, O. I.; Kravtsova, E. D.; Shimansky, A. F.

2017-06-01

Obtaining very high-purity germanium crystals with low dislocation density is a practically difficult problem, which requires knowledge and experience in growth processes. Dislocation density is one of the most important parameters defining the quality of germanium crystal. In this paper, we have performed experimental study of dislocation density during 4-in. germanium crystal growth using the Czochralski method and comprehensive unsteady modeling of the same crystal growth processes, taking into account global heat transfer, melt flow and melt/crystal interface shape evolution. Thermal stresses in the crystal and their relaxation with generation of dislocations within the Alexander-Haasen model have been calculated simultaneously with crystallization dynamics. Comparison to experimental data showed reasonable agreement for the temperature, interface shape and dislocation density in the crystal between calculation and experiment.

Nickel-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, J A; Arce, R D; Buitrago, R H [INTEC (CONICET-UNL), Gueemes 3450, S3000GLN Santa Fe (Argentina); Budini, N; Rinaldi, P, E-mail: jschmidt@intec.unl.edu.a [FIQ - UNL, Santiago del Estero 2829, S3000AOM Santa Fe (Argentina)

2009-05-01

The nickel-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is used to obtain large grained polycrystalline silicon thin films on glass substrates. a-Si:H is deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition at 200 deg. C, preparing intrinsic and slightly p-doped samples. Each sample was divided in several pieces, over which increasing Ni concentrations were sputtered. Two crystallization methods are compared, conventional furnace annealing (CFA) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The crystallization was followed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy observations, X-ray diffraction, and reflectance measurements in the UV region. The large grain sizes obtained - larger than 100{mu}m for the samples crystallized by CFA - are very encouraging for the preparation of low-cost thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cells.

Mechanisms limiting the performance of large grain polycrystalline silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Culik, J. S.; Alexander, P.; Dumas, K. A.; Wohlgemuth, J. W.

1984-01-01

The open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of large-grain (1 to 10 mm grain diameter) polycrystalline silicon solar cells is determined by the minority-carrier diffusion length within the bulk of the grains. This was demonstrated by irradiating polycrystalline and single-crystal (Czochralski) silicon solar cells with 1 MeV electrons to reduce their bulk lifetime. The variation of short-circuit current with minority-carrier diffusion length for the polycrystalline solar cells is identical to that of the single-crystal solar cells. The open-circuit voltage versus short-circuit current characteristic of the polycrystalline solar cells for reduced diffusion lengths is also identical to that of the single-crystal solar cells. The open-circuit voltage of the polycrystalline solar cells is a strong function of quasi-neutral (bulk) recombination, and is reduced only slightly, if at all, by grain-boundary recombination.

Photonic Crystal Sensors Based on Porous Silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Pacholski

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Porous silicon has been established as an excellent sensing platform for the optical detection of hazardous chemicals and biomolecular interactions such as DNA hybridization, antigen/antibody binding, and enzymatic reactions. Its porous nature provides a high surface area within a small volume, which can be easily controlled by changing the pore sizes. As the porosity and consequently the refractive index of an etched porous silicon layer depends on the electrochemial etching conditions photonic crystals composed of multilayered porous silicon films with well-resolved and narrow optical reflectivity features can easily be obtained. The prominent optical response of the photonic crystal decreases the detection limit and therefore increases the sensitivity of porous silicon sensors in comparison to sensors utilizing Fabry-Pérot based optical transduction. Development of porous silicon photonic crystal sensors which allow for the detection of analytes by the naked eye using a simple color change or the fabrication of stacked porous silicon photonic crystals showing two distinct optical features which can be utilized for the discrimination of analytes emphasize its high application potential.

Photonic Crystal Sensors Based on Porous Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Pacholski, Claudia

2013-01-01

Porous silicon has been established as an excellent sensing platform for the optical detection of hazardous chemicals and biomolecular interactions such as DNA hybridization, antigen/antibody binding, and enzymatic reactions. Its porous nature provides a high surface area within a small volume, which can be easily controlled by changing the pore sizes. As the porosity and consequently the refractive index of an etched porous silicon layer depends on the electrochemial etching conditions photonic crystals composed of multilayered porous silicon films with well-resolved and narrow optical reflectivity features can easily be obtained. The prominent optical response of the photonic crystal decreases the detection limit and therefore increases the sensitivity of porous silicon sensors in comparison to sensors utilizing Fabry-Pérot based optical transduction. Development of porous silicon photonic crystal sensors which allow for the detection of analytes by the naked eye using a simple color change or the fabrication of stacked porous silicon photonic crystals showing two distinct optical features which can be utilized for the discrimination of analytes emphasize its high application potential. PMID:23571671

Tunable photoluminescence of porous silicon by liquid crystal infiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Qinglan; Xiong Rui; Huang Yuanming

2011-01-01

The photoluminescence (PL) of porous silicon films has been investigated as a function of the amount of liquid crystal molecules that are infiltrated into the constricted geometry of the porous silicon films. A typical nematic liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl was employed in our experiment as the filler to modify the PL of porous silicon. It is found that the originally red PL of porous silicon films can be tuned to blue by simply adjusting the amount of liquid crystal molecules in the microchannels of the porous films. The chromaticity coordinates are calculated for the recorded PL spectra. The mechanism of the tunable PL is discussed. Our results have demonstrated that the luminescent properties of porous silicon films can be efficiently tuned by liquid crystal infiltration. - Highlights: → Liquid crystal infiltration can tune the photoluminescence of porous silicon. → Red emission of porous silicon can be switched to blue by the infiltration. → Chromaticity coordinates are calculated for the tuned emissions. → White emission is realized for porous silicon by liquid crystal infiltration.

Numerical analysis of transport phenomena in Y-Ba-Cu-O melt during growth of superconducting crystal Y123 by Czochralski method

Science.gov (United States)

Szmyd, J. S.; Suzuki, K.

2003-10-01

In 1993, at the Superconductivity Research Laboratory (SRL), International Superconductivity Technology Centre (ISTEC), in Tokyo, continuous growth of large single crystals of YBa 2Cu 3O 7- x (Y123) was achieved by the application of a modified Czochralski method. This paper presents the numerical computations of the flow, thermal and Y concentration fields in the Ba-Cu-O melt for Y123 single crystal growth by this modified method. The finite volume method was used to calculate the fluid flow, heat transfer and yttrium distribution in the melt with staggered numerical grid. The flow in the melt was modelled as an incompressible Newtonian and Boussinesque fluid. Calculations are presented for a combined flow regime of buoyancy-driven natural convection and crystal-rotation-driven forced convection.

Heat and mass transfer in semiconductor melts during single-crystal growth processes

Science.gov (United States)

Kakimoto, Koichi

1995-03-01

The quality of large semiconductor crystals grown from melts is significantly affected by the heat and mass transfer in the melts. The current understanding of the phenomena, especially melt convection, is reviewed starting from the results of visualization using model fluids or silicon melt, and continuing to the detailed numerical calculations needed for quantitative modeling of processing with solidification. The characteristics of silicon flows are also reviewed by focusing on the Coriolis force in the rotating melt. Descriptions of flow instabilities are included that show the level of understanding of melt convection with a low Prandtl number. Based on hydrodynamics, the origin of the silicon flow structure is reviewed, and it is discussed whether silicon flow is completely turbulent or has an ordered structure. The phase transition from axisymmetric to nonaxisymmetric flow is discussed using different geometries. Additionally, surface-tension-driven flow is reviewed for Czochralski crystal growth systems.

Infrared studies of defects formed during postirradiation anneals of Czochralski silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Londos, C. A.; Sarlis, N. V.; Fytros, L. G.

1998-10-01

This article reports on defect studies of neutron-irradiated Czochralski-grown silicon (Cz-Si) material by means of infrared spectroscopy. In particular, the investigation was focused on the evolution of the 828 cm-1 well-known band of A-center, due to isochronal anneals from room temperature (RT) up to ≈700 °C. The strength of the VO band begins to increase above ≈200 gradually up to 300 °C (stage I); then, it begins to decrease up to ≈400 °C (stage II), where upon it stabilizes up to ≈550 °C (stage III). Upon re-irradiation under exactly the same conditions and repeating the annealing process, the increase of the VO signal in stage I disappears. The phenomenon is ascribed to the existence of defect aggregates labeled as Xi centers which are correlated with (impurity-defect) clusters that compete with Oi in capturing vacancies. The presence of Xi centers is related to the thermal annealings performed. Comparison of the evolution of VO (828 cm-1) and VO2 (887 cm-1) bands between irradiated and re-irradiated materials, during stage II, is made and the results are discussed in the framework of established reaction patterns. The stabilization of the amplitude of the 828 cm-1 line in stage III is examined. The prevailing aspect is that a portion of A-centers in neutron-irradiated Si acquires larger thermal stability by relaxing in the vicinity of larger defects.

Annealing effect of H+ -implanted single crystal silicon on strain and crystal structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duo Xinzhong; Liu Weili; Zhang Miao; Gao Jianxia; Fu Xiaorong; Lin Chenglu

2000-01-01

The work focuses on the rocking curves of H + -implanted single silicon crystal detected by Four-Crystal X-ray diffractometer. The samples were annealed under different temperatures. Lattice defect in H + -implanted silicon crystals was detected by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. It appeared that H-related complex did not crush until annealing temperature reached about 400 degree C. At that temperature H 2 was formed, deflated in silicon lattice and strained the lattice. But defects did not come into being in large quantity. The lattice was undamaged. When annealing temperature reached 500 degree C, strain induced by H 2 deflation crashed the silicon lattice. A large number of defects were formed. At the same time bubbles in the crystal and blister/flaking on the surface could be observed

Improvements of uniformity and stoichiometry for zone-leveling Czochralski growth of MgO-doped LiNbO3 crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, C.B.; Hsu, W.T.; Shih, M.D.; Tai, C.Y.; Hsieh, C.K.; Hsu, W.C.; Hsu, R.T.; Lan, C.W.

2006-01-01

The zone-leveling Czochralski (ZLCz) technique is a continuous feeding process and can be used for the growth of near-stoichiometric lithium niobate (SLN) single crystals. However, the finite crucible length can cause the variation of the zone length and thus the composition and stoichiometry, especially in the growth of a large diameter crystal. To solve the problems, several approaches were proposed for the growth of 4 cm-diameter 1 mol% MgO-doped SLN. The modification of the hot zone to minimize the zone variation was found useful for the uniformity, but the stoichiometry was inadequate even with the zone composition up to 60 mol% Li 2 O. A Li-excess feed was further used and a good Li/Nb ratio was obtained. Adding K 2 O (16 mol%) into the solution zone was useful as well, but it was inferior to using the Li-excess feed. In addition, a much lower growth rate was needed for getting an inclusion-free crystal

Real structure of LaGaO3 monocrystals grown by Czochralski method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, A.N.; Morozova, O.Yu.; Ponomarev, N.M.

1993-01-01

A complex X-ray diffraction study of lanthanum (ortho)gallate crystal structure and structural defects in LaGaO 3 crystals grown by the Czochralski method is carried out. Coordinates of atoms in LaGaO 3 unit cell are determined. X-Ray topographic studies of oriented LaGaO 3 sublayers for high-tc superconductor film growth are optimized. The substructure of monocrystals is studied

Effect of tin doping on oxygen- and carbon-related defects in Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chroneos, A.; Londos, C. A.; Sgourou, E. N.

2011-01-01

Experimental and theoretical techniques are used to investigate the impact of tin doping on the formation and the thermal stability of oxygen- and carbon-related defects in electron-irradiated Czochralski silicon. The results verify previous reports that Sn doping reduces the formation of the VO defect and suppresses its conversion to the VO 2 defect. Within experimental accuracy, a small delay in the growth of the VO 2 defect is observed. Regarding carbon-related defects, it is determined that Sn doping leads to a reduction in the formation of the C i O i , C i C s , and C i O i (Si I ) defects although an increase in their thermal stability is observed. The impact of strain induced in the lattice by the larger tin substitutional atoms, as well as their association with intrinsic defects and carbon impurities, can be considered as an explanation to account for the above observations. The density functional theory calculations are used to study the interaction of tin with lattice vacancies and oxygen- and carbon-related clusters. Both experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that tin co-doping is an efficient defect engineering strategy to suppress detrimental effects because of the presence of oxygen- and carbon-related defect clusters in devices.

Numerical simulation of convection and heat transfer in Czochralski crystal growth by multiple-relaxation-time LBM

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ding; Huang, Weichao; Zhang, Ni

2017-07-01

A two-dimensional axisymmetric swirling model based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) in a pseudo Cartesian coordinate system is posited to simulate Czochralski (Cz) crystal growth in this paper. Specifically, the multiple-relaxation-time LBM (MRT-LBM) combined with the finite difference method (FDM) is used to analyze the melt convection and heat transfer in the process of Cz crystal growth. An incompressible axisymmetric swirling MRT-LB D2Q9 model is applied to solve for the axial and radial velocities by inserting thermal buoyancy and rotational inertial force into the two-dimensional lattice Boltzmann equation. In addition, the melt temperature and the azimuthal velocity are solved by MRT-LB D2Q5 models, and the crystal temperature is solved by FDM. The comparison results of stream functions values of different methods demonstrate that our hybrid model can be used to simulate the fluid-thermal coupling in the axisymmetric swirling model correctly and effectively. Furthermore, numerical simulations of melt convection and heat transfer are conducted under the conditions of high Grashof (Gr) numbers, within the range of 105 ˜ 107, and different high Reynolds (Re) numbers. The experimental results show our hybrid model can obtain the exact solution of complex crystal-growth models and analyze the fluid-thermal coupling effectively under the combined action of natural convection and forced convection.

Solar cell structure incorporating a novel single crystal silicon material

Science.gov (United States)

Pankove, Jacques I.; Wu, Chung P.

1983-01-01

A novel hydrogen rich single crystal silicon material having a band gap energy greater than 1.1 eV can be fabricated by forming an amorphous region of graded crystallinity in a body of single crystalline silicon and thereafter contacting the region with atomic hydrogen followed by pulsed laser annealing at a sufficient power and for a sufficient duration to recrystallize the region into single crystal silicon without out-gassing the hydrogen. The new material can be used to fabricate semiconductor devices such as single crystal silicon solar cells with surface window regions having a greater band gap energy than that of single crystal silicon without hydrogen.

Development of silicon growth techniques from melt with surface heating

Science.gov (United States)

Kravtsov, Anatoly

2018-05-01

The paper contains literary and personal data on the development history of silicon-growing technology with volumetric and surface melt heating. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of surface-heating technology. Examples are given of the implementation of such processes in the 60s-70s of the last century, and the reasons for the discontinuation of the relevant work. It describes the main solutions for the implementation of crystal growth process with the electron-beam heating of the melt surface, implemented by KEPP EU (Latvia). It discusses differences in the management of the growth process for the crystals with constant diameters compared to the Czochralski method. It lists geometrical and electro-physical properties of the obtained crystals. It describes the possible use of such crystals and the immediate challenges of technology development.

Dynamic global model of oxide Czochralski process with weighing control

Science.gov (United States)

Mamedov, V. M.; Vasiliev, M. G.; Yuferev, V. S.

2011-03-01

A dynamic model of oxide Czochralski growth with weighing control has been developed for the first time. A time-dependent approach is used for the calculation of temperature fields in different parts of a crystallization set-up and convection patterns in a melt, while internal radiation in crystal is considered in a quasi-steady approximation. A special algorithm is developed for the calculation of displacement of a triple point and simulation of a crystal surface formation. To calculate variations in the heat generation, a model of weighing control with a commonly used PID regulator is applied. As an example, simulation of the growth process of gallium-gadolinium garnet (GGG) crystals starting from the stage of seeding is performed.

Thermal system design and modeling of meniscus controlled silicon growth process for solar applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenlei

The direct conversion of solar radiation to electricity by photovoltaics has a number of significant advantages as an electricity generator. That is, solar photovoltaic conversion systems tap an inexhaustible resource which is free of charge and available anywhere in the world. Roofing tile photovoltaic generation, for example, saves excess thermal heat and preserves the local heat balance. This means that a considerable reduction of thermal pollution in densely populated city areas can be attained. A semiconductor can only convert photons with the energy of the band gap with good efficiency. It is known that silicon is not at the maximum efficiency but relatively close to it. There are several main parts for the photovoltaic materials, which include, single- and poly-crystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, crystalline thin-film silicon, amorphous silicon, copper indium diselenide and related compounds, cadmium telluride, et al. In this dissertation, we focus on melt growth of the single- and poly-crystalline silicon manufactured by Czochralski (Cz) crystal growth process, and ribbon silicon produced by the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) process. These two methods are the most commonly used techniques for growing photovoltaic semiconductors. For each crystal growth process, we introduce the growth mechanism, growth system design, general application, and progress in the numerical simulation. Simulation results are shown for both Czochralski and EFG systems including temperature distribution of the growth system, velocity field inside the silicon melt and electromagnetic field for the EFG growth system. Magnetic field is applied on Cz system to reduce the melt convection inside crucible and this has been simulated in our numerical model. Parametric studies are performed through numerical and analytical models to investigate the relationship between heater power levels and solidification interface movement and shape. An inverse problem control scheme is developed to

Intravitreal properties of porous silicon photonic crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, L; Anglin, E; Cunin, F; Kim, D; Sailor, M J; Falkenstein, I; Tammewar, A; Freeman, W R

2009-01-01

Aim To determine the suitability of porous silicon photonic crystals for intraocular drug-delivery. Methods A rugate structure was electrochemically etched into a highly doped p-type silicon substrate to create a porous silicon film that was subsequently removed and ultrasonically fractured into particles. To stabilise the particles in aqueous media, the silicon particles were modified by surface alkylation (using thermal hydrosilylation) or by thermal oxidation. Unmodified particles, hydrosilylated particles and oxidised particles were injected into rabbit vitreous. The stability and toxicity of each type of particle were studied by indirect ophthalmoscopy, biomicroscopy, tonometry, electroretinography (ERG) and histology. Results No toxicity was observed with any type of the particles during a period of >4 months. Surface alkylation led to dramatically increased intravitreal stability and slow degradation. The estimated vitreous half-life increased from 1 week (fresh particles) to 5 weeks (oxidised particles) and to 16 weeks (hydrosilylated particles). Conclusion The porous silicon photonic crystals showed good biocompatibility and may be used as an intraocular drug-delivery system. The intravitreal injectable porous silicon photonic crystals may be engineered to host a variety of therapeutics and achieve controlled drug release over long periods of time to treat chronic vitreoretinal diseases. PMID:18441177

Application of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition to Turbulent Czochralski Convective Flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahal, S; Cerisier, P; Azuma, H

2007-01-01

The aim of this work is to study the general aspects of the convective flow instabilities in a simulated Czochralski system. We considered the influence of the buoyancy and crystal rotation. Velocity fields, obtained by an ultrasonic technique, the corresponding 2D Fourier spectra and a correlation function, have been used. Steady, quasi-periodic and turbulent flows, are successively recognized, as the Reynolds number was increased, for a fixed Rayleigh number. The orthogonal decomposition method was applied and the numbers of modes, involved in the dynamics of turbulent flows, calculated. As far as we know, this method has been used for the first time to study the Czochralski convective flows. This method provides also information on the most important modes and allows simple theoretical models to be established. The large rotation rates of the crystal were found to stabilize the flow, and conversely the temperature gradients destabilize the flow. Indeed, the increase of the rotation effects reduces the number of involved modes and oscillations, and conversely, as expected, the increase of the buoyancy effects induces more modes to be involved in the dynamics. Thus, the flow oscillations can be reduced either by increasing the crystal rotation rate to the adequate value, as shown in this study or by imposing a magnetic field

Process for making silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Harry (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A reactor apparatus (10) adapted for continuously producing molten, solar grade purity elemental silicon by thermal reaction of a suitable precursor gas, such as silane (SiH.sub.4), is disclosed. The reactor apparatus (10) includes an elongated reactor body (32) having graphite or carbon walls which are heated to a temperature exceeding the melting temperature of silicon. The precursor gas enters the reactor body (32) through an efficiently cooled inlet tube assembly (22) and a relatively thin carbon or graphite septum (44). The septum (44), being in contact on one side with the cooled inlet (22) and the heated interior of the reactor (32) on the other side, provides a sharp temperature gradient for the precursor gas entering the reactor (32) and renders the operation of the inlet tube assembly (22) substantially free of clogging. The precursor gas flows in the reactor (32) in a substantially smooth, substantially axial manner. Liquid silicon formed in the initial stages of the thermal reaction reacts with the graphite or carbon walls to provide a silicon carbide coating on the walls. The silicon carbide coated reactor is highly adapted for prolonged use for production of highly pure solar grade silicon. Liquid silicon (20) produced in the reactor apparatus (10) may be used directly in a Czochralski or other crystal shaping equipment.

Low cost monocrystalline silicon sheet fabrication for solar cells by advanced ingot technology

Science.gov (United States)

Fiegl, G. F.; Bonora, A. C.

1980-01-01

The continuous liquid feed (CLF) Czochralski furnace and the enhanced I.D. slicing technology for the low-cost production of monocrystalline silicon sheets for solar cells are discussed. The incorporation of the CLF system is shown to improve ingot production rate significantly. As demonstrated in actual runs, higher than average solidification rates (75 to 100 mm/hr for 150 mm 1-0-0 crystals) can be achieved, when the system approaches steady-state conditions. The design characteristics of the CLF furnace are detailed, noting that it is capable of precise control of dopant impurity incorporation in the axial direction of the crystal. The crystal add-on cost is computed to be $11.88/sq m, considering a projected 1986 25-slice per cm conversion factor with an 86% crystal growth yield.

Apparatus for making molten silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Harry (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A reactor apparatus (10) adapted for continuously producing molten, solar grade purity elemental silicon by thermal reaction of a suitable precursor gas, such as silane (SiH.sub.4), is disclosed. The reactor apparatus (10) includes an elongated reactor body (32) having graphite or carbon walls which are heated to a temperature exceeding the melting temperature of silicon. The precursor gas enters the reactor body (32) through an efficiently cooled inlet tube assembly (22) and a relatively thin carbon or graphite septum (44). The septum (44), being in contact on one side with the cooled inlet (22) and the heated interior of the reactor (32) on the other side, provides a sharp temperature gradient for the precursor gas entering the reactor (32) and renders the operation of the inlet tube assembly (22) substantially free of clogging. The precursor gas flows in the reactor (32) in a substantially smooth, substantially axial manner. Liquid silicon formed in the initial stages of the thermal reaction reacts with the graphite or carbon walls to provide a silicon carbide coating on the walls. The silicon carbide coated reactor is highly adapted for prolonged use for production of highly pure solar grade silicon. Liquid silicon (20) produced in the reactor apparatus (10) may be used directly in a Czochralski or other crystal shaping equipment.

Investigating reliability attributes of silicon photovoltaic cells - An overview

Science.gov (United States)

Royal, E. L.

1982-01-01

Reliability attributes are being developed on a wide variety of advanced single-crystal silicon solar cells. Two separate investigations: cell-contact integrity (metal-to-silicon adherence), and cracked cells identified with fracture-strength-reducing flaws are discussed. In the cell-contact-integrity investigation, analysis of contact pull-strength data shows that cell types made with different metallization technologies, i.e., vacuum, plated, screen-printed and soldered, have appreciably different reliability attributes. In the second investigation, fracture strength was measured using Czochralski wafers and cells taken at various stages of processing and differences were noted. Fracture strength, which is believed to be governed by flaws introduced during wafer sawing, was observed to improve (increase) after chemical polishing and other process steps that tend to remove surface and edge flaws.

Tailoring of silicon crystals for relativistic-particle channeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidi, V.; Antonini, A.; Baricordi, S.; Logallo, F.; Malagu, C.; Milan, E.; Ronzoni, A.; Stefancich, M.; Martinelli, G.; Vomiero, A.

2005-01-01

In the last years, the research on channeling of relativistic particles has progressed considerably. A significant contribution has been provided by the development of techniques for quality improvement of the crystals. In particular, a planar etching of the surfaces of the silicon crystals proved useful to remove the superficial layer, which is a region very rich in imperfections, in turn leading to greater channeling efficiency. Micro-fabrication techniques, borrowed from silicon technology, may also be useful: micro-indentation and deposition of tensile or compressive layers onto silicon samples allow one to impart an even curvature to the samples. In this way, different topologies may be envisaged, such as a bent crystal for deflection of protons and ions or an undulator to force coherent oscillations of positrons and electrons

Thermal recrystallization of physical vapor deposition based germanium thin films on bulk silicon (100)

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Aftab M.

2013-08-16

We demonstrate a simple, low-cost, and scalable process for obtaining uniform, smooth surfaced, high quality mono-crystalline germanium (100) thin films on silicon (100). The germanium thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate using plasma-assisted sputtering based physical vapor deposition. They were crystallized by annealing at various temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 1100 °C. We report that the best quality germanium thin films are obtained above the melting point of germanium (937 °C), thus offering a method for in-situ Czochralski process. We show well-behaved high-κ /metal gate metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) using this film. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Czochralski growth and characterization of {beta}-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galazka, Z.; Uecker, R.; Irmscher, K.; Albrecht, M.; Klimm, D.; Pietsch, M.; Bruetzam, M.; Bertram, R.; Ganschow, S.; Fornari, R. [Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth, Max-Born-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

2010-12-15

Transparent semiconducting {beta}-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from an iridium crucible under a dynamic protective atmosphere to control partial pressures of volatile species of Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Thermodynamic calculations on different atmospheres containing CO{sub 2}, Ar and O{sub 2} reveal that CO{sub 2} growth atmosphere combined with overpressure significantly decreases evaporation of volatile Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} species without any harm to iridium crucible. It has been found that CO{sub 2}, besides providing high oxygen concentration at high temperatures, is also acting as a minor reducing agent for Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Different coloration of obtained crystals as well as optical and electrical properties are directly correlated with growth conditions (atmosphere, pressure and temperature gradients), but not with residual impurities. Typical electrical properties of the n-type {beta}-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} crystals at room temperature are: {rho} = 0.1 - 0.3 {omega}cm, {mu}{sub n,Hall} = 110 - 150 cm{sup 2}V{sup -1}s{sup -1}, n{sub Hall} = 2 - 6 x 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and E{sub Ionisation} = 30 - 40 meV. A decrease of transmission in the IR-region is directly correlated with the free carrier concentration and can be effectively modulated by the dynamic growth atmosphere. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra exhibit an isotropic shallow donor level and anisotropic defect level. According to differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements, there is substantially no mass change of {beta}-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} crystals below 1200 C (i.e. no decomposition) under oxidizing or neutral atmosphere, while the mass gradually decreases with temperature above 1200 C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images at atomic resolution show the presence of vacancies, which can be attributed to Ga or O sites, and interstitials, which can likely be attributed to Ga atoms. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGa

Microdefects revealed by X-ray diffusion scattering in Czochralski-growth dislocation-free silicon single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bublik, B.T.; Zotov, N.M.

1997-01-01

Microdefects in the regions of Si crystals having different thermal history defined by growth conditions was studied by the X-ray diffuse scattering method on a triple crystal X-ray diffractometer. It was shown that in such crystals the microdefects with positive strength are prevalent. However, between the above indicated regions the defects with the strength of opposite sign prevail

Growth mechanisms and morphology of NaCl monocrystals obtained by the Czochralski method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goujon, Gilles G.

1969-01-01

In its first part, this research thesis describes the various aspects of the theory of crystal growth in melt bath by drawing with growth being limited either by heat transfer phenomena or by mechanisms of molecule transport through the interface. The second part addresses the quality of the obtained monocrystals (dislocations, dislocation density) while discussing the impact of external growth parameters (germ choice and orientation, drawing speed, rotating speed, atmosphere, impurities, crystal diameter). Then, the author presents an experimental study (equipment, experimental conditions) and discusses its results (influence of temperature on crystal geometry, morphology of side surface, study of crystal plane faces by chemical attack). The next part proposes an interpretation of the morphology change of a crystal drawn by the Czochralski method

Silicon Solar Cell Process Development, Fabrication and Analysis, Phase 1

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, H. I.; Iles, P. A.; Tanner, D. P.

1979-01-01

Solar cells from RTR ribbons, EFG (RF and RH) ribbons, dendritic webs, Silso wafers, cast silicon by HEM, silicon on ceramic, and continuous Czochralski ingots were fabricated using a standard process typical of those used currently in the silicon solar cell industry. Back surface field (BSF) processing and other process modifications were included to give preliminary indications of possible improved performance. The parameters measured included open circuit voltage, short circuit current, curve fill factor, and conversion efficiency (all taken under AM0 illumination). Also measured for typical cells were spectral response, dark I-V characteristics, minority carrier diffusion length, and photoresponse by fine light spot scanning. the results were compared to the properties of cells made from conventional single crystalline Czochralski silicon with an emphasis on statistical evaluation. Limited efforts were made to identify growth defects which will influence solar cell performance.

Increasing the radiation resistance of single-crystal silicon epitaxial layers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurmashev Sh. D.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The authors investigate the possibility of increasing the radiation resistance of silicon epitaxial layers by creating radiation defects sinks in the form of dislocation networks of the density of 109—1012 m–2. Such networks are created before the epitaxial layer is applied on the front surface of the silicon substrate by its preliminary oxidation and subsequent etching of the oxide layer. The substrates were silicon wafers KEF-4.5 and KDB-10 with a diameter of about 40 mm, grown by the Czochralski method. Irradiation of the samples was carried out using electron linear accelerator "Electronics" (ЭЛУ-4. Energy of the particles was 2,3—3,0 MeV, radiation dose 1015—1020 m–2, electron beam current 2 mA/m2. It is shown that in structures containing dislocation networks, irradiation results in reduction of the reverse currents by 5—8 times and of the density of defects by 5—10 times, while the mobility of the charge carriers is increased by 1,2 times. Wafer yield for operation under radiation exposure, when the semiconductor structures are formed in the optimal mode, is increased by 7—10% compared to the structures without dislocation networks. The results obtained can be used in manufacturing technology for radiation-resistant integrated circuits (bipolar, CMOS, BiCMOS, etc..

Doping of Czochralski-grown bulk β-Ga2O3 single crystals with Cr, Ce and Al

Science.gov (United States)

Galazka, Zbigniew; Ganschow, Steffen; Fiedler, Andreas; Bertram, Rainer; Klimm, Detlef; Irmscher, Klaus; Schewski, Robert; Pietsch, Mike; Albrecht, Martin; Bickermann, Matthias

2018-03-01

We experimentally evaluated segregation of Cr, Ce and Al in bulk β-Ga2O3 single crystals grown by the Czochralski method, as well as the impact of these dopants on optical properties. The segregation of Cr and Ce and their incorporation into the β-Ga2O3 crystal structure strongly depends on O2 concentration in the growth atmosphere which has a noticeable impact on decomposition of Ga2O3 and Cr2O3, as well as on the charge state of Cr and Ce. Effective segregation coefficients for Cr are in the range of 3.1-1.5 at 7-24 vol% O2, while for Ce they are roughly below 0.01 at 1.5-34 vol% O2. The effective segregation coefficient for Al is 1.1 at 1.5-21 vol% O2. Both dopants Ce and Al have a thermodynamically stabilizing effect on β-Ga2O3 crystal growth by supressing decomposition. While Ce has no impact on the optical transmittance in the ultraviolet and visible regions, in Cr doped crystals we observe three absorption bands due to Cr3+ on octahedral Ga sites, one in the ultraviolet merging with the band edge absorption of β-Ga2O3 and two in the visible spectrum, for which we estimate the absorption cross sections. Al doping also does not induce dopant related absorption bands but clearly shifts the absorption edge as one expects for a solid-solution crystal Ga2(1-x)Al2xO3 still in the monoclinic phase. For the highest doping concentration (Ga1.9Al0.1O3) we estimate an increase of the energy gap by 0.11 eV.

Calculations of shape and stability of menisci in Czochralski growth with tables to determine meniscus heights, maximum heights and capillary constants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uelhoff, W.; Mika, K.

1975-05-01

The shape and stability of menisci occurring during Czochralski growth have been studied by means of numerical methods for the case of the free surface. The existence of minimal joining angles is shown, beyond which the growing crystal will separate from the melt. The dependence of the interface height on the joining angle for different crystal diameters was calculated. The maximum stable heights and the corresponding joining angles were determined as a function of crystal diameter. A method for measuring the capillary constant of the melt during Czochralski growth is proposed. The results are compared with known analytical approximations. Limitations of the applications caused by a finite crucible radius or low g values are pointed out. For practical use the following functions have been tabulated: 1) meniscus height in dependence on joining angle and crystal radius, 2) the radius-height-ratio in dependence on radius and angle for the calculation of the capillary constant, 3) the maximum stable height and the corresponding growth angle as a function of crystal radius. (orig.) [de

LYSO crystal calorimeter readout with silicon photomultipliers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berra, A., E-mail: alessandro.berra@gmail.com [Università degli Studi dell' Insubria (Italy); INFN sezione di Milano Bicocca (Italy); Bonvicini, V. [INFN sezione di Trieste (Italy); Cecchi, C.; Germani, S. [INFN sezione di Perugia (Italy); Guffanti, D. [Università degli Studi dell' Insubria (Italy); Lietti, D. [Università degli Studi dell' Insubria (Italy); INFN sezione di Milano Bicocca (Italy); Lubrano, P.; Manoni, E. [INFN sezione di Perugia (Italy); Prest, M. [Università degli Studi dell' Insubria (Italy); INFN sezione di Milano Bicocca (Italy); Rossi, A. [INFN sezione di Perugia (Italy); Vallazza, E. [INFN sezione di Trieste (Italy)

2014-11-01

Large area Silicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPMs) are the new frontier of the development of readout systems for scintillating detectors. A SiPM consists of a matrix of parallel-connected silicon micropixels operating in limited Geiger–Muller avalanche mode, and thus working as independent photon counters with a very high gain (∼10{sup 6}). This contribution presents the performance in terms of linearity and energy resolution of an electromagnetic homogeneous calorimeter composed of 9∼18X{sub 0} LYSO crystals. The crystals were readout by 36 4×4 mm{sup 2} SiPMs (4 for each crystal) produced by FBK-irst. This calorimeter was tested at the Beam Test Facility at the INFN laboratories in Frascati with a single- and multi-particle electron beam in the 100–500 MeV energy range.

Processing and first characterization of detectors made with high resistivity n- and p-type Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruzzi, M.; Bisello, D.; Borrello, L.; Borchi, E.; Boscardin, M.; Candelori, A.; Creanza, D.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; DePalma, M.; Dittongo, S.; Focardi, E.; Khomenkov, V.; Litovchenko, A.; Macchiolo, A.; Manna, N.; Menichelli, D.; Messineo, A.; Miglio, S.; Petasecca, M.; Piemonte, C.; Pignatel, G.U.; Radicci, V.; Ronchin, S.; Scaringella, M.; Segneri, G.; Sentenac, D.; Tosi, C.; Zorzi, N.

2005-01-01

We report on the design, manufacturing and first characterisation of pad diodes, test structures and microstrip detectors processed with high resistivity magnetic Czochralski (MCz) p- and n-type Si. The pre-irradiation study on newly processed microstrip detectors and test structures show a good overall quality of the processed wafers. After irradiation with 24 GeV/c protons up to 4x10 14 cm -2 the characterisation of n-on-p and p-on-n MCz Si sensors with the C-V method show a decrease of the full depletion voltage and no space charge sign inversion. Microscopic characterisation has been performed to study the role of thermal donors in Czochralski Si. No evidence of thermal donor activation was observed in n-type MCz Si detectors if contact sintering was performed at a temperature lower than 380 deg. C and the final passivation oxide was omitted

Process for making silicon from halosilanes and halosilicons

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Harry (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A reactor apparatus (10) adapted for continuously producing molten, solar grade purity elemental silicon by thermal reaction of a suitable precursor gas, such as silane (SiH.sub.4), is disclosed. The reactor apparatus (10) includes an elongated reactor body (32) having graphite or carbon walls which are heated to a temperature exceeding the melting temperature of silicon. The precursor gas enters the reactor body (32) through an efficiently cooled inlet tube assembly (22) and a relatively thin carbon or graphite septum (44). The septum (44), being in contact on one side with the cooled inlet (22) and the heated interior of the reactor (32) on the other side, provides a sharp temperature gradient for the precursor gas entering the reactor (32) and renders the operation of the inlet tube assembly (22) substantially free of clogging. The precursor gas flows in the reactor (32) in a substantially smooth, substantially axial manner. Liquid silicon formed in the initial stages of the thermal reaction reacts with the graphite or carbon walls to provide a silicon carbide coating on the walls. The silicon carbide coated reactor is highly adapted for prolonged use for production of highly pure solar grade silicon. Liquid silicon (20) produced in the reactor apparatus (10) may be used directly in a Czochralski or other crystal shaping equipment.

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

Anisotropy of Single-Crystal Silicon in Nanometric Cutting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiguo; Chen, Jiaxuan; Wang, Guilian; Bai, Qingshun; Liang, Yingchun

2017-12-01

The anisotropy exhibited by single-crystal silicon in nanometric cutting is very significant. In order to profoundly understand the effect of crystal anisotropy on cutting behaviors, a large-scale molecular dynamics model was conducted to simulate the nanometric cutting of single-crystal silicon in the (100)[0-10], (100)[0-1-1], (110)[-110], (110)[00-1], (111)[-101], and (111)[-12-1] crystal directions in this study. The simulation results show the variations of different degrees in chip, subsurface damage, cutting force, and friction coefficient with changes in crystal plane and crystal direction. Shear deformation is the formation mechanism of subsurface damage, and the direction and complexity it forms are the primary causes that result in the anisotropy of subsurface damage. Structurally, chips could be classified into completely amorphous ones and incompletely amorphous ones containing a few crystallites. The formation mechanism of the former is high-pressure phase transformation, while the latter is obtained under the combined action of high-pressure phase transformation and cleavage. Based on an analysis of the material removal mode, it can be found that compared with the other crystal direction on the same crystal plane, the (100)[0-10], (110)[-110], and (111)[-101] directions are more suitable for ductile cutting.

Multiple batch recharging for industrial CZ silicon growth

Science.gov (United States)

Fickett, B.; Mihalik, G.

2001-05-01

The Czochralski (CZ) crystal growth process used in the Siemens Solar Industries’ (SSI) Vancouver, WA facility was non-continuous. Each furnace run's production was limited by the size of the starting charge. Once the charge was depleted, the furnace was shut down, cooled, and set back up for the next run. A recharge system was developed which transforms standard CZ growth into a semi-continuous process. Now when the charge is depleted, the crucible can be refilled in situ as the grown ingot is being removed from the furnace. SSI has demonstrated up to 14 recharge cycles in a single run. The resulting benefits included: significant cost reduction, increased yield, increased throughput, reduced energy consumption, improved process capability, reduced material handling requirements, and reduced labor. The recharge system also enables the use of granular silicon, which requires less than 30% of the energy required when manufacturing silicon-starting materials. This significantly reduces the energy “pay-back” time associated with SSI's finished product, photovoltaic panels.

Defects in silicon effect on device performance and relationship to crystal growth conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Jastrzebski, L.

1985-01-01

A relationship between material defects in silicon and the performance of electronic devices will be described. A role which oxygen and carbon in silicon play during the defects generation process will be discussed. The electronic properties of silicon are a strong function of the oxygen state in the silicon. This state controls mechanical properties of silicon efficiency for internal gettering and formation of defects in the device's active area. In addition, to temperature, time, ambience, and the cooling/heating rates of high temperature treatments, the oxygen state is a function of the crystal growth process. The incorporation of carbon and oxygen into silicon crystal is controlled by geometry and rotation rates applied to crystal and crucible during crystal growths. Also, formation of nucleation centers for oxygen precipitation is influenced by the growth process, although there is still a controversy which parameters play a major role. All these factors will be reviewed with special emphasis on areas which are still ambiguous and controversial.

ANTIMONY INDUCED CRYSTALLIZATION OF AMORPHOUS SILICON

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Y. Wang; H.Z. Li; C.N. Yu; G.M. Wu; I. Gordon; P. Schattschneider; O. Van Der Biest

2007-01-01

Antimony induced crystallization of PVD (physics vapor deposition) amorphous silicon can be observed on sapphire substrates. Very large crystalline regions up to several tens of micrometers can be formed. The Si diffraction patterns of the area of crystallization can be observed with TEM (transmission electron microscopy). Only a few and much smaller crystals of the order of 1μm were formed when the antimony layer was deposited by MBE(molecular beam epitaxy) compared with a layer formed by thermal evaporation. The use of high vacuum is essential in order to observe any Sb induced crystallization at all. In addition it is necessary to take measures to limit the evaporation of the antimony.

Numerical Modelling of the Czochralski Growth of β-Ga2O3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfram Miller

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Our numerical modelling of the Czochralski growth of single crystalline β-Ga 2 O 3 crystals (monoclinic symmetry starts at the 2D heat transport analysis within the crystal growth furnace, proceeds with the 3D heat transport and fluid flow analysis in the crystal-melt-crucible arrangement and targets the 3D thermal stress analysis within the β-Ga 2 O 3 crystal. In order to perform the stress analysis, we measured the thermal expansion coefficients and the elastic stiffness coefficients in two samples of a β-Ga 2 O 3 crystal grown at IKZ. Additionally, we analyse published data of β-Ga 2 O 3 material properties and use data from literature for comparative calculations. The computations were performed by the software packages CrysMAS, CGsim, Ansys-cfx and comsol Multiphysics. By the hand of two different thermal expansion data sets and two different crystal orientations, we analyse the elastic stresses in terms of the von-Mises stress.

Electrical property studies of oxygen in Czochralski-grown neutron-transmutation-doped silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, J.W.; Fukuoka, N.

1980-10-01

Electically active oxygen-related donors can be formed in Czochralski (Cz) Si either during crystal growth or during subsequent heat treatment; conventional n- or p-type dopant carrier concentrations are altered if these oxygen donors are present. Neutron transmutation doping (NTD) has been used to introduce a uniform concentration of 31 P in Si. However, oxygen donors can also be formed in NTD Cz Si during the process of annealing to remove NTD radiation damage. In the present experiments, the carrier concentration of Cz and NTD Cz Si samples was determined as a function of the initial dopant, oxygen, and 31 P concentration before and after isothermal or isochronal annealing. It is shown that low temperature (350 to 500 0 C) heat treatment can introduce a significant oxygen donor concentration in Cz Si and in NTD Cz Si that contains radiation-induced lattice defects. Intermediate temperature (550 to 750 0 C) heat treatment, which is intended to remove oxygen donors or lattice defects, can introduce other oxygen donors; annealing above 750 0 C is required to remove any of these oxygen donors. Extended (20 h) high-temperature (1000 to 1200 0 C) annealing can remove oxygen donors and lattice defects, but a significant concentration of oxygen donors can still be introduced by subsequent low temperature heat treatment. These results suggest that oxygen-related donor formation in NTD Cz Si at temperatures below 750 0 C may serve to mask any annealing study of lattice defects. It is concluded that annealing for 30 min at 750 0 C is sufficient to remove radiation damage in NTD Cz Si when the separate effects of oxygen donor formation are included

Crystal imperfection studies of pure and silicon substituted hydroxyapatite using Raman and XRD.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Shuo; Huang, Jie; Best, Serena; Bonfield, William

2005-12-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is important in biomedical applications because of its chemical similarity to the mineral content of bone and its consequent bioactivity. Silicon substitution into the hydroxyapatite crystal lattice was found to enhance its bioactivity both in vitro and in vivo [1, 2]. However, the mechanism for the enhancement is still not well understood. In this paper, the crystal imperfections introduced by silicon substitution were studied using XRD and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that silicon substitution did not introduce microstrain, but deceased the crystal size in the hk0 direction. Three new vibration modes and peak broadening were observed in Raman spectra following silicon incorporation. The imperfections introduced by silicon substitution may play a role in enhancing bioactivity. A phenomenological relationship between the width of the PO4 v1 peak and crystal size was established.

Numerical study on the effect of temperature oscillations on the crystallization front shape during Czochralski growth of gadolinium gallium garnet crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Faiez, Reza; Rezaei, Yazdan

2017-10-01

Time-dependent, finite volume method calculations of momentum and heat transfer were carried out to investigate the correlation between oscillatory convection and the crystallization front dynamics during the Czochralski (Cz) growth of an oxide material. The present modeling allows us to illustrate the modification of the interface shape during the time period of oscillation of the flow manifesting as the formation of a cold plume beneath the phase boundary. It was shown that the instability mechanism is associated with an irreversible dramatic change in the interface shape, which occurs at a critical Reynolds number significantly lower than that is predicted by the quasi-stationary global model analysis of the Cz growth system. The baroclinic term which appears in the vorticity equation in a rotating stratified fluid is used to describe the numerical results of the model. The properties of the thermal waves were studied in the monitoring points located nearby the interface. The waves are regular but not in fact vertically correlated as observed in the case of baroclinic waves. The Rayleigh-Benard dynamics is suggested to be the predominant mechanism even though the instability is primarily baroclinic.

Decade of PV Industry R and D Advances in Silicon Module Manufacturing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Symko-Davis, M.; Mitchell, R.L.; Witt, C.E.; Thomas, H.P. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory; King, R.[U.S. Department of Energy; Ruby, D.S. [Sandia National Laboratories

2001-01-18

The US Photovoltaic (PV) industry has made significant technical advances in crystalline silicon (Si) module manufacturing through the PV Manufacturing R and D Project during the past decade. Funded Si technologies in this project have been Czochralski, cast polycrystalline, edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) ribbon, string ribbon, and Si-film. Specific R and D Si module-manufacturing categories that have shown technical growth and will be discussed are in crystal growth and processing, wafering, cell fabrication, and module manufacturing. These R and D advancements since 1992 have contributed to a 30% decrease in PV manufacturing costs and stimulated a sevenfold increase in PV production capacity.

Tailoring the optical constants in single-crystal silicon with embedded silver nanostructures for advanced silicon photonics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhter, Perveen; Huang, Mengbing; Spratt, William; Kadakia, Nirag; Amir, Faisal

2015-01-01

Plasmonic effects associated with metal nanostructures are expected to hold the key to tailoring light emission/propagation and harvesting solar energy in materials including single crystal silicon which remains the backbone in the microelectronics and photovoltaics industries but unfortunately, lacks many functionalities needed for construction of advanced photonic and optoelectronics devices. Currently, silicon plasmonic structures are practically possible only in the configuration with metal nanoparticles or thin film arrays on a silicon surface. This does not enable one to exploit the full potential of plasmonics for optical engineering in silicon, because the plasmonic effects are dominant over a length of ∼50 nm, and the active device region typically lies below the surface much beyond this range. Here, we report on a novel method for the formation of silver nanoparticles embedded within a silicon crystal through metal gettering from a silver thin film deposited at the surface to nanocavities within the Si created by hydrogen ion implantation. The refractive index of the Ag-nanostructured layer is found to be 3–10% lower or higher than that of silicon for wavelengths below or beyond ∼815–900 nm, respectively. Around this wavelength range, the optical extinction values increase by a factor of 10–100 as opposed to the pure silicon case. Increasing the amount of gettered silver leads to an increased extinction as well as a redshift in wavelength position for the resonance. This resonance is attributed to the surface plasmon excitation of the resultant silver nanoparticles in silicon. Additionally, we show that the profiles for optical constants in silicon can be tailored by varying the position and number of nanocavity layers. Such silicon crystals with embedded metal nanostructures would offer novel functional base structures for applications in silicon photonics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and plasmonics

Optical microcavities based on surface modes in two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xiao, Sanshui; Qiu, M.

2007-01-01

Surface-mode optical microcavities based on two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals are studied. We demonstrate that a high-quality-factor microcavity can be easily realized in these structures. With an increasing of the cavity length, the quality factor is gr...... is gradually enhanced and the resonant frequency converges to that of the corresponding surface mode in the photonic crystals. These structures have potential applications such as sensing.......Surface-mode optical microcavities based on two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals are studied. We demonstrate that a high-quality-factor microcavity can be easily realized in these structures. With an increasing of the cavity length, the quality factor...

Radiation-induced defects in Czochralski-grown silicon containing carbon and germanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Londos, C A; Andrianakis, A; Emtsev, V V; Ohyama, H

2009-01-01

Formation processes of vacancy-oxygen (VO) and carbon interstitial-oxygen interstitial (C i O i ) complexes in electron-irradiated Czochralski-grown Si crystals (Cz–Si), also doped with Ge, are investigated. IR spectroscopy measurements are employed to monitor the production of these defects. In Cz–Si with carbon concentrations [C s ] up to 1 × 10 17 cm −3 and Ge concentrations [Ge] up to 1 × 10 20 cm −3 the production rate of VO defects as well as the rate of oxygen loss show a slight growth of about 10% with the increasing Ge concentration. At high concentrations of carbon [C s ] around 2 × 10 17 cm −3 the production rate of VO defects is getting larger by ∼40% in Cz–Si:Ge at Ge concentrations around 1 × 10 19 cm −3 and then at [Ge] ≈ 2 × 10 20 cm −3 this enlargement drops to ∼13%, thus approaching the values characteristic of lesser concentrations of carbon. A similar behavior against Ge concentration displays the production rate of C i O i complexes. The same trend is also observed for the rate of carbon loss, whereas the trend for the rate of oxygen loss is opposite. The behavior of Ge atoms is different at low and high concentrations of this isoelectronic impurity in Cz–Si. At low concentrations most isolated Ge atoms serve as temporary traps for vacancies preventing them from indirect annihilation with self-interstitials. At high concentrations Ge atoms are prone to form clusters. The latter ones are traps for vacancies and self-interstitials due to the strain fields, increasing the importance of indirect annihilation of intrinsic point defects. Such a model allows one to give a plausible explanation for the obtained results. A new band at 994 cm −1 seen only in irradiated Ge-doped Cz–Si is also studied. Interestingly, its annealing behavior was found to be very similar to that of VO complexes

Dynamical theoretical model of the high-resolution double-crystal x-ray diffractometry of imperfect single crystals with microdefects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molodkin, V. B.; Olikhovskii, S. I.; Kislovskii, E. N.; Vladimirova, T. P.; Skakunova, E. S.; Seredenko, R. F.; Sheludchenko, B. V.

2008-01-01

The dynamical diffraction model has been developed for the quantitative description of rocking curves (RCs) measured in the Bragg diffraction geometry from single crystals containing homogeneously distributed microdefects of several types and with arbitrary sizes. The analytical expressions for coherent and diffuse RC components, which take self-consistently multiple-scattering effects into account and depend explicitly on microdefect characteristics (radius, concentration, strength, etc.), have been derived with taking into account the instrumental factors. The developed model has been applied to determine the characteristics of oxygen precipitates and dislocation loops in silicon crystals grown by Czochralsky and float-zone methods using RCs measured by the high-resolution double-crystal x-ray diffractometer. It has been shown, particularly, that completely dynamical consideration of Huang as well as Stockes-Wilson diffuse scattering (DS) in both diffuse RC component and coefficient of extinction of coherent RC component due to DS, together with taking asymmetry and thermal DS effects into account, provides the possibility to distinguish contributions into RC from defects of different types, which have equal or commensurable effective radii

Radiation damage in lithium-counterdoped N/P silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hermann, A. M.; Swartz, C. K.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Weinberg, I.

1980-01-01

The radiation resistance and low-temperature annealing properties of lithium-counterdoped n(+)-p silicon solar cells are investigated. Cells fabricated from float zone and Czochralski grown silicon were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons and their performance compared to that of 0.35 ohm-cm control cells. The float zone cells demonstrated superior radiation resistance compared to the control cells, while no improvement was noted for the Czochralski grown cells. Annealing kinetics were found to lie between first and second order for relatively short times, and the most likely annealing mechanism was found to be the diffusion of lithium to defects with the subsequent neutralization of defects by combination with lithium. Cells with zero lithium gradients exhibited the best radiation resistance.

Radiation thermometry for semiconductor crystal growing furnaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helgeland, W.

1985-01-01

Single crystals of silicon produced by the Czochralski process are used widely in the production of integrated circuits and other electronic devices. Recent advances in automation of industrial equipment for this process have led to the application of a dual wave band radiation thermometer. The instrument system automatically performs certain critical temperature measurements. In nonautomated equipment, these measurements require the judgement of a trained human operator. The difficulties of measuring and controlling the temperature at the critical location are discussed, especially with regard to detecting the meltdown end point and to initially establishing the correct temperature for seeding. A description is given of the customized temperature measurement system, which is based upon an existing ratio radiation thermometer. Thermometer output characteristics are described

Timing characteristics of Ce doped Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 3}Al{sub 2}O{sub 12} single crystals in comparison with CsI(Tl) scintillators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tyagi, M.; Singh, A.K.; Singh, S.G.; Sen, S.; Gadkari, S.C. [Technical Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085 (India); Desai, V.V.; Nayak, B.K. [Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085 (India)

2015-10-15

Single crystals of Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 3}Al{sub 2}O{sub 12}:Ce with B codopants were successfully grown using the Czochralski technique. The timing characteristics of the crystal was measured by coupling the crystal to photomultiplier tubes (PMT) or silicon photodiodes [Si(PIN)]. The two prompt γ-rays emitted in a cascade from {sup 60}Co or {sup 22}Na source were detected in coincidence using Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 3}Al{sub 2}O{sub 12}:Ce,B crystal detectors and a BaF{sub 2} detector. The time resolution of these crystals are observed to be better than that measured for CsI:Tl crystal coupled to PMT or Si(PIN) in an identical measurement setup. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Room-temperature near-infrared electroluminescence from boron-diffused silicon pn junction diodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Si eLi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Silicon pn junction diodes with different doping concentrations were prepared by boron diffusion into Czochralski (CZ n-type silicon substrate. Their room-temperature near-infrared electroluminescence (EL was measured. In the EL spectra of the heavily boron doped diode, a luminescence peak at ~1.6 m (0.78 eV was observed besides the band-to-band line (~1.1eV under the condition of high current injection, while in that of the lightly boron doped diode only the band-to-band line was observed. The intensity of peak at 0.78 eV increases exponentially with current injection with no observable saturation at room temperature. Furthermore, no dislocations were found in the cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy image, and no dislocation-related luminescence was observed in the low-temperature photoluminescence spectra. We deduce the 0.78 eV emission originates from the irradiative recombination in the strain region of diodes caused by the diffusion of large number of boron atoms into silicon crystal lattice.

The tensile effect on crack formation in single crystal silicon irradiated by intense pulsed ion beam

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Guoying; Shen, Jie; Zhang, Jie; Zhong, Haowen; Cui, Xiaojun; Yan, Sha; Zhang, Xiaofu; Yu, Xiao; Le, Xiaoyun

2017-10-01

Improving antifatigue performance of silicon substrate is very important for the development of semiconductor industry. The cracking behavior of silicon under intense pulsed ion beam irradiation was studied by numerical simulation in order to understand the mechanism of induced surface peeling observed by experimental means. Using molecular dynamics simulation based on Stillinger Weber potential, tensile effect on crack growth and propagation in single crystal silicon was investigated. Simulation results reveal that stress-strain curves of single crystal silicon at a constant strain rate can be divided into three stages, which are not similar to metal stress-strain curves; different tensile load velocities induce difference of single silicon crack formation speed; the layered stress results in crack formation in single crystal silicon. It is concluded that the crack growth and propagation is more sensitive to strain rate, tensile load velocity, stress distribution in single crystal silicon.

Crystal growth and optical properties of Sm:CaNb2O6 single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Juqing; Xu Xiaodong; Xia Changtai; Zeng Huidan; Cheng Yan; Li Dongzhen; Zhou Dahua; Wu Feng; Cheng Jimeng; Xu Jun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Sm:CaNb 2 O 6 single crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. ► Thermal expansion coefficients and J–O parameters were calculated. ► We found that this crystal had high quantum efficiency of 97%. - Abstract: Sm:CaNb 2 O 6 single crystal has been grown by the Czochralski method. Its high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction, optical absorption, emission spectroscopic as well as lifetime have been studied. Thermal expansion coefficients (α), J–O parameters (Ω i ), radiative lifetime (τ rad ), branching ratios (β) and stimulated emission cross-sections (σ e ) were calculated. The quantum efficiency (η) was calculated to be 97%. The intense peak emission cross section at 610, 658 nm were calculated to be 2.40 × 10 −21 , 2.42 × 10 −21 cm 2 . These results indicate that Sm:CaNb 2 O 6 crystal has potential use in visible laser and photonic devices area.

ARROW-based silicon-on-insulator photonic crystal waveguides with reduced losses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lavrinenko, Andrei; Novitsky, A.; Zhilko, V.V.

2006-01-01

We employ an antiresonant reflecting layers arrangement with silicon-on-insulator based photonic crystal waveguides. The 3D FDTD numerical modelling reveals improved transmission in such structures with a promising potential for their application in photonic circuits.......We employ an antiresonant reflecting layers arrangement with silicon-on-insulator based photonic crystal waveguides. The 3D FDTD numerical modelling reveals improved transmission in such structures with a promising potential for their application in photonic circuits....

Digital Control of the Czochralski Growth of Gallium Arsenide-Controller Software Reference Manual

Science.gov (United States)

1987-07-15

once a parameter was changed. (2) Despite of the fact that there are analog controllers on the market which feature a high degree of automation...single-zone heater is in use.) - 4 - Kfc ^&S^^ p IS’ K: i 1. Digital Control of Czochralski GaAs Crystal Growth (2) Four tachometers which are...34 if either the overlay name or the program version loaded with the overlay do not match the expected data. (It is important not to mix modules

Photonic and Plasmonic Guided Modes in Graphene-Silicon Photonic Crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gu, Tingyi; Andryieuski, Andrei; Hao, Yufeng

2015-01-01

We report the results of systematic studies of plasmonic and photonic guided modes in large-area single-layer graphene integrated into a nanostructured silicon substrate. The interaction of light with graphene and substrate photonic crystals can be classified in distinct regimes depending......, filters, sensors, and photodetectors utilizing silicon photonic platforms....... on the relation of the photonic crystal lattice constant and the relevant modal wavelengths, that is, plasmonic, photonic, and free-space. By optimizing the design of the substrate, these resonant modes can increase the absorption of graphene in the infrared, facilitating enhanced performance of modulators...

Thin Single Crystal Silicon Solar Cells on Ceramic Substrates: November 2009 - November 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, A.; Ravi, K. V.

2011-06-01

In this program we have been developing a technology for fabricating thin (< 50 micrometres) single crystal silicon wafers on foreign substrates. We reverse the conventional approach of depositing or forming silicon on foreign substrates by depositing or forming thick (200 to 400 micrometres) ceramic materials on high quality single crystal silicon films ~ 50 micrometres thick. Our key innovation is the fabrication of thin, refractory, and self-adhering 'handling layers or substrates' on thin epitaxial silicon films in-situ, from powder precursors obtained from low cost raw materials. This 'handling layer' has sufficient strength for device and module processing and fabrication. Successful production of full sized (125 mm X 125 mm) silicon on ceramic wafers with 50 micrometre thick single crystal silicon has been achieved and device process flow developed for solar cell fabrication. Impurity transfer from the ceramic to the silicon during the elevated temperature consolidation process has resulted in very low minority carrier lifetimes and resulting low cell efficiencies. Detailed analysis of minority carrier lifetime, metals analysis and device characterization have been done. A full sized solar cell efficiency of 8% has been demonstrated.

Materials of construction for silicon crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Leipold, M. H.; Odonnell, T. P.; Hagan, M. A.

1980-01-01

The performance of materials for construction and in contact with molten silicon for crystal growth is presented. The basis for selection considers physical compatibility, such as thermal expansion and strength, as well as chemical compatibility as indicated by contamination of the silicon. A number of new high technology materials are included as well as data on those previously used. Emphasis is placed on the sources and processing of such materials in that results are frequently dependent on the way a material is prepared as well as its intrinsic constituents.

Nonlinear model-based control of the Czochralski process III: Proper choice of manipulated variables and controller parameter scheduling

Science.gov (United States)

Neubert, M.; Winkler, J.

2012-12-01

This contribution continues an article series [1,2] about the nonlinear model-based control of the Czochralski crystal growth process. The key idea of the presented approach is to use a sophisticated combination of nonlinear model-based and conventional (linear) PI controllers for tracking of both, crystal radius and growth rate. Using heater power and pulling speed as manipulated variables several controller structures are possible. The present part tries to systematize the properties of the materials to be grown in order to get unambiguous decision criteria for a most profitable choice of the controller structure. For this purpose a material specific constant M called interface mobility and a more process specific constant S called system response number are introduced. While the first one summarizes important material properties like thermal conductivity and latent heat the latter one characterizes the process by evaluating the average axial thermal gradients at the phase boundary and the actual growth rate at which the crystal is grown. Furthermore these characteristic numbers are useful for establishing a scheduling strategy for the PI controller parameters in order to improve the controller performance. Finally, both numbers give a better understanding of the general thermal system dynamics of the Czochralski technique.

Silicon-based photonic crystals fabricated using proton beam writing combined with electrochemical etching method.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Zhiya; Breese, Mark Bh; Recio-Sánchez, Gonzalo; Azimi, Sara; Song, Jiao; Liang, Haidong; Banas, Agnieszka; Torres-Costa, Vicente; Martín-Palma, Raúl José

2012-07-23

A method for fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) silicon nanostructures based on selective formation of porous silicon using ion beam irradiation of bulk p-type silicon followed by electrochemical etching is shown. It opens a route towards the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) and 3D silicon-based photonic crystals with high flexibility and industrial compatibility. In this work, we present the fabrication of 2D photonic lattice and photonic slab structures and propose a process for the fabrication of 3D woodpile photonic crystals based on this approach. Simulated results of photonic band structures for the fabricated 2D photonic crystals show the presence of TE or TM gap in mid-infrared range.

Progress in thin-film silicon solar cells based on photonic-crystal structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ishizaki, Kenji; De Zoysa, Menaka; Tanaka, Yoshinori; Jeon, Seung-Woo; Noda, Susumu

2018-06-01

We review the recent progress in thin-film silicon solar cells with photonic crystals, where absorption enhancement is achieved by using large-area resonant effects in photonic crystals. First, a definitive guideline for enhancing light absorption in a wide wavelength range (600–1100 nm) is introduced, showing that the formation of multiple band edges utilizing higher-order modes confined in the thickness direction and the introduction of photonic superlattice structures enable significant absorption enhancement, exceeding that observed for conventional random scatterers. Subsequently, experimental evidence of this enhancement is demonstrated for a variety of thin-film Si solar cells: ∼500-nm-thick ultrathin microcrystalline silicon cells, few-µm-thick microcrystalline silicon cells, and ∼20-µm-thick thin single-crystalline silicon cells. The high short-circuit current densities and/or efficiencies observed for each cell structure confirm the effectiveness of using multiple band-edge resonant modes of photonic crystals for enhancing broadband absorption in actual solar cells.

A study on carbon incorporation in semi-insulating GaAs crystals grown by the vapor pressure controlled Czochralski technique (VCz). Pt. I. Experiments and Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacob, K.; Frank, C.; Neubert, M.; Rudolph, P. [Institut fuer Kristallzuechtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (IKZ) (Germany); Ulrici, W. [Institut fuer Kristallzuechtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (IKZ) (Germany); Paul-Drude-Inst. fuer Festkoerperelektronik, Berlin (Germany); Jurisch, M. [Institut fuer Kristallzuechtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (IKZ) (Germany); Freiberger Compound Materials GmbH, Freiberg (Germany); Korb, J. [Institut fuer Kristallzuechtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (IKZ) (Germany); GTT Technologies, Freiberg (Germany)

2000-07-01

In the past it has been demonstrated that the carbon concentration of large semi-insulating (SI) GaAs single crystals grown by the conventional liquid encapsulation Czochralski (LEC) technique can be controlled by several methods including variations of growth parameters. It was the aim of the present paper to clarify which of the relationships of LEC growth could be used for a carbon control in the VCz-method characterized by the application of an inner chamber made from graphite to avoid selective As evaporation. In detail this comprised a study of the influence of several growth parameters like the water content of the boric oxide, the composition of the working atmosphere, the gas flow, a titanium gettering and additions of gallium oxide. As a result, for the first time carbon concentrations down to {approx} 10{sup 14} cm{sup -3} were obtained in 3{sup ''} (75 mm) diameter VCz crystals. (orig.)

Hall mobility reduction in single-crystalline silicon gradually compensated by thermal donors activation

Science.gov (United States)

Veirman, J.; Dubois, S.; Enjalbert, N.; Garandet, J. P.; Heslinga, D. R.; Lemiti, M.

2010-06-01

This letter focuses on the variation of the Hall majority carrier mobility with the dopant compensation level in purely Boron-doped Czochralski grown silicon single crystals. Compensation was varied continuously at the sample scale via a step by step activation of the oxygen-based thermal donors. At room temperature, we show a strong drop in mobility for high compensation levels in both p- and n-type Si. Mobility models taking into account carrier scattering on ionized impurities and phonons could not reproduce this drop. We conclude that a specific effect of compensation must be taken into account to explain the observed behaviour. We qualitatively discuss physical mechanisms susceptible to reduce mobility in highly compensated Si.

Development of advanced methods for continuous Czochralski growth. Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfson, R. G.; Sibley, C. B.

1978-01-01

The three components required to modify the furnace for batch and continuous recharging with granular silicon were designed. The feasibility of extended growth cycles up to 40 hours long was demonstrated by a recharge simulation experiment; a 6 inch diameter crystal was pulled from a 20 kg charge, remelted, and pulled again for a total of four growth cycles, 59-1/8 inch of body length, and approximately 65 kg of calculated mass.

Scintillation properties of Zr co-doped Ce:(Gd, La)_2Si_2O_7 grown by the Czochralski process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Rikito; Kurosawa, Shunsuke; Shoji, Yasuhiro; Jary, Vitezslav; Ohashi, Yuji; Pejchal, Jan; Yokota, Yuui; Kamada, Kei; Nikl, Martin; Yoshikawa, Akira

2016-01-01

(Gd_0_._7_5,Ce_0_._0_1_5,La_0_._2_3_5)_2Si_2O_7 (Ce:La-GPS) single crystals co-doped with 0, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 ppm Zr were grown by the Czochralski process, and their scintillation properties were investigated. We investigated the co-doping effect of a stable tetravalent ion in Ce:La-GPS for the first time. The scintillation decay times in the faster component were shortened with increasing the Zr concentration. While the non-co-doped sample showed ∼63 ns day time, the Zr 100, 200, 500 and 1000 ppm co-doped samples showed ∼61, ∼59, ∼57, ∼54 ns, respectively. Additionally, light output, photon nonproportional response (PNR) and other optical properties were investigated. - Highlights: • Czochralski growth of Ce:(Gd,La)_2Si_2O_7 single crystals. • Co-doping effect of a stable tetravalent ion in Ce:(Gd,La)_2Si_2O_7 system. • Photon nonproportional response of Zr co-doped Ce:(Gd,La)_2Si_2O_7.

Top-seed solution growth and characterization of AlSb single crystals for gamma-ray detectors. Final report, 1 October 1994 - 30 September 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witt, A.F.; Becla, P.; Counterman, C.; DiFrancesco, J.; Landahl, G.; Morse, K.; Sanchez, J.

1996-01-01

The ultimate objective of the conducted research is to ascertain the potential of AlSb (in single crystal form) for application as γ-detector material operating at room temperature. To this end approaches to crystal growth were to be developed which permit control of growth parameters affecting critical application specific properties of AlSb. The research was focused on exploration of the effectiveness of the Czochralski method and on the development of methods and procedures leading to AlSb crystals with low free carrier concentration and a high mobility-lifetime product. Conventional melt growth of AlSb by the Czochralski technique (from stoichiometric charges) generally yielded material with high net carrier concentrations and low mobility-lifetime products. Significant improvement in crystal properties was achieved, when operating with non-stoichiometric melts, containing Sb in excess at levels of 3 to 10 mol%, further improvements were obtained when changing ambient argon pressure from atmospheric to 300 psi, and using high purity alumina crucibles which were inductively heated with a graphite susceptor CVD coated with silicon-carbide. Initial efforts to reduce evaporative loss of Sb through application of the LEC technique (liquid encapsulated Czochralski) with conventional encapsulants (B 2 O 3 , LiF, CaF 2 ) failed because of their interaction with the crucible and the AlSb melt. Compensation techniques (based on extrinsic doping) were found to lead to the desired reduction of free carriers in AlSb. Such material, however, exhibits a significant decrease of charge carrier mobility and lifetime. Early termination of this research program prevented optimization of critical materials properties in AlSb and precluded at this time a realistic assessment of the potential of this material for solid state detector applications

Plasmonic and Photonic Modes Excitation in Graphene on Silicon Photonic Crystal Membrane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andryieuski, Andrei; Gu, Tingyi; Hao, Yufeng

. Being deposited on a silicon photonic crystal membrane graphene serves as a highly promising system for modern optoelectronics with rich variety of possible regimes. Depending on the relation between the photonic crystal lattice constant and wavelengths (plasmonic, photonic and free-space) we identify...... characterization. Measured data are well correlated with the numerical analysis. Combined graphene – silicon photonic crystal membranes can find applications for infrared absorbers, modulators, filters, sensors and photodetectors....... four different interaction schemes. We refer to them as metamaterial, plasmonic, photonic and diffraction grating regimes based on the principle character of light interactions with the graphene deposited on the Si photonic crystal membrane. The optimal configurations for resonant excitation of modes...

YbNi{sub 4}P{sub 2}. Single crystal growth by the Czochralski method and high-field magnetization measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kliemt, Kristin; Krellner, Cornelius [Goethe-University, Frankfurt (Germany); Foerster, Tobias [HLD, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Brando, Manuel [MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany)

2016-07-01

We have investigated a new generation of YbNi{sub 4}P{sub 2} single crystals that were grown from a levitating melt by the Czochralski method. With T{sub C}= 0.17 K, this ferromagnetic material has the lowest Curie temperature ever observed among stoichiometric compounds. A quantum critical point occurs in the substitution series YbNi{sub 4}(P{sub 1-x}As{sub x}){sub 2} at x ∼ 0.1. The hybridization between localized f-electrons and the conduction electrons leads to a Fermi-liquid ground state with narrow bands and strongly enhanced effective electronic masses (heavy fermion system, Kondo temperature 8 K). An external magnetic field can split the bands, deform the Fermi surface and simultaneously suppress the Kondo interaction. If such a deformation changes the topology, it is called a Lifshitz transition. Previous thermodynamic and electrical transport studies have found indications for Lifshitz transitions in this Kondo lattice system. We report on results of high-field magnetization measurements at low temperature to further investigate the putative Lifshitz transitions in YbNi{sub 4}P{sub 2}.

Reduction of oxygen concentration by heater design during Czochralski Si growth

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Bing; Chen, Wenliang; Li, Zhihui; Yue, Ruicun; Liu, Guowei; Huang, Xinming

2018-02-01

Oxygen is one of the highest-concentration impurities in single crystals grown by the Czochralski (CZ) process, and seriously impairs the quality of the Si wafer. In this study, computer simulations were applied to design a new CZ system. A more appropriate thermal field was acquired by optimization of the heater structure. The simulation results showed that, compared with the conventional system, the oxygen concentration in the newly designed CZ system was reduced significantly throughout the entire CZ process because of the lower crucible wall temperature and optimized convection. To verify the simulation results, experiments were conducted on an industrial single-crystal furnace. The experimental results showed that the oxygen concentration was reduced significantly, especially at the top of the CZ-Si ingot. Specifically, the oxygen concentration was 6.19 × 1017 atom/cm3 at the top of the CZ-Si ingot with the newly designed CZ system, compared with 9.22 × 1017 atom/cm3 with the conventional system. Corresponding light-induced degradation of solar cells based on the top of crystals from the newly designed CZ system was 1.62%, a reduction of 0.64% compared with crystals from the conventional system (2.26%).

Recombination of charge carriers on radiation-induced defects in silicon doped by transition metals impurities

CERN Document Server

Kazakevich, L A

2003-01-01

It has been studied the peculiarities of recombination of nonequilibrium charge carriers on radiation-induced defects in received according to Czochralski method p-silicon (p approx 3 - 20 Ohm centre dot cm), doped by one of the impurities of transition metals of the IV-th group of periodic table (titanium, zirconium, hafnium). Experimental results are obtained out of the analysis of temperature and injection dependence of the life time of charge carriers. The results are explained taking into consideration the influences of elastic stress fields created by the aggregates of transition metals atoms on space distribution over the crystal of oxygen and carbon background impurities as well as on the migration of movable radiation-induced defects during irradiation. (authors).

Porous silicon damage enhanced phosphorus and aluminium gettering of p-type Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassen, M.; Ben Jaballah, A.; Hajji, M.; Rahmouni, H.; Selmi, A.; Ezzaouia, H.

2005-01-01

In this work, porous silicon damage (PSD) is presented as a simple sequence for efficient external purification techniques. The method consists of using thin nanoporous p-type silicon on both sides of the silicon substrates with randomly hemispherical voids. Then, two main sample types are processed. In the first type, thin aluminium layers (≥1 μm) are thermally evaporated followed by photo-thermal annealing treatments in N 2 atmosphere at one of several temperatures ranging between 600 and 800 deg. C. In the second type, phosphorus is continually diffused in N 2 /O 2 ambient in a solid phase from POCl 3 solution during heating at one of several temperatures ranging between 750 and 1000 deg. C for 1 h. Hall Effect and Van Der Pauw methods prove the existence of an optimum temperature in the case of phosphorus gettering at 900 deg. C yielding a Hall mobility of about 982 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . However, in the case of aluminium gettering, there is no gettering limit in the as mentioned temperature range. Metal/Si Schottky diodes are elaborated to clarify these improvements. In this study, we demonstrate that enhanced metal solubility model cannot explain the gettering effect. The solid solubility of aluminium is higher than that of P atoms in silicon; however, the device yield confirms the effectiveness of phosphorus as compared to aluminium

Characterization of oxygen dimer-enriched silicon detectors

CERN Document Server

Boisvert, V; Moll, M; Murin, L I; Pintilie, I

2005-01-01

Various types of silicon material and silicon p+n diodes have been treated to increase the concentration of the oxygen dimer (O2i) defect. This was done by exposing the bulk material and the diodes to 6 MeV electrons at a temperature of about 350 °C. FTIR spectroscopy has been performed on the processed material confirming the formation of oxygen dimer defects in Czochralski silicon pieces. We also show results from TSC characterization on processed diodes. Finally, we investigated the influence of the dimer enrichment process on the depletion voltage of silicon diodes and performed 24 GeV/c proton irradiations to study the evolution of the macroscopic diode characteristics as a function of fluence.

Enhanced light emission in photonic crystal nanocavities with Erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarova, Maria; Sih, Vanessa; Vuckovic, Jelena; Warga, Joe; Li Rui; Dal Negro, Luca

2008-01-01

Photonic crystal nanocavities are fabricated in silicon membranes covered by thermally annealed silicon-rich nitride films with Erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals. Silicon nitride films were deposited by sputtering on top of silicon on insulator wafers. The nanocavities were carefully designed in order to enhance emission from the nanocrystal sensitized Erbium at the 1540 nm wavelength. Experimentally measured quality factors of ∼6000 were found to be consistent theoretical predictions. The Purcell factor of 1.4 was estimated from the observed 20-fold enhancement of Erbium luminescence

Crystal growth, spectral and laser properties of Nd:LSAT single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, P. C.; Yin, J. G.; Zhao, C. C.; Gong, J.; He, X. M.; Zhang, L. H.; Liang, X. Y.; Hang, Y.

2011-10-01

Nd:(La, Sr)(Al, Ta)O3 (Nd:LSAT) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd:LSAT crystal at room temperature were investigated. With a fiber-coupled diode laser as pump source, the continuous-wave (CW) laser action of Nd:LSAT crystal was demonstrated. The result of diode-pumped laser operation of Nd:LSAT crystal single crystal is reported for what is to our knowledge the first time. The maximum output power at 1064 nm was obtained to be 165 mW under the incident pump power of 3 W, with the slope efficiency 10.9%.

Reliability of Czochralski-grown {beta}-BaB{sub 2}O{sub 4}(BBO) devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Umezu, Nobuhiko; Fukui, Tatsuo; Okamoto, Tsutomu; Wada, Hiroyuki; Tatsuki, Kouichi; Kondo, Kenji; Kubota, Shigeo [Sony Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1998-03-01

We have achieved more than 1000 hours-operation in 266 nm-continuous wave (CW), 100 mW-generation of all-solid-state-UV laser system using Czochralski (Cz)-grown {beta}-BaB{sub 2}O{sub 4}(BBO) crystal devices. Absorption of the Cz-grown crystal for e-ray at 266 nm was improved to 1%/cm, which is one-third lower than that of the crystal grown by top seeded solution growth (TSSG) method. Degradation rate of 266 nm generation, using 7 kHz repetition rate laser diode pumped Q switched Nd:YAG laser as a fundamental light source, was one order of magnitude lower than that of TSSG-crystal. Surface roughness of the crystal was better than 0.3 rms.-nm. HfO{sub 2} film with extremely high adhesion was deposited on the surfaces using reactive low voltage ion plating method. Our devices can be put to practical use in areas of photolithography, micro fabrication, material processing and ultra high density optical disk mastering. (author)

Influence of intermediate layers on the surface condition of laser crystallized silicon thin films and solar cell performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Höger, Ingmar, E-mail: ingmar.hoeger@ipht-jena.de; Gawlik, Annett; Brückner, Uwe; Andrä, Gudrun [Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien, PF 100239, 07702 Jena (Germany); Himmerlich, Marcel; Krischok, Stefan [Institut für Mikro-und Nanotechnologien, Technische Universität Ilmenau, PF 100565, 98684 Ilmenau (Germany)

2016-01-28

The intermediate layer (IL) between glass substrate and silicon plays a significant role in the optimization of multicrystalline liquid phase crystallized silicon thin film solar cells on glass. This study deals with the influence of the IL on the surface condition and the required chemical surface treatment of the crystallized silicon (mc-Si), which is of particular interest for a-Si:H heterojunction thin film solar cells. Two types of IL were investigated: sputtered silicon nitride (SiN) and a layer stack consisting of silicon nitride and silicon oxide (SiN/SiO). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed the formation of silicon oxynitride (SiO{sub x}N{sub y}) or silicon oxide (SiO{sub 2}) layers at the surface of the mc-Si after liquid phase crystallization on SiN or SiN/SiO, respectively. We propose that SiO{sub x}N{sub y} formation is governed by dissolving nitrogen from the SiN layer in the silicon melt, which segregates at the crystallization front during crystallization. This process is successfully hindered, when additional SiO layers are introduced into the IL. In order to achieve solar cell open circuit voltages above 500 mV, a removal of the formed SiO{sub x}N{sub y} top layer is required using sophisticated cleaning of the crystallized silicon prior to a-Si:H deposition. However, solar cells crystallized on SiN/SiO yield high open circuit voltage even when a simple wet chemical surface treatment is applied. The implementation of SiN/SiO intermediate layers facilitates the production of mesa type solar cells with open circuit voltages above 600 mV and a power conversion efficiency of 10%.

Basic theory of diameter control in Czochralski growth using the melt-weighing technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johansen, T.H.

1986-04-01

The unconfined crystal growth in the Czochralski configuration is recognized as a process which is quite dependent upon successful control of the shape determining conditions. In the paper attention is focused on the meniscus region, and its relevance to the crystal diameter behaviour is discussed. The dynamic stability of the configuration is analyzed according to the Surek criterion. In contrast to earlier zeroth order arguments, the system is shown to be inherently stable at normal growth conditions if the thermal impedance of the meniscus is taken into account. General difficulties associated with small diameter growth are pointed out. Reference is made to various growth monitoring arrangements, and the melt-weighing method is described in detail. Assuming uniform growth with a flat interface, the exact relation between the force experienced by a weighing cell and the growth parameters during both stationary and non-stationary conditions is derived. Growth at a constant angle is analyzed, and a new procedure for deriving the crystal diameter is suggested

High-Q silicon-on-insulator slot photonic crystal cavity infiltrated by a liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caër, Charles; Le Roux, Xavier; Cassan, Eric

2013-01-01

We report the experimental realization of a high-Q slot photonic crystal cavity in Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) configuration infiltrated by a liquid. Loaded Q-factor of 23 000 is measured at telecom wavelength. The intrinsic quality factor inferred from the transmission spectrum is higher than 200 000, which represents a record value for slot photonic crystal cavities on SOI, whereas the maximum of intensity of the cavity is roughly equal to 20% of the light transmitted in the waveguide. This result makes filled slot photonic crystal cavities very promising for silicon-based light emission and ultrafast nonlinear optics

Development of low-cost silicon crystal growth techniques for terrestrial photovoltaic solar energy conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Zoutendyk, J. A.

1976-01-01

Because of the growing need for new sources of electrical energy, photovoltaic solar energy conversion is being developed. Photovoltaic devices are now being produced mainly from silicon wafers obtained from the slicing and polishing of cylindrically shaped single crystal ingots. Inherently high-cost processes now being used must either be eliminated or modified to provide low-cost crystalline silicon. Basic to this pursuit is the development of new or modified methods of crystal growth and, if necessary, crystal cutting. If silicon could be grown in a form requiring no cutting, a significant cost saving would potentially be realized. Therefore, several techniques for growth in the form of ribbons or sheets are being explored. In addition, novel techniques for low-cost ingot growth and cutting are under investigation.

Observation of soliton compression in silicon photonic crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco-Redondo, A.; Husko, C.; Eades, D.; Zhang, Y.; Li, J.; Krauss, T.F.; Eggleton, B.J.

2014-01-01

Solitons are nonlinear waves present in diverse physical systems including plasmas, water surfaces and optics. In silicon, the presence of two photon absorption and accompanying free carriers strongly perturb the canonical dynamics of optical solitons. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of soliton-effect pulse compression of picosecond pulses in silicon, despite two photon absorption and free carriers. Here we achieve compression of 3.7 ps pulses to 1.6 ps with photonic crystal waveguide and an ultra-sensitive frequency-resolved electrical gating technique to detect the ultralow energies in the nanostructured device. Strong agreement with a nonlinear Schrödinger model confirms the measurements. These results further our understanding of nonlinear waves in silicon and open the way to soliton-based functionalities in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible platforms. PMID:24423977

High-field EPR spectroscopy of thermal donors in silicon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirksen, R.; Rasmussen, F.B.; Gregorkiewicz, T.

1997-01-01

Thermal donors generated in p-type boron-doped Czochralski-grown silicon by a 450 degrees C heat treatment have been studied by high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In the experiments conducted at a microwave frequency of 140 GHz and in a magnetic field of approximately 5 T four individual...

Ground-state splitting of ultrashallow thermal donors with negative central-cell corrections in silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Akito; Awano, Teruyoshi

2017-06-01

Ultrashallow thermal donors (USTDs), which consist of light element impurities such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, have been found in Czochralski silicon (CZ Si) crystals. To the best of our knowledge, these are the shallowest hydrogen-like donors with negative central-cell corrections in Si. We observed the ground-state splitting of USTDs by far-infrared optical absorption at different temperatures. The upper ground-state levels are approximately 4 meV higher than the ground-state levels. This energy level splitting is also consistent with that obtained by thermal excitation from the ground state to the upper ground state. This is direct evidence that the wave function of the USTD ground state is made up of a linear combination of conduction band minimums.

Crystal growth for high-efficiency silicon solar cells workshop: Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, K. A.

1985-01-01

The state of the art in the growth of silicon crystals for high-efficiency solar cells are reviewed, sheet requirements are defined, and furture areas of research are identified. Silicon sheet material characteristics that limit cell efficiencies and yields were described as well as the criteria for the ideal sheet-growth method. The device engineers wish list to the material engineer included: silicon sheet with long minority carrier lifetime that is uniform throughout the sheet, and which doesn't change during processing; and sheet material that stays flat throughout device processing, has uniform good mechanical strength, and is low cost. Impurities in silicon solar cells depreciate cell performance by reducing diffusion length and degrading junctions. The impurity behavior, degradation mechanisms, and variations in degradation threshold with diffusion length for silicon solar cells were described.

Silicon photonic crystal all-optical logic gates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Yulan [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Hu, Xiaoyong, E-mail: xiaoyonghu@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Gong, Qihuang, E-mail: qhgong@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2013-01-03

All-optical logic gates, including OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, and NAND gates, are realized theoretically in a two-dimensional silicon photonic crystal using the light beam interference effect. The ingenious photonic crystal waveguide component design, the precisely controlled optical path difference, and the elaborate device configuration ensure the simultaneous realization of five types of logic gate with low-power and a contrast ratio between the logic states of “1” and “0” as high as 20 dB. High power is not necessary for operation of these logic gate devices. This offers a simple and effective approach for the realization of integrated all-optical logic devices.

Experimental studies on using silicon photodiode as read-out component of CsI(Tl) crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jingtang; Chen Duanbao; Li Zuhao; Mao Yufang; Dong Xiaoli

1996-01-01

Experimental studies on using silicon photodiode as the read-out component of CsI(Tl) crystal are reported. The read-out properties of two different types of silicon photodiode produced by Hamamatsu were measured, including relations between energy resolution and bias, shaping time, sensitive area of photodiode and the dimension of the crystal

A DLTS study of hydrogen doped czochralski-grown silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jelinek, M. [Infineon Technologies Austria AG, 9500 Villach (Austria); Laven, J.G. [Infineon Technologies AG, 81726 Munich (Germany); Kirnstoetter, S. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz (Austria); Schustereder, W. [Infineon Technologies Austria AG, 9500 Villach (Austria); Schulze, H.-J. [Infineon Technologies AG, 81726 Munich (Germany); Rommel, M. [Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Devices IISB, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Frey, L. [Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Devices IISB, 91058 Erlangen (Germany); Chair of Electron Devices, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2015-12-15

In this study we examine proton implanted and subsequently annealed commercially available CZ wafers with the DLTS method. Depth-resolved spreading resistance measurements are shown, indicating an additional peak in the induced doping profile, not seen in the impurity-lean FZ reference samples. The additional peak lies about 10–15 μm deeper than the main peak near the projected range of the protons. A DLTS characterization in the depth of the additional peak indicates that it is most likely not caused by classical hydrogen-related donors known also from FZ silicon but by an additional donor complex whose formation is assisted by the presence of silicon self-interstitials.

Orientation acoustic radiation of electrons in silicon thick crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alejnik, A.N.; Afanas'ev, S.G.; Vorob'ev, S.A.; Zabaev, V.N.; Il'in, S.I.; Kalinin, B.N.; Potylitsyn, A.P.

1989-01-01

Results of measuring orientation acoustic radiation of 900 and 500 MeV electrons during their movement along crystallographic axis in thick silicon crystal (h=20 mm thickness) are presented for the first time. Analysis of obtained results shows that dynamic mechanism describes rather completely the main regularities of orientation dependence of the amplitude of acoustic signal occuring under electron motion near crystallographic axis of the crystal. Phenomena of orientation acoustic radiation can be also used for investigation of solid bodies. Orientation both of thin and rather thick monocrystals can be conducted on the basis of dynamic mechanism of elastic wave excitation in crystals

Three-dimensional modelling of thermal stress in floating zone silicon crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Plate, Matiss; Krauze, Armands; Virbulis, Jānis

2018-05-01

During the growth of large diameter silicon single crystals with the industrial floating zone method, undesirable level of thermal stress in the crystal is easily reached due to the inhomogeneous expansion as the crystal cools down. Shapes of the phase boundaries, temperature field and elastic material properties determine the thermal stress distribution in the solid mono crystalline silicon during cylindrical growth. Excessive stress can lead to fracture, generation of dislocations and altered distribution of intrinsic point defects. Although appearance of ridges on the crystal surface is the decisive factor of a dislocation-free growth, the influence of these ridges on the stress field is not completely clear. Here we present the results of thermal stress analysis for 4” and 5” diameter crystals using a quasi-stationary three dimensional mathematical model including the material anisotropy and the presence of experimentally observed ridges which cannot be addressed with axis-symmetric models. The ridge has a local but relatively strong influence on thermal stress therefore its relation to the origin of fracture is hypothesized. In addition, thermal stresses at the crystal rim are found to increase for a particular position of the crystal radiation reflector.

Process research of non-Czochralski silicon material

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, R. B.

1986-01-01

Simultaneous diffusion of liquid precursors containing phosphorus and boron into dendritic web silicon to form solar cell structures was investigated. A simultaneous junction formation techniques was developed. It was determined that to produce high quality cells, an annealing cycle (nominal 800 C for 30 min) should follow the diffusion process to anneal quenched-in defects. Two ohm-cm n-base cells were fabricated with efficiencies greater than 15%. A cost analysis indicated that the simultansous diffusion process costs can be as low as 65% of the costs of the sequential diffusion process.

A new family of thermal donors generated around 450 °C in phosphorus-doped Czochralski silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Kamiura, Yoichi; Hashimoto, Fumio; Yoneta, Minoru

1989-01-01

We have discovered a new family of oxygen-related double donors [new thermal donors (NTD's)] generated around 450 °C in phosphorus-doped Czochralski silicon by combining deep-level transient spectroscopy with Hall measurements. This new family was well distinguished from the normal family of thermal donors (TD's) currently studied so far. Our results have shown that both families of thermal donors exhibit qualitatively the same kinetic behavior. Namely, as the annealing time increases, their ionization energy of levels continuously decrease with their densities increasing until the maxima and then become constant with their densities decreasing. However, there are significantly quantitative differences between the both families; NTD's have shallower levels, considerably smaller generation rates, and higher thermal stability than TD's. Sufficiently prolonged annealing for more than 105 min around 450 °C or short donor-killing annealing for 20 min at 650 °C completely annihilates TD's, leaving only NTD's, of which the most stable and therefore most shallow species have been suggested by our Hall measurements to have donor levels at 0.04 and 0.09 eV below the conduction-band edge. The density of interstitial oxygen still continues to decrease even after prolonged annealing for more than 105 min, where NTD's are present in a stable condition in a concentration of 1×1015 cm-3. NTD's may correlate with the NL10 electron paramagnetic resonance center because of similarities in their generation kinetics. We have suggested a hypothesis that NTD's have similar defect structures as TD's and that an unknown nucleus involved in the core of NTD's plays an essential role in lowering their ionization energy of levels and generation rates and also in stabilizing their donor activity.

Structure and thermal expansion of Ca9Gd(VO4)7: A combined powder-diffraction and dilatometric study of a Czochralski-grown crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Paszkowicz, Wojciech; Shekhovtsov, Alexei; Kosmyna, Miron; Loiko, Pavel; Vilejshikova, Elena; Minikayev, Roman; Romanowski, Przemysław; Wierzchowski, Wojciech; Wieteska, Krzysztof; Paulmann, Carsten; Bryleva, Ekaterina; Belikov, Konstantin; Fitch, Andrew

2017-11-01

Materials of the Ca9RE(VO4)7 (CRVO) formula (RE = rare earth) and whitlockite-related structures are considered for applications in optoelectronics, e.g., in white-light emitting diodes and lasers. In the CRVO structure, the RE atoms are known to share the site occupation with Ca atoms at two or three among four Ca sites, with partial occupancy values depending on the choice of the RE atom. In this work, the structure and quality of a Czochralski-grown crystal of this family, Ca9Gd(VO4)7 (CGVO), are studied using X-ray diffraction methods. The room-temperature structure is refined using the powder diffraction data collected at a high-resolution synchrotron beamline ID22 (ESRF, Grenoble); for comparison purposes, a laboratory diffraction pattern was collected and analyzed, as well. The site occupancies are discussed on the basis of comparison with literature data of isostructural synthetic crystals of the CRVO series. The results confirm the previously reported site-occupation scheme and indicate a tendency of the CGVO compound to adopt a Gd-deficient composition. Moreover, the thermal expansion coefficient is determined for CGVO as a function of temperature in the 302-1023 K range using laboratory diffraction data. Additionally, for CGVO and six other single crystals of the same family, thermal expansion is studied in the 298-473 K range, using the dilatometric data. The magnitude and anisotropy of thermal expansion, being of importance for laser applications, are discussed for these materials.

Irradiation of electron with high energy induced micro-crystallization of amorphous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Yule; Huang Junkai; Liu Weiping; Li Jingna

2001-01-01

Amorphous silicon is amorphous alloy of Si-H. It is random network of silicon with some hydrogen. And its structure has many unstable bonds as weak bonds of Si-Si and distortion bonds of all kinds. The bonds was broken or was out of shape by light and electrical ageing. It induced increase of defective state that causes character of material going to bad. This drawback will be overcome after micro-crystallization of amorphous silicon. It was discovered that a-Si:H was micro-crystallized by irradiated of electrons with energy of 0.3-0.5 MeV, density of electronic beam of 1.3 x 10 19 cm -1 s -1 and irradiated time of 10-600 s. Size of grain is 10-20 nm. Thick of microcrystalline lager is 25-250 nm

Single-crystal silicon trench etching for fabrication of highly integrated circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Engelhardt, Manfred

1991-03-01

The development of single crystal silicon trench etching for fabrication of memory cells in 4 16 and 64Mbit DRAMs is reviewed in this paper. A variety of both etch tools and process gases used for the process development is discussed since both equipment and etch chemistry had to be improved and changed respectively to meet the increasing requirements for high fidelity pattern transfer with increasing degree of integration. In additon to DRAM cell structures etch results for deep trench isolation in advanced bipolar ICs and ASICs are presented for these applications grooves were etched into silicon through a highly doped buried layer and at the borderline of adjacent p- and n-well areas respectively. Shallow trench etching of large and small exposed areas with identical etch rates is presented as an approach to replace standard LOCOS isolation by an advanced isolation technique. The etch profiles were investigated with SEM TEM and AES to get information on contathination and damage levels and on the mechanism leading to anisotropy in the dry etch process. Thermal wave measurements were performed on processed single crystal silicon substrates for a fast evaluation of the process with respect to plasma-induced substrate degradation. This useful technique allows an optimization ofthe etch process regarding high electrical performance of the fully processed memory chip. The benefits of the use of magnetic fields for the development of innovative single crystal silicon dry

Effect of Rapid Thermal Processing on Light-Induced Degradation of Carrier Lifetime in Czochralski p-Type Silicon Bare Wafers

Science.gov (United States)

Kouhlane, Y.; Bouhafs, D.; Khelifati, N.; Belhousse, S.; Menari, H.; Guenda, A.; Khelfane, A.

2016-11-01

The electrical properties of Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) p-type boron-doped bare wafers have been investigated after rapid thermal processing (RTP) with different peak temperatures. Treated wafers were exposed to light for various illumination times, and the effective carrier lifetime ( τ eff) measured using the quasi-steady-state photoconductance (QSSPC) technique. τ eff values dropped after prolonged illumination exposure due to light-induced degradation (LID) related to electrical activation of boron-oxygen (BO) complexes, except in the sample treated with peak temperature of 785°C, for which the τ eff degradation was less pronounced. Also, a reduction was observed when using the 830°C peak temperature, an effect that was enhanced by alteration of the wafer morphology (roughness). Furthermore, the electrical resistivity presented good stability under light exposure as a function of temperature compared with reference wafers. Additionally, the optical absorption edge shifted to higher wavelength, leading to increased free-carrier absorption by treated wafers. Moreover, a theoretical model is used to understand the lifetime degradation and regeneration behavior as a function of illumination time. We conclude that RTP plays an important role in carrier lifetime regeneration for Cz-Si wafers via modification of optoelectronic and structural properties. The balance between an optimized RTP cycle and the rest of the solar cell elaboration process can overcome the negative effect of LID and contribute to achievement of higher solar cell efficiency and module performance.

Production of Solar Grade (SoG) Silicon by Refining Liquid Metallurgical Grade (MG) Silicon: Final Report, 19 April 2001; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattack, C. P.; Joyce, D. B.; Schmid, F.

2001-01-01

This report summarizes the results of the developed technology for producing SoG silicon by upgrading MG silicon with a cost goal of$20/kg in large-scale production. A Heat Exchanger Method (HEM) furnace originally designed to produce multicrystalline ingots was modified to refine molten MG silicon feedstock prior to directional solidification. Based on theoretical calculations, simple processing techniques, such as gas blowing through the melt, reaction with moisture, and slagging have been used to remove B from molten MG silicon. The charge size was scaled up from 1 kg to 300 kg in incremental steps and effective refining was achieved. After the refining parameters were established, improvements to increase the impurity reduction rates were emphasized. With this approach, 50 kg of commercially available as-received MG silicon was processed for a refining time of about 13 hours. A half life of and lt;2 hours was achieved, and the B concentration was reduced to 0.3 ppma and P concentration to 10 ppma from the original values of 20 to 60 ppma, and all other impurities to and lt;0.1 ppma. Achieving and lt;1 ppma B by this simple refining technique is a breakthrough towards the goal of achieving low-cost SoG silicon for PV applications. While the P reduction process was being optimized, the successful B reduction process was applied to a category of electronics industry silicon scrap previously unacceptable for PV feedstock use because of its high B content (50-400 ppma). This material after refining showed that its B content was reduced by several orders of magnitude, to(approx)1 ppma (0.4 ohm-cm, or about 5x1016 cm-3). NREL's Silicon Materials Research team grew and wafered small and lt;100 and gt; dislocation-free Czochralski (Cz) crystals from the new feedstock material for diagnostic tests of electrical properties, C and O impurity levels, and PV performance relative to similar crystals grown from EG feedstock and commercial Cz wafers. The PV conversion

Radiation damage in silicon detectors

CERN Document Server

Lindström, G

2003-01-01

Radiation damage effects in silicon detectors under severe hadron and gamma-irradiation are surveyed, focusing on bulk effects. Both macroscopic detector properties (reverse current, depletion voltage and charge collection) as also the underlying microscopic defect generation are covered. Basic results are taken from the work done in the CERN-RD48 (ROSE) collaboration updated by results of recent work. Preliminary studies on the use of dimerized float zone and Czochralski silicon as detector material show possible benefits. An essential progress in the understanding of the radiation-induced detector deterioration had recently been achieved in gamma irradiation, directly correlating defect analysis data with the macroscopic detector performance.

VV and VO2 defects in silicon studied with hybrid density functional theory

KAUST Repository

Christopoulos, Stavros Richard G; Wang, Hao; Chroneos, Alexander I.; Londos, Charalampos A.; Sgourou, Efstratia N.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2014-01-01

The formation of VO (A-center), VV and VO2 defects in irradiated Czochralski-grown silicon (Si) is of technological importance. Recent theoretical studies have examined the formation and charge states of the A-center in detail. Here we use density

Defect characterization in high-purity silicon after γ- and hadron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stahl, J.

2004-07-01

The challenge for silicon particle detectors in future high energy physics experiments caused by extreme radiation fields can only be met by an appropriate defect engineering of the starting material. Appreciable improvements had already been obtained by enriching high resistivity float zone silicon with oxygen as demonstrated by the CERN RD48 collaboration. This thesis will focus on the difference observed after irradiation between standard and oxygenated float zone and detector grade Czochralski silicon. Results obtained with diodes manufactured on epitaxial layers are also included, envisioning effects arising from the possible migration of impurities during the crystal growth from the oxygen rich Czochralski substrate. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements have been performed for defect characterization after γ- and hadron irradiation. Also a new high resolution DLTS technique has been used for the first time to separate defect levels with similar parameters. During the microscopic studies additionally to the well known defects like VO i , V 2 , C i O i or VP, four new radiation induced defects have been discovered and characterized. Two of these defects are closely correlated with the detector performance: A deep acceptor labeled as I-defect, and a bistable donor (BD). The formation of the I-defect is strongly suppressed in oxygen rich materials, while the formation of the BD is suppressed in oxygen lean material. With their properties the I- and the BD-defect are able to explain the different macroscopic behavior of standard and oxygen enriched float zone silicon after γ-irradiation. Furthermore, the BD defect is most probably responsible for the observation that in Cz and Epi diodes space charge sign inversion does not occur even after high fluences of proton irradiation. Additionally the γ-irradiated diodes were annealed at temperatures between 100 C and 350 C. During these studies some new reaction

Influence of Crucible Thermal Conductivity on Crystal Growth in an Industrial Directional Solidification Process for Silicon Ingots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaoyang Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We carried out transient global simulations of heating, melting, growing, annealing, and cooling stages for an industrial directional solidification (DS process for silicon ingots. The crucible thermal conductivity is varied in a reasonable range to investigate its influence on the global heat transfer and silicon crystal growth. It is found that the crucible plays an important role in heat transfer, and therefore its thermal conductivity can influence the crystal growth significantly in the entire DS process. Increasing the crucible thermal conductivity can shorten the time for melting of silicon feedstock and growing of silicon crystal significantly, and therefore large thermal conductivity is helpful in saving both production time and power energy. However, the high temperature gradient in the silicon ingots and the locally concave melt-crystal interface shape for large crucible thermal conductivity indicate that high thermal stress and dislocation propagation are likely to occur during both growing and annealing stages. Based on the numerical simulations, some discussions on designing and choosing the crucible thermal conductivity are presented.

Aggregation performance of CdO grains grown on surface of N silicon crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jizhong; Zhao Huan

2010-01-01

Four kinds of aggregation patterns of CdO grains were formed on the surface of N silicon substrate heated at 580 deg. C for 1 h in an evaporation-deposition device. They were ellipse-shaped or quasi-circular-shaped aggregate, long ribbon-shaped aggregate, long chain-shaped or long double-chain-shaped aggregate, and long ellipse-chain-shaped aggregate. These aggregates consisted of numerous grains or tiny crystals, and deposited on top of the CdO bush-like long crystal clusters grown earlier. They exhibited clearly spontaneous self-organization aggregation performance. Surface defects of the virgin N silicon crystal were analyzed, and mechanism of the self-organization aggregation was discussed with a defect induced aggregation (DIA) model.

Wetting and crystallization at grain boundaries: Origin of aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.Y.; He, D.; Zhao, Y.H.; Mittemeijer, E.J.

2006-01-01

It has been shown experimentally that the grain boundaries in aluminium in contact with amorphous silicon are the necessary agents for initiation of the crystallization of silicon upon annealing temperatures as low as 438 K. Thermodynamic analysis has shown (i) that Si can 'wet' the Al grain boundaries due to the favorable Si/Al interface energy as compared to the Al grain-boundary energy and (ii) that Si at the Al grain boundaries can maintain its amorphous state up to a thickness of about 1.0 nm. Beyond that thickness crystalline Si develops at the Al grain boundaries

Crystal spectroscopy of silicon aero-gel end-caps driven by a dynamic hohlraum on Z

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nash, T.J.; Sanford, T.W.L.; Mock, R.C.; Leeper, R.J.; Chandler, G.A.; Bailey, J.E.; McKenney, J.L.; Mehlhorn, T.A.; Seaman, J.F.; McGurn, J.; Schroen, D.; Russell, C.; Lake, P.E.; Jobe, D.O.; Gilliland, T.; Nielsen, D.S.; Lucas, J.; Moore, T.; Torres, J.A.; MacFarlane, J.J.; Apruzese, J.P.; Chrien, R.; Idzorek, G.; Peterson, D.L.; Watt, R.

2005-01-01

We present results from crystal spectroscopic analysis of silicon aero-gel foams heated by dynamic hohlraums on Z. The dynamic hohlraum on Z creates a radiation source with a 230-eV average temperature over a 2.4-mm diameter. In these experiments silicon aero-gel foams with 10-mg/cm3 densities and 1.7-mm lengths were placed on both ends of the dynamic hohlraum. Several crystal spectrometers were placed both above and below the z-pinch to diagnose the temperature of the silicon aero-gel foam using the K-shell lines of silicon. The crystal spectrometers were (1) temporally integrated and spatially resolved, (2) temporally resolved and spatially integrated, and (3) both temporally and spatially resolved. The results indicate that the dynamic hohlraum heats the silicon aero-gel to approximately 150-eV at peak power. As the dynamic hohlraum source cools after peak power the silicon aero-gel continues to heat and jets axially at an average velocity of approximately 50-cm/μs. The spectroscopy has also shown that the reason for the up/down asymmetry in radiated power on Z is that tungsten enters the line-of-sight on the bottom of the machine much more than on the top

Processing of n{sup +}/p{sup −}/p{sup +} strip detectors with atomic layer deposition (ALD) grown Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} field insulator on magnetic Czochralski silicon (MCz-si) substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Härkönen, J., E-mail: jaakko.harkonen@helsinki.fi [Helsinki Institute of Physics (Finland); Tuovinen, E. [Helsinki Institute of Physics (Finland); VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Microsystems and Nanoelectronics (Finland); Luukka, P.; Gädda, A.; Mäenpää, T.; Tuominen, E.; Arsenovich, T. [Helsinki Institute of Physics (Finland); Junkes, A. [Institute for Experimental Physics, University of Hamburg (Germany); Wu, X. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Microsystems and Nanoelectronics (Finland); Picosun Oy, Tietotie 3, FI-02150 Espoo Finland (Finland); Li, Z. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Hunan 411105 (China)

2016-08-21

Detectors manufactured on p-type silicon material are known to have significant advantages in very harsh radiation environment over n-type detectors, traditionally used in High Energy Physics experiments for particle tracking. In p-type (n{sup +} segmentation on p substrate) position-sensitive strip detectors, however, the fixed oxide charge in the silicon dioxide is positive and, thus, causes electron accumulation at the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface. As a result, unless appropriate interstrip isolation is applied, the n-type strips are short-circuited. Widely adopted methods to terminate surface electron accumulation are segmented p-stop or p-spray field implantations. A different approach to overcome the near-surface electron accumulation at the interface of silicon dioxide and p-type silicon is to deposit a thin film field insulator with negative oxide charge. We have processed silicon strip detectors on p-type Magnetic Czochralski silicon (MCz-Si) substrates with aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) thin film insulator, grown with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) method. The electrical characterization by current–voltage and capacitance−voltage measurement shows reliable performance of the aluminum oxide. The final proof of concept was obtained at the test beam with 200 GeV/c muons. For the non-irradiated detector the charge collection efficiency (CCE) was nearly 100% with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of about 40, whereas for the 2×10{sup 15} n{sub eq}/cm{sup 2} proton irradiated detector the CCE was 35%, when the sensor was biased at 500 V. These results are comparable with the results from p-type detectors with the p-spray and p-stop interstrip isolation techniques. In addition, interestingly, when the aluminum oxide was irradiated with Co-60 gamma-rays, an accumulation of negative fixed oxide charge in the oxide was observed.

Oxygen measurements in thin ribbon silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyland, S L; Ast, D G; Baghdadi, A

1987-03-01

The oxygen content of thin silicon ribbons grown by the dendritic web technique was measured using a modification of the ASTM method based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Web silicon was found to have a high oxygen content, ranging from 13 to 19 ppma, calculated from the absorption peak associated with interstitial oxygen and using the new ASTM conversion coefficient. The oxygen concentration changed by about 10% along the growth direction of the ribbon. In some samples, a shoulder was detected on the absorption peak. A similar shoulder in Czochralski grown material has been variously interpreted in the literature as due to a complex of silicon, oxygen, and vacancies, or to a phase of SiO/sub 2/ developed along dislocations in the material. In the case of web silicon, it is not clear which is the correct interpretation.

Recombination via point defects and their complexes in solar silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peaker, A.R.; Markevich, V.P.; Hamilton, B. [Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Parada, G.; Dudas, A.; Pap, A. [Semilab, 2 Prielle Kornelia Str, 1117 Budapest (Hungary); Don, E. [Semimetrics, PO Box 36, Kings Langley, Herts WD4 9WB (United Kingdom); Lim, B.; Schmidt, J. [Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) Hamlen, 31860 Emmerthal (Germany); Yu, L.; Yoon, Y.; Rozgonyi, G. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States)

2012-10-15

Electronic grade Czochralski and float zone silicon in the as grown state have a very low concentration of recombination generation centers (typically <10{sup 10} cm{sup -3}). Consequently, in integrated circuit technologies using such material, electrically active inadvertent impurities and structural defects are rarely detectable. The quest for cheap photovoltaic cells has led to the use of less pure silicon, multi-crystalline material, and low cost processing for solar applications. Cells made in this way have significant extrinsic recombination mechanisms. In this paper we review recombination involving defects and impurities in single crystal and in multi-crystalline solar silicon. Our main techniques for this work are recombination lifetime mapping measurements using microwave detected photoconductivity decay and variants of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). In particular, we use Laplace DLTS to distinguish between isolated point defects, small precipitate complexes and decorated extended defects. We compare the behavior of some common metallic contaminants in solar silicon in relation to their effect on carrier lifetime and cell efficiency. Finally, we consider the role of hydrogen passivation in relation to transition metal contaminants, grain boundaries and dislocations. We conclude that recombination via point defects can be significant but in most multi-crystalline material the dominant recombination path is via decorated dislocation clusters within grains with little contribution to the overall recombination from grain boundaries. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Large-scale membrane transfer process: its application to single-crystal-silicon continuous membrane deformable mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Tong; Sasaki, Takashi; Hane, Kazuhiro; Akiyama, Masayuki

2013-01-01

This paper describes a large-scale membrane transfer process developed for the construction of large-scale membrane devices via the transfer of continuous single-crystal-silicon membranes from one substrate to another. This technique is applied for fabricating a large stroke deformable mirror. A bimorph spring array is used to generate a large air gap between the mirror membrane and the electrode. A 1.9 mm × 1.9 mm × 2 µm single-crystal-silicon membrane is successfully transferred to the electrode substrate by Au–Si eutectic bonding and the subsequent all-dry release process. This process provides an effective approach for transferring a free-standing large continuous single-crystal-silicon to a flexible suspension spring array with a large air gap. (paper)

Passive Temperature Stabilization of Silicon Photonic Devices Using Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Ptasinski

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we explore the negative thermo-optic properties of liquid crystal claddings for passive temperature stabilization of silicon photonic integrated circuits. Photonic circuits are playing an increasing role in communications and computing, but they suffer from temperature dependent performance variation. Most existing techniques aimed at compensation of thermal effects rely on power hungry Joule heating. We show that integrating a liquid crystal cladding helps to minimize the effects of a temperature dependent drift. The advantage of liquid crystals lies in their high negative thermo-optic coefficients in addition to low absorption at the infrared wavelengths.

Crystal growth, spectroscopic and laser properties of Tm:LuAG crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, X. D.; Wang, X. D.; Lin, Z. F.; Cheng, Y.; Li, D. Z.; Cheng, S. S.; Wu, F.; Zhao, Z. W.; Gao, C. Q.; Gao, M. W.; Xu, J.

2009-11-01

Tm:Lu3Al5O12 (Tm:LuAG) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The segregation coefficient was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray powder diffraction experiments. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of Tm:LuAG crystal at room temperature were investigated. With a 20 W fiber-coupled diode laser as pump source, the continuous-wave (CW) laser action of Tm:LuAG crystal was demonstrated. The maximum output power at 2020 nm was obtained to be 3.04 W, and the slope efficiency was 25.3%.

Radiation emission phenomena in bent silicon crystals: Theoretical and experimental studies with 120 GeV/c positrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lietti, D.; Bagli, E.; Baricordi, S.; Berra, A.; Bolognini, D.; Chirkov, P.N.; Dalpiaz, P.; Della Mea, G.; De Salvador, D.; Hasan, S.; Guidi, V.; Maisheev, V.A.

2012-01-01

The radiation emission phenomena in bent silicon crystals have been thoroughly investigated at the CERN SPS-H4 beamline. The incoming and outgoing trajectories of charged particles impinging on a silicon strip crystal have been reconstructed by high precision silicon microstrip detectors. A spectrometer method has been exploited to measure the radiation emission spectra both in volume reflection and in channeling. The theoretical method used to evaluate the photon spectra is presented and compared with the experimental results.

Molecular dynamics studies of the ion beam induced crystallization in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, L.A.; Caturla, M.J.; Huang, H.

1995-01-01

We have studied the ion bombardment induced amorphous-to-crystal transition in silicon using molecular dynamics techniques. The growth of small crystal seeds embedded in the amorphous phase has been monitored for several temperatures in order to get information on the effect of the thermal temperature increase introduced by the incoming ion. The role of ion-induced defects on the growth has been also studied

Manufacturing and characterization of bent silicon crystals for studies of coherent interactions with negatively charged particles beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Germogli, G.; Mazzolari, A.; Bandiera, L.; Bagli, E.; Guidi, V.

2015-07-15

Efficient steering of GeV-energy negatively charged particle beams was demonstrated to be possible with a new generation of thin bent silicon crystals. Suitable crystals were produced at the Sensor Semiconductor Laboratory of Ferrara starting from Silicon On Insulator wafers, adopting proper revisitation of silicon micromachining techniques such as Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition, photolithography and anisotropic chemical etching. Mechanical holders, which allow to properly bend the crystal and to reduce unwanted torsions, were employed. Crystallographic directions and crystal holder design were optimized in order to excite quasi-mosaic effect along (1 1 1) planes. Prior to exposing the crystal to particle beams, a full set of characterizations were performed. Infrared interferometry was used to measure crystal thickness with high accuracy. White-light interferometry was employed to characterize surface deformational state and its torsion. High-resolution X-rays diffraction was used to precisely measure crystal bending angle along the beam. Manufactured crystals were installed and tested at the MAMI MAinz MIcrotron to steer sub-GeV electrons, and at SLAC to deflect an electron beam in the 1 to 10 GeV energy range.

Automatically controlled facilities for irradiation of silicon crystals at the Rossendorf Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, R.

1988-01-01

This report describes the facilities for neutron transmutation doping of silicon in GDR. The irradiation of silicon single crystals began at Rossendorf in 1978 with simple equipment. Only a small amount of silicon could be irradiated in it. The fast increasing need of NTD-silicon made it necessary to design and construct new and better facilities. The new facilities are capable of irradiating silicon from 2'' to 3'' in diameter. The irradiation process takes place automatically with the assistance of a computer. Material produced has an axial homogeneity of ± 7%. Irradiation riggs, techniques, irradiation control and quality control are discussed. (author). 4 figs

RBS/channeling analysis of hydrogen-implanted single crystals of FZ silicon and 6H silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irwin, R.B.

1984-01-01

Single crystals of FZ silicon and 6H silicon carbide were implanted with hydrogen ions (50 and 80 keV, respectively) to fluences from 2 x 10 16 H + /cm 2 to 2 x 10 18 H+/cm 2 . The implantations were carried out at three temperatures: approx.95K, 300 K, and approx.800 K. Swelling of the samples was measured by surface profilometry. RBS/channeling was used to obtain the damage profiles and to determine the amount of hydrogen retained in the lattice. The damage profiles are centered around X/sub m/ for the implants into silicon and around R/sub p/ for silicon carbide. For silicon carbide implanted at 95 K and 300 K and for silicon implanted at 95 K, the peak damage region is amorphous for fluences above 8 x 10 16 H + /cm 2 , 4 x 10 17 H + /cm 2 , and 2 x 10 17 H + /cm 2 , respectively. Silicon implanted at 300 and 800 K and silicon carbide implanted at 800 K remain crystalline up to fluences of 1 x 10 18 H + /cm 2 . The channeling damage results agree with previously reported TEM and electron diffraction data. The predictions of a simple disorder-accumulation model with a linear annealing term explains qualitatively the observed damage profiles in silicon carbide. Quantitatively, however, the model predicts faster development of the damage profiles than is observed at low fluences in both silicon and silicon carbide. For samples implanted at 300 and 800 K, the model also predicts substantially less peak disorder than is observed. The effect of the surface, the retained hydrogen, the shape of S/sub D/(X), and the need for a nonlinear annealing term may be responsible for the discrepancy

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride photonic crystals for improved-performance surface electromagnetic wave biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinibaldi, Alberto; Descrovi, Emiliano; Giorgis, Fabrizio; Dominici, Lorenzo; Ballarini, Mirko; Mandracci, Pietro; Danz, Norbert; Michelotti, Francesco

2012-10-01

We exploit the properties of surface electromagnetic waves propagating at the surface of finite one dimensional photonic crystals to improve the performance of optical biosensors with respect to the standard surface plasmon resonance approach. We demonstrate that the hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride technology is a versatile platform for fabricating one dimensional photonic crystals with any desirable design and operating in a wide wavelength range, from the visible to the near infrared. We prepared sensors based on photonic crystals sustaining either guided modes or surface electromagnetic waves, also known as Bloch surface waves. We carried out for the first time a direct experimental comparison of their sensitivity and figure of merit with surface plasmon polaritons on metal layers, by making use of a commercial surface plasmon resonance instrument that was slightly adapted for the experiments. Our measurements demonstrate that the Bloch surface waves on silicon nitride photonic crystals outperform surface plasmon polaritons by a factor 1.3 in terms of figure of merit.

Photoluminescence at room temperature of liquid-phase crystallized silicon on glass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Vetter

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The room temperature photoluminescence (PL spectrum due band-to-band recombination in an only 8 μm thick liquid-phase crystallized silicon on glass solar cell absorber is measured over 3 orders of magnitude with a thin 400 μm thick optical fiber directly coupled to the spectrometer. High PL signal is achieved by the possibility to capture the PL spectrum very near to the silicon surface. The spectra measured within microcrystals of the absorber present the same features as spectra of crystalline silicon wafers without showing defect luminescence indicating the high electronic material quality of the liquid-phase multi-crystalline layer after hydrogen plasma treatment.

Liquid gallium cooling of silicon crystals in high intensity photon beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Forster, G.A.; Bilderback, D.H.; Bedzyk, M.; Finkelstein, K.; Henderson, C.; White, J.; Berman, L.E.; Stefan, P.; Oversluizen, T.

1989-01-01

The high-brilliance, insertion-device-based photon beams of the next generation of synchrotron sources (Argonne's APS and Grenoble's ESRF) will deliver large thermal loads (1--10 kW) to the first optical elements. Considering the problems that present synchrotron users are experiencing with beams from recently installed insertion devices, new and improved methods of cooling these first optical elements, particularly when they are diffraction crystals, are clearly needed. A series of finite element calculations were performed to test the efficiency of new cooling geometries and various cooling fluids. The best results were obtained with liquid Ga metal flowing in channels just below the surface of the crystal. Ga was selected because of its good thermal conductivity and thermal capacity, low melting point, high boiling point, low kinetic viscosity, and very low vapor pressure. Its very low vapor pressure, even at elevated temperatures, makes it especially attractive in UHV conditions. A series of experiments were conducted at CHESS in February of 1988 that compared liquid gallium-cooled silicon diffraction crystals with water-cooled crystals. A six-pole wiggler beam was used to perform these tests on three different Si crystals, two with new cooling geometries and the one presently in use. A special high-pressure electromagnetic induction pump, recently developed at Argonne, was used to circulate the liquid gallium through the silicon crystals. In all experiments, the specially cooled crystal was used as the first crystal in a two crystal monochromator. An infrared camera was used to monitor the thermal profiles and correlated them with rocking curve measurements. A second set of cooling experiments were conducted in June of 1988 that used the intense, highly collimated beam from the newly installed ANL/CHESS undulator

Crystal growth and characterization of calcium metaborate scintillators

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fujimoto, Y.; Yanagida, T.; Kawaguchi, N.; Fukuda, K.; Totsuka, D.; Watanabe, K.; Yamazaki, A.; Chani, V.; Nikl, Martin; Yoshikawa, A.

2013-01-01

Roč. 703, MAR (2013), s. 7-10 ISSN 0168-9002 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : Czochralski method * single crystal * scintillator * calcium metaborate * luminescence Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.316, year: 2013

Photonic and plasmonic guided modes in graphene-silicon photonic crystals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gu, Tingyi; Andryieuski, Andrei; Hao, Yufeng

2016-01-01

We report the results of systematic studies of plasmonic and photonic guided modes in large-area single-layer graphene integrated into a nanostructured silicon substrate. The interaction of light with graphene and substrate photonic crystals can be classified in distinct regimes of plasmonic...... and photonic modes....

A new series of two-dimensional silicon crystals with versatile electronic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Chae, Kisung; Kim, Duck Young; Son, Young-Woo

2018-04-01

Silicon (Si) is one of the most extensively studied materials owing to its significance to semiconductor science and technology. While efforts to find a new three-dimensional (3D) Si crystal with unusual properties have made some progress, its two-dimensional (2D) phases have not yet been explored as much. Here, based on a newly developed systematic ab initio materials searching strategy, we report a series of novel 2D Si crystals with unprecedented structural and electronic properties. The new structures exhibit perfectly planar outermost surface layers of a distorted hexagonal network with their thicknesses varying with the atomic arrangement inside. Dramatic changes in electronic properties ranging from semimetal to semiconducting with indirect energy gaps and even to one with direct energy gaps are realized by varying thickness as well as by surface oxidation. Our predicted 2D Si crystals with flat surfaces and tunable electronic properties will shed light on the development of silicon-based 2D electronics technology.

Monochromator for synchrotron light with temperature controlled by electrical current on silicon crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cusatis, Cesar; Souza, Paulo E.N. [Universidade Federal do Parana (LORXI/UFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica. Lab. de Optica de Raios X e Instrumentacao; Franco, Margareth Kobayaski; Kakuno, Edson [Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincroton (LNLS), Campinas, SP (Brazil); Gobbi, Angelo; Carvalho Junior, Wilson de [Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Telecomunicacoes (CPqD), Campinas, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Full text. doped silicon crystal was used simultaneously as a monochromator, sensor and actuator in such way that its temperature could be controlled. Ohmic contacts allowed resistance measurements on a perfect silicon crystal, which were correlated to its temperature. Using the ohmic contacts, an electrical current caused Joule heating on the monochromator that was used to control its temperature. A simple stand-alone electronic box controlled the system. The device was built and tested with white beam synchrotron light on the double crystal monochromator of the XRD line of LNLS, Laboratorio Nacional de Luz Sincrotron, Campinas. The first crystal of a double crystal monochromator determines the energy that is delivered to a synchrotron experimental station and its temperature instability is a major source of energy and intensity instability. If the (333) silicon monochromator is at theta Bragg near 45 degree the variation of the diffraction angle is around one second of arc per degree Kelvin. It may take several minutes for the first crystal temperature to stabilize at the beginning of the station operation when the crystal and its environment are cold. With water refrigeration, the average overall temperature of the crystal may be constant, but the temperature of the surface changes with and without the white beam. The time used to wait for stabilization of the beam energy/intensity is lost unless the temperature of the crystal surface is kept constant. One solution for keeping the temperature of the monochromator and its environment constant or nearly constant is Joule heating it with a controlled small electrical current flowing on the surface of a doped perfect crystal. When the white beam is on, this small amount of extra power will be more concentrated at the beam footpath because the resistance is lower in this region due to the higher temperature. In addition, if the crystal itself is used to detect the temperature variation by measuring the electrical

Yb3+:Sr3Y2(BO3)4: A potential ultrashort pulse laser crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Shijia; Xu, Jinlong; Wei, Qi; Lou, Fei; Huang, Yisheng; Yuan, Feifei; Zhang, Lizhen; Lin, Zhoubin; He, Jingliang; Wang, Guofu

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A Yb 3+ :Sr 3 Y 2 (BO 3 ) 4 crystal was grown successfully by Czochralski method. • The crystal has wide absorption and emission bandwidth. • 3.47 W continuous wave laser output with a slope efficiency of 29% was obtained. • The results show that the crystal is a promising ultrashort pulse laser material. - Abstract: A Yb 3+ :Sr 3 Y 2 (BO 3 ) 4 crystal was grown successfully by the Czochralski method. The polarized spectral properties and continuous wave laser output of this crystal were investigated in detail. The crystal has larger absorption and emission cross sections compared with many mature Yb 3+ -doped borate crystals. The full width at half maximum of the emission bands around 1023 nm are 69 nm (E//a), 61 nm (E//b) and 65 nm (E//c). 3.47 W continuous wave laser output with a slope efficiency of 29% and an optical conversion efficiency of 24% was obtained. The results reveal that Yb 3+ :Sr 3 Y 2 (BO 3 ) 4 crystal is an excellent candidate for ultrashort pulse laser crystal

Crystal growth, spectral and laser properties of Nd:LuAG single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, X D; Meng, J Q; Cheng, Y; Li, D Z; Cheng, S S; Wu, F; Zhao, Z W; Wang, X D; Xu, J

2009-01-01

Nd:LuAG (Nd:Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 ) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. X-ray powder diffraction experiments show that the Nd:LuAG crystal crystallizes in the cubic with space group Ia3d and has the cell parameter: a = 1.1907 nm, V = 1.6882 nm 3 . The absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd:LuAG crystal at room temperature were investigated. With a fiber-coupled diode laser as pump source, the continuous-wave (CW) laser action of Nd:LuAG crystal was demonstrated. The maximum output power at 1064 nm was obtained to be 3.8 W under the incident pump power of 17.3 W, with the optical conversion efficiency 22.0% and the slope efficiency 25.7%

Crystal growth, spectral and laser properties of Nd:LuAG single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, X. D.; Wang, X. D.; Meng, J. Q.; Cheng, Y.; Li, D. Z.; Cheng, S. S.; Wu, F.; Zhao, Z. W.; Xu, J.

2009-09-01

Nd:LuAG (Nd:Lu3Al5O12) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. X-ray powder diffraction experiments show that the Nd:LuAG crystal crystallizes in the cubic with space group Ia3d and has the cell parameter: a = 1.1907 nm, V = 1.6882 nm3. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd:LuAG crystal at room temperature were investigated. With a fiber-coupled diode laser as pump source, the continuous-wave (CW) laser action of Nd:LuAG crystal was demonstrated. The maximum output power at 1064 nm was obtained to be 3.8 W under the incident pump power of 17.3 W, with the optical conversion efficiency 22.0% and the slope efficiency 25.7%.

Towards solar grade silicon: Challenges and benefits for low cost photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzini, Sergio [Ned Silicon Spa, Via Th. Edison 6, 60027 Osimo (Ancona) (Italy)

2010-09-15

It is well known that silicon in its various structural configurations (single crystal, multicrystalline, amorphous, micro-nanocrystalline) supplies almost 90% of the substrates used in the photovoltaic industry. It is also known, since years, that the photovoltaic (PV) industry shows a marked growth trend, which demanded and demands a continuous, huge increase of the bulk silicon supply in the order of 30%/yr. In order to fulfill their today- and future needs, many companies worldwide took the decision to start the installation of many thousand tons/year plants, most of them using the Siemens process, some of them using the MG route, to produce the so called solar grade (SG) silicon. The advantages of the Siemens process are well known, as it provides ultrapure silicon, directly usable for growing either single crystalline Czochralski ingots or multicrystalline ingots using the directional solidification (DS) technique. The disadvantages are its high energetic cost (a minimum of 120 kWH/kg) and the possible losses of chlorinated gases in the atmosphere, with possible severe environmental problems. The advantages of the MG route are still potential, as there is no commercially available production of solar silicon as yet, and rely on its reduced energetic costs (a maximum of 25-30 kWh/kg) for a feedstock directly usable for growing multicrystalline ingots using the DS technique. The drawbacks of silicon of MG origin are its larger concentration of metallic impurities, as compared with the Siemens one, the higher B and P content, and the potentially high carbon content. The aim of this paper is to deal with some of the problems encountered so far with the silicon of MG origin with respect to the metallic and non-metallic impurities content, as well as to propose technologically feasible solar grade feedstock specifications. (author)

Visual Sensor for Sterilization of Polymer Fixtures Using Embedded Mesoporous Silicon Photonic Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Joanna; Chan, Nicole; Harris, Todd J; Sailor, Michael J

2018-01-26

A porous photonic crystal is integrated with a plastic medical fixture (IV connector hub) to provide a visual colorimetric sensor to indicate the presence or absence of alcohol used to sterilize the fixture. The photonic crystal is prepared in porous silicon (pSi) by electrochemical anodization of single crystal silicon, and the porosity and the stop band of the material is engineered such that the integrated device visibly changes color (green to red or blue to green) when infiltrated with alcohol. Two types of self-reporting devices are prepared and their performance compared: the first type involves heat-assisted fusion of a freestanding pSi photonic crystal to the connector end of a preformed polycarbonate hub, forming a composite where the unfilled portion of the pSi film acts as the sensor; the second involves generation of an all-polymer replica of the pSi photonic crystal by complete thermal infiltration of the pSi film and subsequent chemical dissolution of the pSi portion. Both types of sensors visibly change color when wetted with alcohol, and the color reverts to the original upon evaporation of the liquid. The sensor performance is verified using E. coli-infected samples.

A Czochralski crystal puller automated by the weighing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumberg, H.; Reiche, P.; Watzinger, W.

1981-01-01

The automated crystal growing equipment makes use of a commercial electronic balance equipped with a microprocessor. The mode of operation is explained and experiences got on the occasion of crystal growth experiments are presented. (author)

Silicon photonic crystal nanostructures for refractive index sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dorfner, Dominic; Hürlimann, T.; Zabel, T.

2008-01-01

The authors present the fabrication and optical investigation of Silicon on Insulator photonic crystal drop-filters for use as refractive index sensors. Two types of defect nanocavities (L3 and H1-r) are embedded between two W1 photonic crystal waveguides to evanescently route light at the cavity...... mode frequency between input and output waveguides. Optical characterization of the structures in air and various liquids demonstrate detectivities in excess of n=n = 0:018 and n=n = 0:006 for the H1-r and L3 cavities, respectively. The measured cavity-frequencies and detector refractive index...... responsivities are in good agreement with simulations, demonstrating that the method provides a background free transducer signal with frequency selective addressing of a specic area of the sensor chip....

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).

Selective tuning of high-Q silicon photonic crystal nanocavities via laser-assisted local oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Charlton J; Zheng, Jiangjun; Gu, Tingyi; McMillan, James F; Yu, Mingbin; Lo, Guo-Qiang; Kwong, Dim-Lee; Wong, Chee Wei

2011-06-20

We examine the cavity resonance tuning of high-Q silicon photonic crystal heterostructures by localized laser-assisted thermal oxidation using a 532 nm continuous wave laser focused to a 2.5 μm radius spot-size. The total shift is consistent with the parabolic rate law. A tuning range of up to 8.7 nm is achieved with ∼ 30 mW laser powers. Over this tuning range, the cavity Qs decreases from 3.2×10(5) to 1.2×10(5). Numerical simulations model the temperature distributions in the silicon photonic crystal membrane and the cavity resonance shift from oxidation.

Transverse wave propagation in [ab0] direction of silicon single crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Sang Jin; Kim, Hye Jeong; Kwon, Se Ho; Kim, Young H. [Applied Acoustics Lab, Korea Science Academy of KAIST, Busan(Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

The speed and oscillation directions of elastic waves propagating in the [ab0] direction of a silicon single crystal were obtained by solving Christoffel's equation. It was found that the quasi waves propagate in the off-principal axis, and hence, the directions of the phase and group velocities are not the same. The maximum deviation of the two directions was 7.2 degree angle. Two modes of the pure transverse waves propagate in the [110] direction with different speeds, and hence, two peaks were observed in the pulse echo signal. The amplitude ratio of the two peaks was dependent on the initial oscillating direction of the incident wave. The pure and quasi-transverse waves propagate in the [210] direction, and the oscillation directions of these waves are perpendicular to each other. The skewing angle of the quasi wave was calculated as 7.14 degree angle, and it was measured as 9.76 degree angle. The amplitude decomposition in the [210] direction was similar to that in the [110] direction, since the oscillation directions of these waves are perpendicular to each other. These results offer useful information in measuring the crystal orientation of the silicon single crystal.

Oscillations of the crystal-melt interface caused by harmonic oscillations of the pulling rate for the cylindrical phase of crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Vasil'ev, M. G.

2017-02-01

A technique for measuring the crystal cross-sectional area with a weight sensor based on the difference between its readings at the extreme rod positions in the stepwise and continuous modes of modulation of the pulling rate is proposed for the low-thermal gradient Czochralski method. A change in the crystallization rate at harmonic oscillations of the pulling rate is estimated with the aim of conserving the quality of the growing crystal for this measurement method.

Radiation accelerated formation of oxygen and carbon related complexes in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazrak, A.; Magnea, N.; Pautrat, J.L.

1984-06-01

During the pulling of silicon monocrystals by the Czochralsky method, oxygen is incorporated into the lattice. It is known from early works that low temperature annealings (400-1000 0 C) make this oxygen to precipitate and a number of different defects to be generated. In order to check whether the fast diffusivity of an oxygen silicon interstitial complex has to be taken in consideration it was interesting to examinate the possible role of radiation damage on the formation of oxygen related defects. Experimental results of an experiment are presented and discussed

Radiation damage in silicon. Defect analysis and detector properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoenniger, F.

2008-01-15

Silicon microstrip and pixel detectors are vital sensor-components as particle tracking detectors for present as well as future high-energy physics (HEP) experiments. All experiments at the large Hadron Collider (LHC) are equipped with such detectors. Also for experiments after the upgrade of the LHC (the so-called Super-LHC), with its ten times higher luminosity, or the planned International Linear Collider (ILC) silicon tracking detectors are forseen. Close to the interaction region these detectors have to face harsh radiation fields with intensities above the presently tolerable level. defect engineering of the used material, e. g. oxygen enrichment of high resistivity float zone silicon and growing of thin low resistivityepitaxial layers on Czochralski silicon substrates has been established to improve the radiation hardness of silicon sensors. This thesis focuses mainly on the investigation of radiation induced defects and their differences observed in various kinds of epitaxial silicon material. Comparisons with other materials like float zone or Czochralski silicon are added. Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) measurements have been performed after {gamma}-, electron-, proton- and neutron-irradiation. The differenced in the formation of vacancy and interstitial related defects as well as so-called clustered regions were investigated for various types of irradiation. In addition to the well known defects VO{sub i}, C{sub i}O{sub i}, C{sub i}C{sub s}, VP or V{sub 2} several other defect complexes have been found and investigated. Also the material dependence of the defect introduction rates and the defect annealing behavior has been studied by isothermal and isochronal annealing experiments. Especially the IO{sub 2} defect which is an indicator for the oxygen-dimer content of the material has been investigated in detail. On the basis of radiation induced defects like the bistable donor (BD) defect and a deep

Radiation damage in silicon. Defect analysis and detector properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoenniger, F.

2008-01-01

Silicon microstrip and pixel detectors are vital sensor-components as particle tracking detectors for present as well as future high-energy physics (HEP) experiments. All experiments at the large Hadron Collider (LHC) are equipped with such detectors. Also for experiments after the upgrade of the LHC (the so-called Super-LHC), with its ten times higher luminosity, or the planned International Linear Collider (ILC) silicon tracking detectors are forseen. Close to the interaction region these detectors have to face harsh radiation fields with intensities above the presently tolerable level. defect engineering of the used material, e. g. oxygen enrichment of high resistivity float zone silicon and growing of thin low resistivityepitaxial layers on Czochralski silicon substrates has been established to improve the radiation hardness of silicon sensors. This thesis focuses mainly on the investigation of radiation induced defects and their differences observed in various kinds of epitaxial silicon material. Comparisons with other materials like float zone or Czochralski silicon are added. Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) measurements have been performed after γ-, electron-, proton- and neutron-irradiation. The differenced in the formation of vacancy and interstitial related defects as well as so-called clustered regions were investigated for various types of irradiation. In addition to the well known defects VO i , C i O i , C i C s , VP or V 2 several other defect complexes have been found and investigated. Also the material dependence of the defect introduction rates and the defect annealing behavior has been studied by isothermal and isochronal annealing experiments. Especially the IO 2 defect which is an indicator for the oxygen-dimer content of the material has been investigated in detail. On the basis of radiation induced defects like the bistable donor (BD) defect and a deep acceptor, a model has been introduced to

Cooperative down-conversion of UV light in disordered scheelitelike Yb-doped NaGd(MoO4)2 and NaLa(MoO4)2 crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Subbotin, K. A.; Osipova, Yu. N.; Lis, D. A.; Smirnov, V. A.; Zharikov, E. V.; Shcherbakov, I. A.

2017-07-01

Concentration series of disordered scheelitelike Yb:NaGd(MoO4)2 and Yb:NaLa(MoO4)2 single crystals are grown by the Czochralski method. The actual concentrations of Yb3+ ions in the crystals are determined by optical-absorption spectroscopy. The luminescence of Yb3+ ions in these crystals in the region of 1 μm is studied under UV and IR excitation. In the case of UV excitation, this luminescence appears as a result of nonradiative excited state energy transfer from donor centers of unknown nature to ytterbium. The character of the concentration dependence of Yb3+ luminescence indicates that the energy transfer at high Yb concentrations occurs with active participation of a cooperative mechanism, according to which the excitation energy of one donor center is transferred simultaneously to two Yb3+ ions. In other words, the quantum yield of this transfer exceeds unity, which can be used to increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells.

Effect of starting point formation on the crystallization of amorphous silicon films by flash lamp annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Daiki; Ohdaira, Keisuke

2018-04-01

We succeed in the crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films by flash lamp annealing (FLA) at a low fluence by intentionally creating starting points for the trigger of explosive crystallization (EC). We confirm that a partly thick a-Si part can induce the crystallization of a-Si films. A periodic wavy structure is observed on the surface of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) on and near the thick parts, which is a clear indication of the emergence of EC. Creating partly thick a-Si parts can thus be effective for the control of the starting point of crystallization by FLA and can realize the crystallization of a-Si with high reproducibility. We also compare the effects of creating thick parts at the center and along the edge of the substrates, and a thick part along the edge of the substrates leads to the initiation of crystallization at a lower fluence.

Growth and characterization of air annealing Mn-doped YAG:Ce single crystal for LED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Weidong; Zhong, Jiasong; Zhao, Yinsheng; Zhao, Binyu; Liang, Xiaojuan; Dong, Yongjun; Zhang, Zhimin; Chen, Zhaoping; Liu, Bingfeng

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The YAG:Ce,Mn single crystal was well synthesized by the Czochralski (CZ) method. ► The emission intensity of the sample has been influenced after annealing. ► Annealed in the air at 1200 °C was the most optimal annealing condition. ► The single crystal could be used in the white light LED which emitted by blue light. - Abstract: The growth of Mn-doped YAG:Ce (yttrium aluminum garnet doped cerium) single crystal by the Czochralski (CZ) method and the characterization of its spectroscopy and color-electric parameters are presented. The absorption spectra indicate that the crystal absorbed highly in the 300–500 nm wavelength range. The emission spectrum of the crystal consists of a peak around 538 nm when excited by 460 nm blue light, which prove the YAG:Ce,Mn single crystal could be used in the white light emitting doides (LED). The different charges of Mn ions have different luminescence properties, and the air annealing process for the single crystal would change the concentration of Mn ions with different charges, which could influence the emission intensity of the single crystal.

Effect of germanium doping on the annealing characteristics of oxygen and carbon-related defects in Czochralski silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Londos, C. A.; Andrianakis, A.; Sgourou, E. N.; Emtsev, V.; Ohyama, H.

2010-01-01

This paper is devoted to the annealing studies of defects produced in carbon-rich Ge-doped Czochralski-grown Si (Cz-Si) by 2 MeV electron irradiation. The annealing temperature of vacancy-oxygen (VO) complexes, carbon interstitial-oxygen interstitial (C i O i ), and carbon interstitial-carbon substitutional (C i C s ) pairs as well as the formation temperature of vacancy-two oxygen (VO 2 ) complexes are monitored as a function of Ge concentration. It has been established that the annealing of C i O i and C i C s defects remains practically unaffected by the Ge presence, whereas the annealing temperature of VO defects and the formation temperature of VO 2 complexes are substantially lowered at Ge concentrations larger than 1x10 19 cm -3 . The hydrostatic component of elastic strains introduced by Ge atoms in the Si crystal lattice was calculated. It appears to be very small, at least insufficient to exert a pronounced effect upon the annealing behavior of radiation-produced defects. This conclusion is in line with what is observed for the C i O i and C i C s species. In the case of VO, whose annealing process in Cz-Si is concurrently conducted by two reaction paths VO+O i →VO 2 and VO+Si I →O i , we suggest that the latter reaction in Ge-doped Cz-Si is enhanced by emitting self-interstitials (Si I ) from loosely bound self-interstitial clusters predominantly formed around Ge impurity atoms. As a result, the liberation of self-interstitials at lower annealing temperatures leads to an enhanced annealing of VO defects. An enhanced formation of VO 2 complexes at lower temperatures is also discussed in terms of other reactions running in parallel with the reaction VO+Si I →O i .

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.

Impact of interstitial iron on the study of meta-stable B-O defects in Czochralski silicon: Further evidence of a single defect

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Moonyong; Chen, Daniel; Abbott, Malcolm; Nampalli, Nitin; Wenham, Stuart; Stefani, Bruno; Hallam, Brett

2018-04-01

We explore the influence of interstitial iron (Fei) on lifetime spectroscopy of boron-oxygen (B-O) related degradation in p-type Czochralski silicon. Theoretical and experimental evidence presented in this study indicate that iron-boron pair (Fe-B) related reactions could have influenced several key experimental results used to derive theories on the fundamental properties of the B-O defect. Firstly, the presence of Fei can account for higher apparent capture cross-section ratios (k) of approximately 100 observed in previous studies during early stages of B-O related degradation. Secondly, the association of Fe-B pairs can explain the initial stage of a two-stage recovery of carrier lifetime with dark annealing after partial degradation. Thirdly, Fei can result in high apparent k values after the permanent deactivation of B-O defects. Subsequently, we show that a single k value can describe the recombination properties associated with B-O defects throughout degradation, that the recovery during dark annealing occurs with a single-stage, and both the fast- and slow-stage B-O related degradation can be permanently deactivated during illuminated annealing. Accounting for the recombination activity of Fei provides further evidence that the B-O defect is a single defect, rather than two separate defects normally attributed to fast-forming recombination centers and slow-forming recombination centers. Implications of this finding for the nature of the B-O defect are also discussed.

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.

High-voltage electron-microscopical observation of crack-tip dislocations in silicon crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Masaki; Higashida, Kenji

2005-01-01

Crack-tip dislocations in silicon single crystals were observed by high-voltage electron microscopy. Cracks were introduced into silicon wafers at room temperature by a Vickers indenter. The indented specimens were annealed at 823 K in order to activate dislocation emission from the crack tip under the residual stress due to the indentation. In the specimen without annealing, no dislocations were observed around the crack. On the other hand, in the specimen after the annealing, the aspect of the early stage of dislocation emission was observed, where dislocations were emitted not as a perfect dislocation but as a partial dislocation in the hinge-type plastic zone. Prominent dislocation arrays that were emitted from a crack tip were also observed, and they were found to be of shielding type, which increases the fracture toughness of those crystals

Crystal growth, optical properties, and laser operation of Yb3+-doped NYW single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y.; Xu, X. D.; Yang, X. B.; Xin, Z.; Cao, D. H.; Xu, J.

2009-11-01

Laser crystal Yb3+-doped NaY(WO4)2 (Yb:NYW) with excellent quality has been grown by Czochralski technique. The rocking curves from (400) plane of as-grown Yb:NYW crystal was measured and the full-width value at half-maximum was 19.92″. The effective segregation coefficients were measured by the X-ray fluorescence method. The polarized absorption spectra and the fluorescence spectra of Yb:NYW crystal were measured at room temperature. The fluorescence decay lifetime of Yb3+ ion in NYW crystal has been investigated. The spectroscopic parameters of Yb:NYW crystal are calculated and compared with those of Yb:YAG crystal. A continuous wave output power of 3.06 W at 1031 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 42% by use of diode pumping.

Fabrication of polycrystalline silicon thin films on glass substrates using fiber laser crystallization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dao, Vinh Ai; Han, Kuymin; Heo, Jongkyu; Kyeong, Dohyeon; Kim, Jaehong; Lee, Youngseok; Kim, Yongkuk; Jung, Sungwook; Kim, Kyunghae [Information and Communication Device Laboratory, School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Junsin, E-mail: yi@yurim.skku.ac.k [Information and Communication Device Laboratory, School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea, Republic of)

2009-05-29

Laser crystallization of amorphous silicon (a-Si), using a fiber laser of {lambda} = 1064 nm wavelength, was investigated. a-Si films with 50 nm thickness deposited on glass were prepared by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The infrared fundamental wave ({lambda} = 1064 nm) is not absorbed by amorphous silicon (a-Si) films. Thus, different types of capping layers (a-CeO{sub x}, a-SiN{sub x}, and a-SiO{sub x}) with a desired refractive index, n and thickness, d were deposited on the a-Si surface. Crystallization was a function of laser energy density, and was performed using a fiber laser. The structural properties of the crystallized films were measured via Raman spectra, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The relationship between film transmittance and crystallinity was discussed. As the laser energy density increased from 10-40 W, crystallinity increased from 0-90%. However, the higher laser density adversely affected surface roughness and uniformity of the grain size. We found that favorable crystallization and uniformity could be accomplished at the lower energy density of 30 W with a-SiO{sub x} as the capping layer.

Phosphorus diffusion in float zone silicon crystal growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Theis Leth

2000-01-01

This Ph.D thesis encompasses a global numerical simulation of the needle-eye oat zone process, used to grow silicon single crystals. The numerical models includes coupled electromagnetic and free surface models and a global heat transfer model, with moving boundaries. An axisymmetric uidow model......, including centrifugal, buoyancy, thermocapillary and electromagnetic forces, is used to determine flow field, after the phase boundaries have been determined, by the heat transfer model. A finite element model for calculating dopant transport, using the calculated unsteady flow field, has been developed...... within this project. This model has furthermore been expanded to two equations coupled by a non-zero right hand side, for simulating transport of point defects in the crystal during growth. Free surface shapes and induced electric surface current are calculated for t wo different 4'' congurations and a 0...

Enhanced four-wave mixing in graphene-silicon slow-light photonic crystal waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Hao; Gu, Tingyi; McMillan, James F.; Wong, Chee Wei; Petrone, Nicholas; Zande, Arend van der; Hone, James C.; Yu, Mingbin; Lo, Guoqiang; Kwong, Dim-Lee; Feng, Guoying; Zhou, Shouhuan

2014-01-01

We demonstrate the enhanced four-wave mixing of monolayer graphene on slow-light silicon photonic crystal waveguides. 200-μm interaction length, a four-wave mixing conversion efficiency of −23 dB is achieved in the graphene-silicon slow-light hybrid, with an enhanced 3-dB conversion bandwidth of about 17 nm. Our measurements match well with nonlinear coupled-mode theory simulations based on the measured waveguide dispersion, and provide an effective way for all-optical signal processing in chip-scale integrated optics.

Growth of misfit dislocation-free p/p+ thick epitaxial silicon wafers on Ge-B-codoped substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Huihua; Yang Deren; Ma Xiangyang; Tian Daxi; Li Liben; Que Duanlin

2006-01-01

The growth of p/p + silicon epitaxial silicon wafers (epi-wafers) without misfit dislocations has been successfully achieved by using heavily boron-doped Czochralski (CZ) silicon wafers codoped with desirable level of germanium as the substrates. The lattice compensation by codoping of germanium and boron into the silicon matrix to reduce the lattice mismatch between the substrate (heavily boron-doped) and epi-layer (lightly boron-doped) is the basic idea underlying in the present achievement. In principle, the codoping of germanium and boron in the CZ silicon can be tailored to achieve misfit dislocation-free epi-layer with required thickness. It is reasonably expected that the presented solution to elimination of misfit dislocations in the p/p + silicon wafers can be applied in the volume production

Effect of impurities on the growth of {113} interstitial clusters in silicon under electron irradiation

OpenAIRE

Nakai, K.; Hamada, K.; Satoh, Y.; Yoshiie, T.

2011-01-01

The growth and shrinkage of interstitial clusters on {113} planes were investigated in electron irradiated Czochralski grown silicon (Cz-Si), floating-zone silicon (Fz-Si), and impurity-doped Fz-Si (HT-Fz-Si) using a high voltage electron microscope. In Fz-Si, {113} interstitial clusters were formed only near the beam incident surface after a long incubation period, and shrank on subsequent irradiation from the backside of the specimen. In Cz-Si and HT-Fz-Si, {113} interstitial clusters nucle...

In situ observation of shear-driven amorphization in silicon crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Yang; Zhong, Li; Fan, Feifei; Wang, Chongmin; Zhu, Ting; Mao, Scott X.

2016-09-19

Amorphous materials have attracted great interest in the scientific and technological fields. An amorphous solid usually forms under the externally driven conditions of melt-quenching, irradiation and severe mechanical deformation. However, its dynamic formation process remains elusive. Here we report the in situ atomic-scale observation of dynamic amorphization processes during mechanical straining of nanoscale silicon crystals by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). We observe the shear-driven amorphization (SDA) occurring in a dominant shear band. The SDA involves a sequence of processes starting with the shear-induced diamond-cubic to diamond-hexagonal phase transition that is followed by dislocation nucleation and accumulation in the newly formed phase, leading to the formation of amorphous silicon. The SDA formation through diamond-hexagonal phase is rationalized by its structural conformity with the order in the paracrystalline amorphous silicon, which maybe widely applied to diamond-cubic materials. Besides, the activation of SDA is orientation-dependent through the competition between full dislocation nucleation and partial gliding.

Specific features of doping with antimony during the ion-beam crystallization of silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pashchenko, A. S., E-mail: as.pashchenko@gmail.com; Chebotarev, S. N.; Lunin, L. S. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Southern Scientific Center (Russian Federation); Irkha, V. A. [Special Engineering and Technology Department “Inversiya” Ltd. (Russian Federation)

2016-04-15

A method of doping during the growth of thin films by ion-beam crystallization is proposed. By the example of Si and Sb, the possibility of controllably doping semiconductors during the ion-beam crystallization process is shown. A calibrated temperature dependence of the antimony vapor flow rate in the range from 150 to 400°C is obtained. It is established that, an increase in the evaporator temperature above 200°C brings about the accumulation of impurities in the layer growth direction. Silicon layers doped with antimony to a concentration of 10{sup 18} cm{sup –3} are grown. It is shown that, as the evaporator temperature is increased, the efficiency of the activation of antimony in silicon nonlinearly decreases from ~10{sup 0} to ~10{sup –3}.

10 Gb/s operation of photonic crystal silicon optical modulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hong C; Sakai, Yuya; Shinkawa, Mizuki; Ishikura, Norihiro; Baba, Toshihiko

2011-07-04

We report the first experimental demonstration of 10 Gb/s modulation in a photonic crystal silicon optical modulator. The device consists of a 200 μm-long SiO2-clad photonic crystal waveguide, with an embedded p-n junction, incorporated into an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The device is integrated on a SOI chip and fabricated by CMOS-compatible processes. With the bias voltage set at 0 V, we measure a V(π)L pseudo-random bit sequence signal. An open eye pattern is observed at bitrates of 10 Gb/s and 2 Gb/s, with and without pre-emphasis of the drive signal, respectively.

Enhanced photoresponsivity in graphene-silicon slow-light photonic crystal waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Hao; Gu, Tingyi; McMillan, James F.; Yu, Mingbin; Lo, Guoqiang; Kwong, Dim-Lee; Feng, Guoying; Zhou, Shouhuan; Wong, Chee Wei

2016-01-01

We demonstrate the enhanced fast photoresponsivity in graphene hybrid structures by combining the ultrafast dynamics of graphene with improved light-matter interactions in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides. With a 200 μm interaction length, a 0.8 mA/W photoresponsivity is achieved in a graphene-silicon Schottky-like photodetector, with an operating bandwidth in excess of 5 GHz and wavelength range at least from 1480 nm to 1580 nm. Fourfold enhancement of the photocurrent is observed in the slow light region, compared to the wavelength far from the photonic crystal bandedge, for a chip-scale broadband fast photodetector.

Performance of a PET detector module utilizing an array of silicon photodiodes to identify the crystal of interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moses, W.W.; Derenzo, S.E.; Nutt, R.; Digby, W.M.; Williams, C.W.; Andreaco, M.

1993-01-01

The authors initial performance results for a new multi-layer PET detector module consisting of an array of 3 mm square by 30 mm deep BGO crystals coupled on one end to a single photomultiplier tube and on the opposite end to an array of 3 mm square silicon photodiodes. The photomultiplier tube provides an accurate timing pulse and energy discrimination for all the crystals in the module, while the silicon photodiodes identify the crystal of interaction. When a single BGO crystal at +25 C is excited with 511 keV photons, the authors measure a photodiode signal centered at 700 electrons (e - ) with noise of 375 e - fwhm. When a four crystal/photodiode module is excited with a collimated line source of 511 keV photons, the crystal of interaction is correctly identified 82% of the time. The misidentification rate can be greatly reduced and an 8 x 8 crystal/photodiode module constructed by using thicker depletion layer photodiodes or cooling to 0 C

Optimization of plasma parameters for the production of silicon nano-crystals

CERN Document Server

Chaabane, N; Vach, H; Cabarrocas, P R I

2003-01-01

We use silane-hydrogen plasmas to synthesize silicon nano-crystals in the gas phase and thermophoresis to collect them onto a cooled substrate. To distinguish between nano-crystals formed in the plasma and those grown on the substrate, as a result of surface and subsurface reactions, we have simultaneously deposited films on a conventional substrate heated at 250 deg. C and on a second substrate cooled down to 90 deg. C. A series of samples deposited at various discharge pressures, in the range of 400 mTorr to 1.2 Torr, have been characterized by Raman spectroscopy and ellipsometry. At low pressure (400-500 mTorr), the films are amorphous on the cold substrate and micro-crystalline on the hot one. As pressure increases, gas phase reactions lead to the formation of nano-crystalline particles which are attracted by the cold substrate due to thermophoresis. Consequently, we obtain nano-crystalline silicon thin films on the cold substrate and amorphous thin films on the heated one in the pressure range of 600-900...

Visualization of nanosecond laser-induced dewetting, ablation and crystallization processes in thin silicon films

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Dongfeng; Zhang, Zifeng; Yu, Xiaohan; Zhang, Yawen

2018-06-01

In the present work, nanosecond pulsed laser crystallization, dewetting and ablation of thin amorphous silicon films are investigated by time-resolved imaging. Laser pulses of 532 nm wavelength and 7 ns temporal width are irradiated on silicon film. Below the dewetting threshold, crystallization process happens after 400 ns laser irradiation in the spot central region. With the increasing of laser fluence, it is observed that the dewetting process does not conclude until 300 ns after the laser irradiation, forming droplet-like particles in the spot central region. At higher laser intensities, ablative material removal occurs in the spot center. Cylindrical rims are formed in the peripheral dewetting zone due to solidification of transported matter at about 500 ns following the laser pulse exposure.

Anisotropy effect of crater formation on single crystal silicon surface under intense pulsed ion beam irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jie; Yu, Xiao; Zhang, Jie; Zhong, Haowen; Cui, Xiaojun; Liang, Guoying; Yu, Xiang; Huang, Wanying; Shahid, Ijaz; Zhang, Xiaofu; Yan, Sha; Le, Xiaoyun

2018-04-01

Due to the induced extremely fast thermal and dynamic process, Intense Pulsed Ion Beam (IPIB) is widely applied in material processing, which can bring enhanced material performance and surface craters as well. To investigate the craters' formation mechanism, a specific model was built with Finite Element Methods (FEM) to simulate the thermal field on irradiated single crystal silicon. The direct evidence for the existence of the simulated 6-fold rotational symmetric thermal distribution was provided by electron microscope images obtained on single crystal silicon. The correlation of the experiment and simulation is of great importance to understand the interaction between IPIB and materials.

Characterization of proton and neutron irradiated low resistivity p-on-n magnetic Czochralski ministrip sensors and diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacifico, Nicola; Dolenc Kittelmann, Irena; Fahrer, Manuel; Moll, Michael; Militaru, Otilia

2011-01-01

Transient Current Technique (TCT) and Charge Collection Efficiency (CCE) measurements were performed on low resistivity (280Ωcm) n-bulk, p-readout magnetic Czochralski ministrip sensors and diodes. The detectors were irradiated with neutrons and 24 GeV/c protons up to a total NIEL equivalent fluence of 8×10 15 /cm 2 . The study was addressed to assess the radiation tolerance of the detectors up to fluences expected in the next generations of High Energy Physics experiments. The charge collection efficiency after irradiation was found to be much higher than for standard FZ silicon p-in-n sensors. The underlying physics of this remarkable result was investigated by performing Edge-TCT measurements on one of the neutron irradiated ministrip sensors to extract detailed informations about the field and efficiency profiles of the detector.

All-optically tunable waveform synthesis by a silicon nanowaveguide ring resonator coupled with a photonic-crystal fiber frequency shifter

KAUST Repository

Savvin, Aleksandr D.

2011-03-01

A silicon nanowaveguide ring resonator is combined with a photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) frequency shifter to demonstrate an all-optically tunable synthesis of ultrashort pulse trains, modulated by ultrafast photoinduced free-carrier generation in the silicon resonator. Pump-probe measurements performed with a 50-fs, 625-nm second-harmonic output of a Cr:forsterite laser, used as a carrier-injecting pump, and a 1.50-1.56-μm frequency-tunable 100-fs soliton output of a photonic-crystal fiber, serving as a probe, resolve tunable ultrafast oscillatory features in the silicon nanowaveguide resonator response. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

All-optically tunable waveform synthesis by a silicon nanowaveguide ring resonator coupled with a photonic-crystal fiber frequency shifter

KAUST Repository

Savvin, Aleksandr D.; Melnikov, Vasily; Fedotov, Il'ya V.; Fedotov, Andrei B.; Perova, Tatiana S.; Zheltikov, Aleksei M.

2011-01-01

A silicon nanowaveguide ring resonator is combined with a photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) frequency shifter to demonstrate an all-optically tunable synthesis of ultrashort pulse trains, modulated by ultrafast photoinduced free-carrier generation in the silicon resonator. Pump-probe measurements performed with a 50-fs, 625-nm second-harmonic output of a Cr:forsterite laser, used as a carrier-injecting pump, and a 1.50-1.56-μm frequency-tunable 100-fs soliton output of a photonic-crystal fiber, serving as a probe, resolve tunable ultrafast oscillatory features in the silicon nanowaveguide resonator response. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apparent temperature versus true temperature of silicon crystals as a function of their thickness using infrared measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Fernandez, P.B.

1993-01-01

The very high intensity x-ray beams that will be present at the Advanced Photon Source and other third generation synchrotron sources will require that the first optical element in the beamline and, possibly, the second optical element as well, be cooled to remove the heat deposited by the x-ray beam. In many of the beamlines this heat will be in the 1 to 5 kW range, and any failure of the cooling system will require a quick response from safety control circuits to shut off the beam before damage is done to the optical element. In many cases, this first optical element will be a silicon diffraction crystal. Viewing the surface of objects subjected to high heat fluxes with an infrared camera or infrared sensor has proved to be a very effective method for monitoring the magnitude and distribution of surface temperatures on the object. This approach has been quite useful in studies of cooling silicon crystals in monochromators subject to high heat loads. The main drawback to this method is that single crystals of silicon are partially transparent to the infrared radiation monitored in most infrared cameras. This means that the infrared radiation emitted from the surface contains a component that comes from the interior of the crystal and that the intensity of the emitted radiation and thus the apparent temperature of the surface of the crystal depends on the thickness of the crystal and the kind of coating on the back (and/or the front) of the crystal. The apparent temperature of the crystal increases as the crystal is made thicker. A series of experiments were performed at Argonne National Laboratory to calibrate the apparent surface temperature of the crystal as measured with an infrared camera as a function of the crystal thickness and the type of coating (if any) on the back side of the crystal. A number of examples are given for data taken in synchrotron experiments with high intensity x-ray beams

Spin-dependent recombination involving oxygen-vacancy complexes in silicon

OpenAIRE

Franke, David P.; Hoehne, Felix; Vlasenko, Leonid S.; Itoh, Kohei M.; Brandt, Martin S.

2014-01-01

Spin-dependent relaxation and recombination processes in $\\gamma$-irradiated $n$-type Czochralski-grown silicon are studied using continuous wave (cw) and pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR). Two processes involving the SL1 center, the neutral excited triplet state of the oxygen-vacancy complex, are observed which can be separated by their different dynamics. One of the processes is the relaxation of the excited SL1 state to the ground state of the oxygen-vacancy complex, t...

Characterization studies of Silicon Photomultipliers and crystals matrices for a novel time of flight PET detector

CERN Document Server

Auffray, Etiennette; Cortinovis, Daniele; Doroud, Katayoun; Garutti, Erika; Lecoq, Paul; Liu, Zheng; Martinez, Rosana; Paganoni, Marco; Pizzichemi, Marco; Silenzi, Alessandro; Xu, Chen; Zvolský, Milan

2015-01-01

This paper describes the characterization of crystal matrices and silicon photomultiplier arrays for a novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detector, namely the external plate of the EndoTOFPET-US system. The EndoTOFPET-US collaboration aims to integrate Time-Of-Flight PET with ultrasound endoscopy in a novel multimodal device, capable to support the development of new biomarkers for prostate and pancreatic tumors. The detector consists in two parts: a PET head mounted on an ultrasound probe and an external PET plate. The challenging goal of 1 mm spatial resolution for the PET image requires a detector with small crystal size, and therefore high channel density: 4096 LYSO crystals individually readout by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) make up the external plate. The quality and properties of these components must be assessed before the assembly. The dark count rate, gain, breakdown voltage and correlated noise of the SiPMs are measured, while the LYSO crystals are evaluated in terms of light yield and en...

Crystal growth, spectroscopic and CW laser properties of Nd0.03Lu2.871Gd0.099Al5O12 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Di, J. Q.; Xu, X. D.; Cheng, S. S.; Li, D. Z.; Zhou, D. H.; Wu, F.; Zhao, Z. W.; Xu, J.

2011-11-01

Nd0.03Lu2.871Gd0.099Al5O12 (Nd:LuGdAG) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The absorption, fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of Nd:LuGdAG crystal at room temperature were investigated for the first time. We reported the continuous-wave (CW) Nd:LuGdAG laser operation under diode pumping. Output power of 1.43 W at 1064 nm was achieved with a slope efficiency of 34.1%. All the results show that Nd:LuGdAG crystal is a promising laser material.

Nanostructured Porous Silicon Photonic Crystal for Applications in the Infrared

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Recio-Sánchez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the last decades great interest has been devoted to photonic crystals aiming at the creation of novel devices which can control light propagation. In the present work, two-dimensional (2D and three-dimensional (3D devices based on nanostructured porous silicon have been fabricated. 2D devices consist of a square mesh of 2 μm wide porous silicon veins, leaving 5×5 μm square air holes. 3D structures share the same design although multilayer porous silicon veins are used instead, providing an additional degree of modulation. These devices are fabricated from porous silicon single layers (for 2D structures or multilayers (for 3D structures, opening air holes in them by means of 1 KeV argon ion bombardment through the appropriate copper grids. For 2D structures, a complete photonic band gap for TE polarization is found in the thermal infrared range. For 3D structures, there are no complete band gaps, although several new partial gaps do exist in different high-symmetry directions. The simulation results suggest that these structures are very promising candidates for the development of low-cost photonic devices for their use in the thermal infrared range.

Role of Laser Power, Wavelength, and Pulse Duration in Laser Assisted Tin-Induced Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. B. Neimash

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work describes tin-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon studied with Raman spectroscopy in thin-film structures Si-Sn-Si irradiated with pulsed laser light. We have found and analyzed dependencies of the nanocrystals’ size and concentration on the laser pulse intensity for 10 ns and 150 μm duration laser pulses at the wavelengths of 535 nm and 1070 nm. Efficient transformation of the amorphous silicon into a crystalline phase during the 10 ns time interval of the acting laser pulse in the 200 nm thickness films of the amorphous silicon was demonstrated. The results were analyzed theoretically by modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature in the amorphous silicon sample within the laser spot location. Simulations confirmed importance of light absorption depth (irradiation wavelength in formation and evolution of the temperature profile that affects the crystallization processes in irradiated structures.

Photovoltaic investigation of minority carrier lifetime in the heavily-doped emitter layer of silicon junction solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, C.-T.

1982-01-01

The results of experiments on the recombination lifetime in a phosphorus diffused N(+) layer of a silicon solar cell are reported. The cells studied comprised three groups of Czochralski grown crystals: boron doped to one ohm-cm, boron doped to 6 ohm-cm, and aluminum doped to one ohm-cm, all with a shunt resistance exceeding 500 kilo-ohms. The characteristic bulk diffusion length of a cell sample was determined from the short circuit current response to light at a wavelength of one micron. The recombination rates were obtained by measurement of the open circuit voltage as a function of the photogeneration rate. The recombination rate was found to be dependent on the photoinjection level, and is positive-field controlled at low photoinjection, positive-field influence Auger recombination at a medium photoinjection level, and negative-field controlled Auger recombination at a high photoinjection level.

Phase transformation during silica cluster impact on crystal silicon substrate studied by molecular dynamics simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Ruling; Luo Jianbin; Guo Dan; Lu Xinchun

2008-01-01

The process of a silica cluster impact on a crystal silicon substrate is studied by molecular dynamics simulation. At the impact loading stage, crystal silicon of the impact zone transforms to a locally ordered molten with increasing the local temperature and pressure of the impact zone. And then the transient molten forms amorphous silicon directly as the local temperature and pressure decrease at the impact unloading stage. Moreover, the phase behavior between the locally ordered molten and amorphous silicon exhibits the reversible structural transition. The transient molten contains not only lots of four-fold atom but also many three- and five-fold atoms. And the five-fold atom is similar to the mixture structure of semi-Si-II and semi-bct5-Si. The structure transformation between five- and four-fold atoms is affected by both pressure and temperature. The structure transformation between three- and four-fold atoms is affected mostly by temperature. The direct structure transformation between five- and three-fold atoms is not observed. Finally, these five- and three-fold atoms are also different from the usual five- and three-fold deficient atoms of amorphous silicon. In addition, according to the change of coordination number of atoms the impact process is divided into six stages: elastic, plastic, hysteresis, phase regressive, adhesion and cooling stages

Excellent Silicon Surface Passivation Achieved by Industrial Inductively Coupled Plasma Deposited Hydrogenated Intrinsic Amorphous Silicon Suboxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Ge

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present an alternative method of depositing a high-quality passivation film for heterojunction silicon wafer solar cells, in this paper. The deposition of hydrogenated intrinsic amorphous silicon suboxide is accomplished by decomposing hydrogen, silane, and carbon dioxide in an industrial remote inductively coupled plasma platform. Through the investigation on CO2 partial pressure and process temperature, excellent surface passivation quality and optical properties are achieved. It is found that the hydrogen content in the film is much higher than what is commonly reported in intrinsic amorphous silicon due to oxygen incorporation. The observed slow depletion of hydrogen with increasing temperature greatly enhances its process window as well. The effective lifetime of symmetrically passivated samples under the optimal condition exceeds 4.7 ms on planar n-type Czochralski silicon wafers with a resistivity of 1 Ωcm, which is equivalent to an effective surface recombination velocity of less than 1.7 cms−1 and an implied open-circuit voltage (Voc of 741 mV. A comparison with several high quality passivation schemes for solar cells reveals that the developed inductively coupled plasma deposited films show excellent passivation quality. The excellent optical property and resistance to degradation make it an excellent substitute for industrial heterojunction silicon solar cell production.

Study of structural and optical properties of YAG and Nd:YAG single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostić, S. [Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 68, Pregrevica 118, Zemun, Belgrade (Serbia); Lazarević, Z.Ž., E-mail: lzorica@yahoo.com [Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 68, Pregrevica 118, Zemun, Belgrade (Serbia); Radojević, V. [Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia); Milutinović, A.; Romčević, M.; Romčević, N.Ž. [Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 68, Pregrevica 118, Zemun, Belgrade (Serbia); Valčić, A. [Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia)

2015-03-15

Highlights: • Transparent YAG and pale pink Nd:YAG single crystals were produced by the Czochralski technique. • Growth mechanisms and shape of the liquid/solid interface and incorporation of Nd{sup 3+} were studied. • The structure of the crystals was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman and IR spectroscopy. • The 15 Raman and 17 IR modes were observed. • The obtained YAG and Nd:YAG single crystals were without core and of good optical quality. - Abstract: Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG, Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}) and yttrium aluminum garnet doped with neodymium (Nd:YAG) single crystals were grown by the Czochralski technique. The critical diameter and the critical rate of rotation were calculated. Suitable polishing and etching solutions were determined. As a result of our experiments, the transparent YAG and pale pink Nd:YAG single crystals were produced. The obtained crystals were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman and IR spectroscopy. The crystal structure was confirmed by XRD. The 15 Raman and 17 IR modes were observed. The Raman and IR spectroscopy results are in accordance with X-ray diffraction analysis. The obtained YAG and Nd:YAG single crystals were without core and of good optical quality. The absence of a core was confirmed by viewing polished crystal slices. Also, it is important to emphasize that the obtained Nd:YAG single crystal has a concentration of 0.8 wt.% Nd{sup 3+} that is characteristic for laser materials.

Slow-light-enhanced energy efficiency for graphene microheaters on silicon photonic crystal waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Siqi; Zhu, Xiaolong; Frandsen, Lars Hagedorn

2017-01-01

Slow light has been widely utilized to obtain enhanced nonlinearities, enhanced spontaneous emissions and increased phase shifts owing to its ability to promote light-matter interactions. By incorporating a graphene on a slow-light silicon photonic crystal waveguide, here we experimentally...... in silicon photonics. The corresponding figure of merit of the device is 2.543 nW s, one order of magnitude better than results reported in previous studies. The influence of the length and shape of the graphene heater to the tuning efficiency is further investigated, providing valuable guidelines...

Growth and characterization of air annealing Tb-doped YAG:Ce single crystal for white-light-emitting diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Maogao; Xiang, Weidong; Liang, Xiaojuan; Zhong, Jiasong; Chen, Daqin; Huang, Jun; Gu, Guorui; Yang, Cheng; Xiang, Run

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We report preparation of transparent Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal by Czochralski method. • The effect of annealing on Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal had been investigated. • The Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal after annealing exhibited better optical performance. • The Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal could be used as an ideal candidate for WLED. - Abstract: We report the preparation of transparent Ce and Tb co-doped Y 3 Al 5 O 12 single crystal by the Czochralski method. The characterization of the resulting single crystal was accomplished by using X-ray powder diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Absorption peak of the single crystal at about 460 nm has been obtained from ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrometer and their intensity is changed with different annealing condition. Its optical properties also have been investigated using fluorescence spectrometer. What’s more, its photoelectric parameters were studied by LED fast spectrometer. The constructed single crystal based white-light-emitting diode exhibits a high luminous efficiency of 140.89 lm/W, and a correlated color temperature of 4176 K as well as a color rendering index of 56.7, which reveal the prominent feasibility of the present single crystal material in white-light-emitting diode application

Growth and characterization of air annealing Tb-doped YAG:Ce single crystal for white-light-emitting diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Maogao [College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China); Xiang, Weidong, E-mail: xiangweidong001@126.com [College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China); Liang, Xiaojuan [College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China); Zhong, Jiasong; Chen, Daqin [College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Huang, Jun; Gu, Guorui; Yang, Cheng; Xiang, Run [College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China)

2015-08-05

Highlights: • We report preparation of transparent Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal by Czochralski method. • The effect of annealing on Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal had been investigated. • The Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal after annealing exhibited better optical performance. • The Ce,Tb:YAG single crystal could be used as an ideal candidate for WLED. - Abstract: We report the preparation of transparent Ce and Tb co-doped Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12} single crystal by the Czochralski method. The characterization of the resulting single crystal was accomplished by using X-ray powder diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Absorption peak of the single crystal at about 460 nm has been obtained from ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrometer and their intensity is changed with different annealing condition. Its optical properties also have been investigated using fluorescence spectrometer. What’s more, its photoelectric parameters were studied by LED fast spectrometer. The constructed single crystal based white-light-emitting diode exhibits a high luminous efficiency of 140.89 lm/W, and a correlated color temperature of 4176 K as well as a color rendering index of 56.7, which reveal the prominent feasibility of the present single crystal material in white-light-emitting diode application.

Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Films with Embedded Nano crystals for Thermal Detectors with Very High Sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calleja, C.; Torres, A.; Rosales-Quintero, P.; Moreno, M.

2016-01-01

We have optimized the deposition conditions of amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nano crystals in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor, working at a standard frequency of 13.56 MHz. The objective was to produce films with very large Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR), which is a signature of the sensitivity in thermal detectors (micro bolometers). Morphological, electrical, and optical characterization were performed in the films, and we found optimal conditions for obtaining films with very high values of thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR = 7.9%K -1 ). Our results show that amorphous silicon-germanium films with embedded nano crystals can be used as thermo sensitive films in high performance infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) used in commercial thermal cameras.

Radiation Damage in Silicon Detectors Caused by Hadronic and Electromagnetic Irradiation

CERN Document Server

Fretwurst, E.; Stahl, J.; Pintilie, I.

2002-01-01

The report contains various aspects of radiation damage in silicon detectors subjected to high intensity hadron and electromagnetic irradiation. It focuses on improvements for the foreseen LHC applications, employing oxygenation of silicon wafers during detector processing (result from CERN-RD48). An updated survey on hadron induced damage is given in the first article. Several improvements are outlined especially with respect to antiannealing problems associated with detector storage during LHC maintenance periods. Open questions are outlined in the final section, among which are a full understanding of differences found between proton and neutron induced damage, process related effects changing the radiation tolerance in addition to the oxygen content and the lack of understanding the changed detector properties on the basis of damage induced point and cluster defects. In addition to float zone silicon, so far entirely used for detector fabrication,Czochralski silicon was also studied and first promising re...

Annihilation of unthermalized positrons in a silicon single crystal at 770K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaitsev, Yu.E.; Mungir, L.; Ue'pe, L.R.

1984-01-01

A model is considered for the annihilation of nonrelativistic positrons from quantized states in lattice channels. Annihilation gamma rays of energy over 511 keV have been observed when the positrons from an Na 22 source strike a silicon single crystal at 77 0 K. The experimental results agree well with the proposed model

Characterization of proton and neutron irradiated low resistivity p-on-n magnetic Czochralski ministrip sensors and diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacifico, Nicola, E-mail: nicola.pacifico@cern.ch [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Dolenc Kittelmann, Irena; Fahrer, Manuel; Moll, Michael [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Militaru, Otilia [UCL, Louvain (Belgium)

2011-12-01

Transient Current Technique (TCT) and Charge Collection Efficiency (CCE) measurements were performed on low resistivity (280{Omega}cm) n-bulk, p-readout magnetic Czochralski ministrip sensors and diodes. The detectors were irradiated with neutrons and 24 GeV/c protons up to a total NIEL equivalent fluence of 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15}/cm{sup 2}. The study was addressed to assess the radiation tolerance of the detectors up to fluences expected in the next generations of High Energy Physics experiments. The charge collection efficiency after irradiation was found to be much higher than for standard FZ silicon p-in-n sensors. The underlying physics of this remarkable result was investigated by performing Edge-TCT measurements on one of the neutron irradiated ministrip sensors to extract detailed informations about the field and efficiency profiles of the detector.

Microwave conductivity and spin resonance of Si- nK centers at dislocation dipoles in silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Konchits, A. A.; Shanina, B. D.

1995-11-01

Non-resonance microwave absorption (NRMA) due to microwave conductivity (MC) of Czochralski-grown silicon crystal has been studied. The temperature dependence of the MC was measured in the temperature range from 1.7 to 40 K in darkness as well as under the interband light. Exponential growth of the MC in a low temperature range is described within the extended one-dimensional Hubbard model for the case of an arbitrary filled band. The activation energy of electron hopping motion in darkness is found to be similar to that in amorphous silicon (0.4 meV), although, under light its value is significantly larger (12 meV). The logarithmic law is revealed for the MC decay. The value of its time constant τ0 at T = 4.2 K changes with the light intensity I from 4 to 57 s, so τ0 is proportional to I-1. The exponential recovery process at T = 4.2 K goes rather slowly, with τ1 in interval from 0.4 to 3.11 min depending on the location of the donor levels in a band gap. It is shown that the linear law connects the dependence of the TD-2 EPR intensity increase and the Si- nK EDSR intensity decrease versus the MC decay under continuous illumination.

Crystal growth, spectral properties, and laser demonstration of laser crystal Nd:LYSO

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D. Z.; Xu, X. D.; Zhou, D. H.; Zhuang, S. D.; Wang, Z. P.; Xia, C. T.; Wu, F.; Xu, J.

2010-11-01

A Nd:LYSO crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Judd-Ofelt intense parameters Ω2,4,6 were obtained to be 2.65, 5.75, and 7.37×10-20 cm2, respectively. The absorption and emission cross sections and the branching ratios were calculated. The large absorption cross section (6.14×10-20 cm2) and broad absorption band (5 nm) around 811 nm indicate that this crystal can be pumped efficiently by laser diodes. The broad emission band from the 4F3/2 multiplet shows that the crystal is a promising medium for ultrashort pulse lasers. Pumped by a laser diode, the maximum 814 mW continuous-wave laser output has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 28.9%. All the results show that this crystal is a promising laser material.

Crystal growth, spectral properties, and laser demonstration of laser crystal Nd:LYSO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D Z; Xu, X D; Zhou, D H; Xia, C T; Wu, F; Zhuang, S D; Wang, Z P; Xu, J

2010-01-01

A Nd:LYSO crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Judd-Ofelt intense parameters Ω 2,4,6 were obtained to be 2.65, 5.75, and 7.37×10 -20 cm 2 , respectively. The absorption and emission cross sections and the branching ratios were calculated. The large absorption cross section (6.14×10 -20 cm 2 ) and broad absorption band (5 nm) around 811 nm indicate that this crystal can be pumped efficiently by laser diodes. The broad emission band from the 4 F 3/2 multiplet shows that the crystal is a promising medium for ultrashort pulse lasers. Pumped by a laser diode, the maximum 814 mW continuous-wave laser output has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 28.9%. All the results show that this crystal is a promising laser material

Lifetime studies of self-activated photoluminescence in heavily silicon-doped GaAs

Science.gov (United States)

Sauncy, T.; Palsule, C. P.; Holtz, M.; Gangopadhyay, S.; Massie, S.

1996-01-01

We report results of a detailed temperature dependence study of photoluminescence lifetime and continuous emission properties in silicon-doped GaAs. The primary focus is on a defect-related emission at 1.269 eV (T=20 K). GaAs crystals were grown using molecular-beam epitaxy with most of the experiments conducted on a sample having a carrier concentration of 4.9×1018 cm-3. The intensity is seen to decrease above 100 K, with no corresponding decrease in the measured lifetime of 9.63+/-0.25 ns. The intensity decrease implies an activation energy of 19+/-2 meV, which is approximately one order of magnitude smaller than what was previously obtained for similar defects in Czochralski-grown GaAs with other dopants. We interpret our results in terms of a configuration coordinate model and obtain a more complete picture of the energy-level structure. The experiments indicate that the upper level in the recombination process is about 20 meV below the conduction-band continuum, with the lower state approximately 300 meV above the valence band. Our results are consistent with the identification of the corresponding defect complex microstructure as being a silicon-at-gallium substitution, weakly interacting with a gallium vacancy second-nearest neighbor, known as the Si-Y defect complex.

High-gain bipolar detector on float-zone silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Han, D. J.; Batignani, G.; Del Guerra, A.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Boscardin, M.; Bosisio, L.; Giorgi, M.; Forti, F.

2003-10-01

Since the float-zone (FZ) silicon has lower contaminations and longer minority-carrier lifetime than those in Czochralski silicon and other semiconductor materials, it has potential advantages to fabricate bipolar detectors on the high-purity FZ silicon substrate to achieve a high gain at ultra-low-signal levels. The authors present preliminary experimental results on a bipolar detector fabricated on an unusual high-purity FZ silicon substrate. A backside gettering layer of phosphorus-doped polysilicon was employed to preserve the long carrier lifetime of the high-purity FZ silicon. The device has been investigated in the detection of a continuous flux of X-ray and infrared light. The bipolar detector with a circular emitter of 2 mm diameter has demonstrated high gains up to 3820 for 22 keV X-ray from a 1 mCi Cd radioactive source (the X-ray photon flux, received by the detector is estimated to be ˜7.77×10 4/s). High gain up to 4400 for 0.17 nW light with a wavelength of 0.83 μm has been observed for the same device.

High-gain bipolar detector on float-zone silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, D.J.; Batignani, G.; Guerra, A.D.A. Del; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Boscardin, M.; Bosisio, L.; Giorgi, M.; Forti, F.

2003-01-01

Since the float-zone (FZ) silicon has lower contaminations and longer minority-carrier lifetime than those in Czochralski silicon and other semiconductor materials, it has potential advantages to fabricate bipolar detectors on the high-purity FZ silicon substrate to achieve a high gain at ultra-low-signal levels. The authors present preliminary experimental results on a bipolar detector fabricated on an unusual high-purity FZ silicon substrate. A backside gettering layer of phosphorus-doped polysilicon was employed to preserve the long carrier lifetime of the high-purity FZ silicon. The device has been investigated in the detection of a continuous flux of X-ray and infrared light. The bipolar detector with a circular emitter of 2 mm diameter has demonstrated high gains up to 3820 for 22 keV X-ray from a 1 mCi Cd radioactive source (the X-ray photon flux, received by the detector is estimated to be ∼7.77x10 4 /s). High gain up to 4400 for 0.17 nW light with a wavelength of 0.83 μm has been observed for the same device

Thermal neutron imaging with rare-earth-ion-doped LiCaAlF6 scintillators and a sealed 252Cf source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Yanagida, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Yokota, Yuui; Kamada, Kei; Fukuda, Kentaro; Suyama, Toshihisa; Watanabe, Kenichi; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Chani, Valery; Yoshikawa, Akira

2011-01-01

Thermal neutron imaging with Ce-doped LiCaAlF 6 crystals has been performed. The prototype of the neutron imager using a Ce-doped LiCaAlF 6 scintillating crystal and a position sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT) which had 64 multi-channel anode was developed. The Ce-doped LiCaAlF 6 single crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. A plate with dimensions of a diameter of 50x2 mm 2 was cut from the grown crystal, polished, and optically coupled to PSPMT by silicone grease. The 252 Cf source ( 6 .

Polarized photons from a silicon crystal in a 31 GeV electron beam at the Serpukhov proton accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frolov, A.M.; Maisheev, V.A.; Arakelyan, E.A.; Armaganyan, A.A.; Avakyan, R.O.; Bayatyan, G.L.; Grigoryan, N.K.; Kechechyan, A.O.; Knyazyan, S.G.; Margaryan, A.T.

1980-01-01

Tagged photons coherently emitted in a silicon crystal by the 31 GeV electron beam of intensity 4 x 10 4 ppp and beam pulse duration of up to 1.7 s have been obtained at the Serpukhov proton accelerator. The photon intensities were I approx. 10 -1 - 10 -2 γ/e - in five almost equal energy bins within the total range k = (8.2-24.2) GeV. The calculated linear polarizations were P approx. 50-20%, respectively. Narrow peaks in the radiation intensity were observed when varying the orientation of a silicon crystal which could not be explained. The method for the experimental alignment of a crystal in electron beams at the proton accelerator has been described. (orig.)

Planar silicon sensors for the CMS Tracker upgrade

CERN Document Server

Junkes, Alexandra

2013-01-01

The CMS tracker collaboration has initiated a large material investigation and irradiation campaign to identify the silicon material and design that fulfills all requirements for detectors for the high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).A variety of silicon p-in-n and n-in-p test-sensors made from Float Zone, Deep-Diffused FZ and Magnetic Czochralski materials were manufactured by one single industrial producer, thus guaranteeing similar conditions for the production and design of the test-structures. Properties of different silicon materials and design choices have been systematically studied and compared.The samples have been irradiated with 1 MeV neutrons and protons corresponding to maximal fluences as expected for the positions of detector layers in the future tracker. Irradiations with protons of different energies (23 MeV and 23 GeV) have been performed to evaluate the energy dependence of the defect generation in oxygen rich material. All materials have been characterized before an...

CO2 laser-induced directional recrystallization to produce single crystal silicon-core optical fibers with low loss

OpenAIRE

Healy, Noel; Fokine, Michael; Franz, Yohann; Hawkins, Thomas; Jones, Maxwell; Ballato, John; Peacock, Anna C.; Gibson, Ursula J.

2016-01-01

Reduced losses in silicon-core fibers are obtained using CO2 laser directional recrystallization of the core. Single crystals with aspect ratios up to 1500:1 are reported, limited by the scan range of the equipment. This processing technique holds promise for bringing crystalline silicon-core fibers to a central role in nonlinear optics and signal processing applications.

The low thermal gradient CZ technique as a way of growing of dislocation-free germanium crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Moskovskih, V. A.; Kasimkin, P. V.; Shlegel, V. N.; Vasiliev, Y. V.; Gridchin, V. A.; Podkopaev, O. I.

2014-09-01

This paper considers the possibility of growth of dislocation-free germanium single crystals. This is achieved by reducing the temperature gradients at the level of 1 K/cm and lower. Single germanium crystals 45-48 mm in diameter with a dislocation density of 102 cm-2 were grown by a Low Thermal Gradient Czochralski technique (LTG CZ).

Crystallization of Electrodeposited Germanium Thin Film on Silicon (100).

Science.gov (United States)

Abidin, Mastura Shafinaz Zainal; Matsumura, Ryo; Anisuzzaman, Mohammad; Park, Jong-Hyeok; Muta, Shunpei; Mahmood, Mohamad Rusop; Sadoh, Taizoh; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2013-11-06

We report the crystallization of electrodeposited germanium (Ge) thin films on n-silicon (Si) (100) by rapid melting process. The electrodeposition was carried out in germanium (IV) chloride: propylene glycol (GeCl₄:C₃H₈O₂) electrolyte with constant current of 50 mA for 30 min. The measured Raman spectra and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) images show that the as-deposited Ge thin film was amorphous. The crystallization of deposited Ge was achieved by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 980 °C for 1 s. The EBSD images confirm that the orientations of the annealed Ge are similar to that of the Si substrate. The highly intense peak of Raman spectra at 300 cm -1 corresponding to Ge-Ge vibration mode was observed, indicating good crystal quality of Ge. An additional sub peak near to 390 cm -1 corresponding to the Si-Ge vibration mode was also observed, indicating the Ge-Si mixing at Ge/Si interface. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) reveals that the intermixing depth was around 60 nm. The calculated Si fraction from Raman spectra was found to be in good agreement with the value estimated from Ge-Si equilibrium phase diagram. The proposed technique is expected to be an effective way to crystallize Ge films for various device applications as well as to create strain at the Ge-Si interface for enhancement of mobility.

Synthesis of lithium niobate and monocrystal growth by Czochralski method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balzuweit, K.

1988-01-01

The qualitative analysis of lithium niobate by x-ray analysis and optical microscopy is presented. The lithium niobate compound was obtained by synthesis using niobium oxides and lithium carbonates. The lithium niobate monocrystal growth was done by Czochralski method. (M.C.K.)

Liquid gallium cooling of silicon crystals in high intensity photon beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Forster, G.A.; Bilderback, D.H.

1988-11-01

The high-brilliance, insertion-device-based, photon beams of the next generation of synchrotron sources will deliver large thermal loads (1 kW to 10 kW) to the first optical elements. Considering the problems that present synchrotron users are experiencing with beams from recently installed insertion devices, new and improved methods of cooling these first optical elements, particularly when they are diffraction crystals, are clearly needed. A series of finite element calculations were performed to test the efficiency of new cooling geometries and new cooling fluids. The best results were obtained with liquid Ga metal flowing in channels just below the surface of the crystal. Ga was selected because of its good thermal conductivity and thermal capacity, low melting point, high boiling point, low kinetic viscosity, and very low vapor pressure. Its very low vapor pressure, even at elevated temperatures, makes it especially attractive in uhv conditions. A series of experiments were conducted at CHESS in February of 1988 that compared liquid gallium cooled silicon diffraction crystals with water cooled crystals. 2 refs., 16 figs., 1 tab

Deflection of high energy channeled charged particles by elastically bent silicon single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, W.M.; Kim, I.J.; Pisharodoy, M.; Salman, S.M.; Sun, C.R.; Wang, G.H.; Wijayawardana, R.; Forster, J.S.; Mitchell, I.V.; Baker, S.I.; Carrigan, R.A. Jr.; Toohig, T.E.; Avdeichikov, V.V.; Ellison, J.A.; Siffert, P.

1984-01-01

An experiment has been carried out to observe the deflection of charged particles by planar channeling in bent single crystals of silicon for protons with energy up to 180 GeV. Anomolous loss of particles from the center point of a three point bending apparatus was observed at high incident particle energy. This effect has been exploited to fashion a 'dechanneling spectrometer' to study dechanneling effects due to centripital displacement of channeled particle trajectories in a bent crystal. The bending losses generally conform to the predictions of calculations based on a classical model. (orig.)

Extraordinary Light-Trapping Enhancement in Silicon Solar Cell Patterned with Graded Photonic Super-Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Safaa Hassan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Light-trapping enhancement in newly discovered graded photonic super-crystals (GPSCs with dual periodicity and dual basis is herein explored for the first time. Broadband, wide-incident-angle, and polarization-independent light-trapping enhancement was achieved in silicon solar cells patterned with these GPSCs. These super-crystals were designed by multi-beam interference, rendering them flexible and efficient. The optical response of the patterned silicon solar cell retained Bloch-mode resonance; however, light absorption was greatly enhanced in broadband wavelengths due to the graded, complex unit super-cell nanostructures, leading to the overlap of Bloch-mode resonances. The broadband, wide-angle light coupling and trapping enhancement mechanism are understood to be due to the spatial variance of the index of refraction, and this spatial variance is due to the varying filling fraction, the dual basis, and the varying lattice constants in different directions.

Friction and metal transfer for single-crystal silicon carbide in contact with various metals in vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D.H.

1978-04-01

Sliding friction experiments were conducted with single-crystal silicon carbide in contact with transition metals (tungsten, iron, rhodium, nickel, titanium, and cobalt), copper, and aluminum. Results indicate the coefficient of friction for a silicon carbide-metal system is related to the d bond character and relative chemical activity of the metal. The more active the metal, the higher the coefficient of friction. All the metals examined transferred to the surface of silicon carbide in sliding. The chemical activity of metal to silicon and carbon and shear modulus of the metal may play important roles in metal transfer and the form of the wear debris. The less active metal is, and the greater resistance to shear it has, with the exception of rhodium and tungsten, the less transfer to silicon carbide

ANSYS program and re-validation of the thermal analysis of the Cornell silicon crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khounsary, A.; Kuzay, T.

1992-01-01

Thermal analysis of the Cornell three-channel silicon crystal is carried out using the ANSYS finite element program. Results are in general agreement with those previously obtained using the Transient Heat Transfer, version B (THTB) program. The main thrust of the present study has been to (a) explore the thermal analysis potentials of the ANSYS program in solving thermal hydraulic problems in the APS beamline design, (b) compare the ANSYS results with those obtained by THTB for a specific test crystal, and (c) obtain some cost benchmarks for the ANSYS program. On the basis of a limited number of test runs for the silicon crystal problem, conclusions can be drawn that (a) except for conduction problems with simple boundary conditions the utility of ANSYS for solving a variety of three-dimensional thermal hydraulic problems is at best limited, (b) in comparison with THTB program, ANSYS requires a more detailed modeling (with increasing computation time) for comparably accurate results, and (c) no firm statement regarding the cost factor can be made at this time although the ANSYS program appears to be more expensive than any other code we have used so far

Multiphysical simulation analysis of the dislocation structure in germanium single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Podkopaev, O. I.; Artemyev, V. V.; Smirnov, A. D.; Mamedov, V. M.; Sid'ko, A. P.; Kalaev, V. V.; Kravtsova, E. D.; Shimanskii, A. F.

2016-09-01

To grow high-quality germanium crystals is one of the most important problems of growth industry. The dislocation density is an important parameter of the quality of single crystals. The dislocation densities in germanium crystals 100 mm in diameter, which have various shapes of the side surface and are grown by the Czochralski technique, are experimentally measured. The crystal growth is numerically simulated using heat-transfer and hydrodynamics models and the Alexander-Haasen dislocation model in terms of the CGSim software package. A comparison of the experimental and calculated dislocation densities shows that the dislocation model can be applied to study lattice defects in germanium crystals and to improve their quality.

Comparative TEM study of bonded silicon/silicon interfaces fabricated by hydrophilic, hydrophobic and UHV wafer bonding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reznicek, A.; Scholz, R.; Senz, S.; Goesele, U.

2003-01-01

Wafers of Czochralski-grown silicon were bonded hydrophilically, hydrophobically and in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) at room temperature. Wafers bonded hydrophilically adhere together by hydrogen bonds, those bonded hydrophobically by van der Waals forces and UHV-bonded ones by covalent bonds. Annealing the pre-bonded hydrophilic and hydrophobic wafer pairs in argon for 2 h at different temperatures increases the initially low bonding energy. UHV-bonded wafer pairs were also annealed to compare the results. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations show nano-voids at the interface. The void density depends on the initial bonding strength. During annealing the shape, coverage and density of the voids change significantly

Laser-zone Growth in a Ribbon-to-ribbon (RTR) Process Silicon Sheet Growth Development for the Large Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low Cost Solar Array Project

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdadi, A.; Gurtler, R. W.; Legge, R.; Sopori, B.; Rice, M. J.; Ellis, R. J.

1979-01-01

A technique for growing limited-length ribbons continually was demonstrated. This Rigid Edge technique can be used to recrystallize about 95% of the polyribbon feedstock. A major advantage of this method is that only a single, constant length silicon ribbon is handled throughout the entire process sequence; this may be accomplished using cassettes similar to those presently in use for processing Czochralski waters. Thus a transition from Cz to ribbon technology can be smoothly affected. The maximum size being considered, 3 inches x 24 inches, is half a square foot, and will generate 6 watts for 12% efficiency at 1 sun. Silicon dioxide has been demonstrated as an effective, practical diffusion barrier for use during the polyribbon formation.

Redistribution of erbium during the crystallization of buried amorphous silicon layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleksandrov, O.V.; Nikolaev, Yu.A.; Sobolev, N.A.; Sakharov, V.I.; Serenkov, I.T.; Kudryavtsev, Yu.A.

1999-01-01

The redistribution of Er during its implantation in silicon at doses close to the amorphization threshold and its subsequent solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) crystallization is investigated. The formation of a buried amorphous (a) layer is discovered at Er doses equal to 5x10 13 and 1x10 14 cm -2 using Rutherford backscattering. The segregation of Er in this case takes place inwardly from the two directions corresponding to the upper and lower boundaries of the buried αlayer and leads to the formation of a concentration peak at the meeting place of the two crystallization fronts. A method for calculating the coordinate dependence of the segregation coefficient k from the distribution profiles of the erbium impurity before and after annealing is proposed. The k(x) curve exhibits a drop, whose width increases with decreasing Er implantation dose. Its appearance is attributed to the nonequilibrium nature of the segregation process at the beginning of SPE crystallization

EBSD analysis of polysilicon films formed by aluminium induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuezuen, O. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France)], E-mail: Ozge.Tuzun@iness.c-strasbourg.fr; Auger, J.M. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France); SMS Centre, UMR CNRS 5146, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne, 158 Cours Fauriel, 42023 Saint Etienne Cedex 2 (France); Gordon, I. [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Focsa, A.; Montgomery, P.C. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France); Maurice, C. [SMS Centre, UMR CNRS 5146, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne, 158 Cours Fauriel, 42023 Saint Etienne Cedex 2 (France); Slaoui, A. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France); Beaucarne, G.; Poortmans, J. [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)

2008-08-30

Among the methods for enlarging the grain size of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films, aluminium induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon is considered to be a very promising approach. In the AIC process, a thin a-Si layer on top of an aluminium layer crystallizes at temperatures well below the eutectic temperature of the Al/Si system (T{sub eu} = 577 deg. C). By means of electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD), we have mainly studied the effect of the aluminium layer quality varying the deposition system on the grain size, the defects and the preferential crystallographic orientation. We have found a strong correlation between the mean grain size and the size distribution with the Al deposition system and the surface quality. Furthermore, we show for the first time that more than 50% of the surface of the AIC films grown on alumina substrates are (103) preferentially oriented, instead of the commonly observed (100) preferential orientation. This may have important consequences for epitaxial thickening of the AIC layer into polysilicon absorber layers for solar cells.

Paramagnetic resonance of LaGaO3: Mn single crystals grown by floating zone melting

Science.gov (United States)

Vazhenin, V. A.; Potapov, A. P.; Artyomov, M. Yu.; Salosin, M. A.; Fokin, A. V.; Gil'mutdinov, I. F.; Mukhamedshin, I. R.

2016-02-01

The EPR spectrum of Mn-doped lanthanum gallate single crystals grown by floating zone melting with optical heating has been studied. In contrast to the crystals grown according to the Czochralski method, no manganese is found in these crystals even after high-temperature annealing in air. The spectral characteristics of Fe3+ and Gd3+ centers in crystals prepared by various methods have been compared in the rhombohedral phase, and the fourth-rank nondiagonal parameters of the Fe3+ trigonal centers have been determined, as well.

Development and melt growth of novel scintillating halide crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshikawa, Akira; Yokota, Yuui; Shoji, Yasuhiro; Kral, Robert; Kamada, Kei; Kurosawa, Shunsuke; Ohashi, Yuji; Arakawa, Mototaka; Chani, Valery I.; Kochurikhin, Vladimir V.; Yamaji, Akihiro; Andrey, Medvedev; Nikl, Martin

2017-12-01

Melt growth of scintillating halide crystals is reviewed. The vertical Bridgman growth technique is still considered as very popular method that enables production of relatively large and commercially attractive crystals. On the other hand, the micro-pulling-down method is preferable when fabrication of small samples, sufficient for preliminary characterization of their optical and/or scintillation performance, is required. Moreover, bulk crystal growth is also available using the micro-pulling-down furnace. The examples of growths of various halide crystals by industrially friendly melt growth techniques including Czochralski and edge-defined film-fed growth methods are also discussed. Finally, traveling molten zone growth that in some degree corresponds to horizontal zone melting is briefly overviewed.

Fabrication of triangular nanobeam waveguide networks in bulk diamond using single-crystal silicon hard masks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayn, I.; Mouradian, S.; Li, L.; Goldstein, J. A.; Schröder, T.; Zheng, J.; Chen, E. H.; Gaathon, O.; Englund, Dirk; Lu, M.; Stein, A.; Ruggiero, C. A.; Salzman, J.; Kalish, R.

2014-01-01

A scalable approach for integrated photonic networks in single-crystal diamond using triangular etching of bulk samples is presented. We describe designs of high quality factor (Q = 2.51 × 10 6 ) photonic crystal cavities with low mode volume (V m  = 1.062 × (λ/n) 3 ), which are connected via waveguides supported by suspension structures with predicted transmission loss of only 0.05 dB. We demonstrate the fabrication of these structures using transferred single-crystal silicon hard masks and angular dry etching, yielding photonic crystal cavities in the visible spectrum with measured quality factors in excess of Q = 3 × 10 3

Formation and growth of crystal defects in directionally solidified multicrystalline silicon for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryningen, Birgit

2008-07-01

Included in this thesis are five publications and one report. The common theme is characterisation of directionally solidified multicrystalline silicon for solar cells. Material characterisation of solar cell silicon is naturally closely linked to both the casting process and to the solar cell processing: Many of the material properties are determined by the casting process, and the solar cell processing will to some extend determine which properties will influence the solar cell performance. Solar grade silicon (SoG-Si) made by metallurgical refining route and supplied by Elkem Solar was directionally solidified and subsequently characterised, and a simple solar cell process was applied. Except from some metallic co-precipitates in the top of the ingot, no abnormalities were found, and it is suggested that within the limits of the tests performed in this thesis, the casting and the solar cell processing, rather than the assumed higher impurity content, was the limiting factor. It is suggested in this thesis that the main quality problem in multicrystalline silicon wafers is the existence of dislocation clusters covering large wafer areas. The clusters will reduce the effect of gettering and even if gettering could be performed successfully, the clusters will still reduce the minority carrier mobility and hence the solar cell performance. It has further been pointed out that ingots solidified under seemingly equal conditions might have a pronounced difference in minority carrier lifetime. Ingots with low minority carrier lifetime have high dislocation densities. The ingots with the substantially higher lifetime seem all to be dominated by twins. It is also found a link between a higher undercooling and the ingots dominated by twins. It is suggested that the two types of ingots are subject to different nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms: For the ingots dominated by dislocations, which are over represented, the crystal growth is randomly nucleated at the

High-Efficiency Volume Reflection of an Ultrarelativistic Proton Beam with a Bent Silicon Crystal

CERN Document Server

Scandale, Walter; Carnera, Alberto; Della Mea, Gianantonio; De Salvador, Davide; Milan, Riccardo; Vomiero, Alberto; Baricordi, Stefano; Dalpiaz, Pietro; Fiorini, Massimiliano; Guidi, Vincenzo; Martinelli,Giuliano; Mazzolari, Andrea; Milan, Emiliano; Ambrosi, Giovanni; Azzarello, Philipp; Battiston, Roberto; Bertucci, Bruna; Burger, William J; Ionica, Maria; Zuccon, Paolo; Cavoto, Gianluca; Santacesaria, Roberta; Valente, Paolo; Vallazza, Erik; Afonin, Alexander G; Baranov, Vladimir T; Chesnokov, Yury A; Kotov, Vladilen I; Maisheev, Vladimir A; Yaznin, Igor A; Afansiev, Sergey V; Kovalenko, Alexander D; Taratin, Alexander M; Denisov, Alexander S; Gavrikov, Yury A; Ivanov, Yuri M; Ivochkin, Vladimir G; Kosyanenko, Sergey V; Petrunin, Anatoli A; Skorobogatov, Vyacheslav V; Suvorov, Vsevolod M; Bolognini, Davide; Foggetta,Luca; Hasan, Said; Prest, Michela

2007-01-01

The volume reflection phenomenon was detected while investigating 400 GeV proton interactions with bent silicon crystals in the external beam H8 of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. Such a process was observed for a wide interval of crystal orientations relative to the beam axis, and its efficiency exceeds 95%, thereby surpassing any previously observed value. These observations suggest new perspectives for the manipulation of high-energy beams, e.g., for collimation and extraction in new-generation hadron colliders, such as the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

Crystallization of Electrodeposited Germanium Thin Film on Silicon (100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Manaf Hashim

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We report the crystallization of electrodeposited germanium (Ge thin films on n-silicon (Si (100 by rapid melting process. The electrodeposition was carried out in germanium (IV chloride: propylene glycol (GeCl4:C3H8O2 electrolyte with constant current of 50 mA for 30 min. The measured Raman spectra and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD images show that the as-deposited Ge thin film was amorphous. The crystallization of deposited Ge was achieved by rapid thermal annealing (RTA at 980 °C for 1 s. The EBSD images confirm that the orientations of the annealed Ge are similar to that of the Si substrate. The highly intense peak of Raman spectra at 300 cm−1 corresponding to Ge-Ge vibration mode was observed, indicating good crystal quality of Ge. An additional sub peak near to 390 cm−1 corresponding to the Si-Ge vibration mode was also observed, indicating the Ge-Si mixing at Ge/Si interface. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES reveals that the intermixing depth was around 60 nm. The calculated Si fraction from Raman spectra was found to be in good agreement with the value estimated from Ge-Si equilibrium phase diagram. The proposed technique is expected to be an effective way to crystallize Ge films for various device applications as well as to create strain at the Ge-Si interface for enhancement of mobility.

crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yi; Huang, Yisheng; Zhang, Lizhen; Lin, Zhoubin; Sun, Shijia; Wang, Guofu

2014-07-01

A Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal with dimensions of ϕ 17 × 30 mm3 was grown by the Czochralski method. The thermal expansion coefficients of Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal are 1.32 × 10-5 K-1 along c-axis and 1.23 × 10-5 K-1 along a-axis, respectively. The spectroscopic characteristics of Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal were investigated. The Judd-Ofelt theory was applied to calculate the spectral parameters. The absorption cross sections at 805 nm are 2.17 × 10-20 cm2 with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 15 nm for π-polarization, and 2.29 × 10-20 cm2 with a FWHM of 14 nm for σ-polarization. The emission cross sections are 3.19 × 10-20 cm2 for σ-polarization and 2.67 × 10-20 cm2 for π-polarization at 1,064 nm. The fluorescence quantum efficiency is 67 %. The quasi-cw laser of Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal was performed. The maximum output power is 80 mW. The slope efficiency is 7.12 %. The results suggest Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal as a promising laser crystal fit for laser diode pumping.

Electro-optical modulator in a polymerinfiltrated silicon slotted photonic crystal waveguide heterostructure resonator.

Science.gov (United States)

Wülbern, Jan Hendrik; Petrov, Alexander; Eich, Manfred

2009-01-05

We present a novel concept of a compact, ultra fast electro-optic modulator, based on photonic crystal resonator structures that can be realized in two dimensional photonic crystal slabs of silicon as core material employing a nonlinear optical polymer as infiltration and cladding material. The novel concept is to combine a photonic crystal heterostructure cavity with a slotted defect waveguide. The photonic crystal lattice can be used as a distributed electrode for the application of a modulation signal. An electrical contact is hence provided while the optical wave is kept isolated from the lossy metal electrodes. Thereby, well known disadvantages of segmented electrode designs such as excessive scattering are avoided. The optical field enhancement in the slotted region increases the nonlinear interaction with an external electric field resulting in an envisaged switching voltage of approximately 1 V at modulation speeds up to 100 GHz.

Role of oxygen in surface segregation of metal impurities in silicon poly- and bicrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amarray, E.; Deville, J.P.

1987-07-01

Metal impurities at surfaces of polycrystalline silicon ribbons have been characterized by surface sensitive methods. Oxygen and heat treatments were found to be a driving force for surface segregation of these impurities. To better analyse their influence and their possible incidence in gettering, model studies were undertaken on Czochralski grown silicon bicrystals. Two main factors of surface segregation have been studied: the role of an ultra-thin oxide layer and the effect of heat treatments. The best surface purification was obtained after an annealing process at 750/sup 0/C of a previously oxidized surface at 450/sup 0/C. This was related to the formation of SiO clusters, followed by a coalescence of SiO/sub 4/ units leading to the subsequent injection of silicon self-interstitials in the lattice.

Optical and structural characterization of KBr crystals doped cadmium bromide (CdBr2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensouici, A.; Plaza, J.L.; Dieguez, E.; Halimi, O.; Guerbous, L.; Sebais, M.

2010-01-01

In this paper we demonstrate the presence of CdBr 2 and cadmium aggregates in KBr matrix during Czochralski growth of KBr crystals. The chemical decomposition of CdBr 2 due to high temperature of crystallisation and reformation of cadmium bromide seems to be responsible for this effect.

Crystal growth and characterization of calcium metaborate scintillators

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimoto, Y.; Yanagida, T.; Kawaguchi, N.; Fukuda, K.; Totsuka, D.; Watanabe, K.; Yamazaki, A.; Chani, V.; Nikl, M.; Yoshikawa, A.

2013-03-01

Calcium metaborate CaB2O4 single crystals were grown by the Czochralski (CZ) method with the radio-frequency (RF) heating system. In these crystals, a plane cleavage was observed along the growth direction. The crystals had an 80% transparency, and no absorption bands were detected in the 190-900 nm wavelength range. The 241Am 5.5 MeV α-ray-excited radioluminescence spectrum of CaB2O4 demonstrated a broad intrinsic luminescence peak at 300-400 nm, which originated from the lattice defects or an exciton-based emission. According to the pulse height spectrum, when irradiated by neutrons from a 252Cf source, the scintillation light yielded approximately 3200 photons per neutron (ph/n).

Polarized spectroscopic properties of Er3+:Gd2SiO5 crystal and evaluation of Er3+:Yb3+:Gd2SiO5 crystal as a 1.55 μm laser medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Huang, J.H.; Gong, X.H.; Chen, Y.J.; Lin, Y.F.; Luo, Z.D.; Huang, Y.D.

2016-01-01

An Er 3+ -doped Gd 2 SiO 5 single crystal with high optical quality has been grown by the Czochralski method. Polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the crystal were measured at room temperature. Intensity parameters, spontaneous emission probabilities, fluorescence branching ratios, and radiative lifetimes were estimated on the basis of the Judd–Ofelt theory. Besides, potentiality of 1.55 μm laser emission in an Er 3+ –Yb 3+ co-doped Gd 2 SiO 5 crystal was evaluated.

Analysis about diamond tool wear in nano-metric cutting of single crystal silicon using molecular dynamics method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiguo; Liang, Yingchun; Chen, Mingjun; Tong, Zhen; Chen, Jiaxuan

2010-10-01

Tool wear not only changes its geometry accuracy and integrity, but also decrease machining precision and surface integrity of workpiece that affect using performance and service life of workpiece in ultra-precision machining. Scholars made a lot of experimental researches and stimulant analyses, but there is a great difference on the wear mechanism, especially on the nano-scale wear mechanism. In this paper, the three-dimensional simulation model is built to simulate nano-metric cutting of a single crystal silicon with a non-rigid right-angle diamond tool with 0 rake angle and 0 clearance angle by the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach, which is used to investigate the diamond tool wear during the nano-metric cutting process. A Tersoff potential is employed for the interaction between carbon-carbon atoms, silicon-silicon atoms and carbon-silicon atoms. The tool gets the high alternating shear stress, the tool wear firstly presents at the cutting edge where intension is low. At the corner the tool is splitted along the {1 1 1} crystal plane, which forms the tipping. The wear at the flank face is the structure transformation of diamond that the diamond structure transforms into the sheet graphite structure. Owing to the tool wear the cutting force increases.

Silicon web process development

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, C. S.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Mchugh, J. P.; Skutch, M. E.; Driggers, J. M.; Hopkins, R. H.

1981-01-01

The silicon web process takes advantage of natural crystallographic stabilizing forces to grow long, thin single crystal ribbons directly from liquid silicon. The ribbon, or web, is formed by the solidification of a liquid film supported by surface tension between two silicon filaments, called dendrites, which border the edges of the growing strip. The ribbon can be propagated indefinitely by replenishing the liquid silicon as it is transformed to crystal. The dendritic web process has several advantages for achieving low cost, high efficiency solar cells. These advantages are discussed.

Surface texture of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a thin V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikitin, S. E., E-mail: nikitin@mail.ioffe.ru; Verbitskiy, V. N.; Nashchekin, A. V.; Trapeznikova, I. N.; Bobyl, A. V.; Terukova, E. E. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation)

2017-01-15

The process of surface texturing of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer is studied. Intense silicon oxidation at the Si–V{sub 2}O{sub 5} interface begins at a temperature of 903 K which is 200 K below than upon silicon thermal oxidation in an oxygen atmosphere. A silicon dioxide layer 30–50 nm thick with SiO{sub 2} inclusions in silicon depth up to 400 nm is formed at the V{sub 2}O{sub 5}–Si interface. The diffusion coefficient of atomic oxygen through the silicon-dioxide layer at 903 K is determined (D ≥ 2 × 10{sup –15} cm{sup 2} s{sup –1}). A model of low-temperature silicon oxidation, based on atomic oxygen diffusion from V{sub 2}O{sub 5} through the SiO{sub 2} layer to silicon, and SiO{sub x} precipitate formation in silicon is proposed. After removing the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and silicon-dioxide layers, texture is formed on the silicon surface, which intensely scatters light in the wavelength range of 300–550 nm and is important in the texturing of the front and rear surfaces of solar cells.

Liquid crystal designs for high-contrast field sequential color liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplays (Invited Paper)

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, James; Chen, Cheng; Bos, Philip J.

2005-04-01

Single or dual panel microdisplay systems are becoming more popular in the marketplace. Consequently, Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) microdisplays are constantly being pushed to achieve faster switching times as well as higher contrast, while becoming simpler and allowing simpler optics engine design. Currently, most products use a Twisted Nematic (TN) mode with a retardation film. The most promising solution in research now is the Vertically Aligned Nematic (VAN) mode, which does not require a retarder.

Selective formation of porous silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A pattern of porous silicon is produced in the surface of a silicon substrate by forming a pattern of crystal defects in said surface, preferably by applying an ion milling beam through openings in a photoresist layer to the surface, and then exposing said surface to a stain etchant, such as HF:HNO3:H2O. The defected crystal will preferentially etch to form a pattern of porous silicon. When the amorphous content of the porous silicon exceeds 70 percent, the porous silicon pattern emits visible light at room temperature.

Study on grown-in defects in CZ-Si by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, S.; Hori, F.; Oshima, R.

2004-01-01

In order to study the nature of grown-in microdefects of a silicon wafer taken from a czochralski-grown single crystal (CZ-Si) in which ring oxidation-induced stacking faults (ring-OSF) are formed after oxidation heat treatment, positron annihilation coincidence Doppler broadening experiments (CDB) have been performed. Vacancy-type defects were detected in the central region of a wafer of an as-grown crystal, and they were changed with annealing. It was confirmed that different types of defects were formed in the regions of outside and inside of the ring-OSF. (orig.)

Oxygen-related 1-platinum defects in silicon: An electron paramagnetic resonance study

Science.gov (United States)

Juda, U.; Scheerer, O.; Höhne, M.; Riemann, H.; Schilling, H.-J.; Donecker, J.; Gerhardt, A.

1996-09-01

A monoclinic 1-platinum defect recently detected was investigated more thoroughly by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The defect is one of the dominating defects in platinum doped silicon. With a perfect reproducibility it is observed in samples prepared from n-type silicon as well as from p-type silicon, in float zone (FZ) silicon as well as in Czochralski (Cz) silicon. Its concentration varies with the conditions of preparation and nearly reaches that of isolated substitutional platinum in Cz silicon annealed for 2 h at 540 °C after quenching from the temperature of platinum diffusion. Because of its concentration which in Cz-Si exceeds that in FZ-Si the defect is assumed to be oxygen-related though a hyperfine structure with 17O could not be resolved. The defect causes a level close to the valence band. This is concluded from variations of the Fermi level and from a discussion of the spin Hamiltonian parameters. In photo-EPR experiments the defect is coupled to recently detected acceptorlike self-interstitial related defects (SIRDs); their level position turns out to be near-midgap. These defects belong to the lifetime limiting defects in Pt-doped Si.

Crystal growth, spectroscopic characterization and laser operation of Tm3+ and Ho3+ codoped LiLuF4 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, C. C.; Hang, Y.; Zhang, L. H.; He, X. M.; Yin, J. G.; Gong, J.; Yu, T.; Chen, W. B.

2012-02-01

Laser crystal Tm3+ and Ho3+ codoped LiLuF4 with high optical quality was grown by Czochralski technique. Its absorption and fluorescence spectra were investigated. A continuous wave output power of 1.12 W at 2066 nm was obtained with a slope efficiency of 24% by use of diode pumping. In the Q-switched mode, a slope efficiency of 18.9% and a maximum average power of 0.65 W were obtained.

Back contact to film silicon on metal for photovoltaic cells

Science.gov (United States)

Branz, Howard M.; Teplin, Charles; Stradins, Pauls

2013-06-18

A crystal oriented metal back contact for solar cells is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device and methods for making the photovoltaic device are disclosed. The photovoltaic device includes a metal substrate with a crystalline orientation and a heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer having the same crystal orientation of the metal substrate. A heteroepitaxial buffer layer having the crystal orientation of the metal substrate is positioned between the substrate and the crystal silicon layer to reduce diffusion of metal from the metal foil into the crystal silicon layer and provide chemical compatibility with the heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer. Additionally, the buffer layer includes one or more electrically conductive pathways to electrically couple the crystal silicon layer and the metal substrate.

Calibration of the apparent temperature of silicon single crystals as a function of their true temperature and their thickness as determined by infrared measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smither, R.K.; Fernandez, P.B.

1993-09-01

Viewing the surface of objects subjected to high heat fluxes with an infrared camera or infrared sensor has proved to be a very effective method for monitoring the magnitude and distribution of surface temperature on the object. This approach has been quite useful in studies of cooling silicon crystals in monochromators subject to high heat loads. The main drawback to this method is that single crystals of silicon are partially transparent to the infrared radiation monitored in most infrared cameras. This means that the infrared radiation emitted from the surface contains a component that comes from the interior of the crystal and that the intensity of the emitted radiation and thus the apparent temperature of the surface of the crystal depends on the thickness of the crystal and the kind of coating on the back (and/or the front) of the crystal. The apparent temperature of the crystal increases as the crystal is made thicker. A series of experiments were performed at Argonne National Laboratory to calibrate the apparent surface temperature of the crystal as measured with an infrared camera as a function of the crystal thickness and the type of coating (if any) on the back side of the crystal. A good reflecting surface on the back side of the crystal increases the apparent temperature of the crystal and simulates the response of a crystal twice the thickness. These measurements make it possible to interpret the infrared signals from cooled silicon crystals used in past high heat load experiments. A number of examples are given for data taken in synchrotron experiments with high intensity x-ray beams

Proton irradiation effects in silicon devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simoen, E; Vanhellemont, J; Alaerts, A [IMEC, Leuven (Belgium); and others

1997-03-01

Proton irradiation effects in silicon devices are studied for components fabricated in various substrates in order to reveal possible hardening effects. The degradation of p-n junction diodes increases in first order proportionally with the fluence, when submitted to 10 MeV proton irradiations in the range 5x10{sup 9} cm{sup -2} to 5x10{sup 11} cm{sup -2}. The damage coefficients for both p- and n-type Czochralski, Float-Zone and epitaxial wafers are reported. Charge-Coupled Devices fabricated in a 1.2 {mu}m CCD-CMOS technology are shown to be quite resistant to 59 MeV H{sup +} irradiations, irrespective of the substrate type. (author)

Thermal detection of single e-h pairs in a biased silicon crystal detector

Science.gov (United States)

Romani, R. K.; Brink, P. L.; Cabrera, B.; Cherry, M.; Howarth, T.; Kurinsky, N.; Moffatt, R. A.; Partridge, R.; Ponce, F.; Pyle, M.; Tomada, A.; Yellin, S.; Yen, J. J.; Young, B. A.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate that individual electron-hole pairs are resolved in a 1 cm2 by 4 mm thick silicon crystal (0.93 g) operated at ˜35 mK. One side of the detector is patterned with two quasiparticle-trap-assisted electro-thermal-feedback transition edge sensor arrays held near ground potential. The other side contains a bias grid with 20% coverage. Bias potentials up to ±160 V were used in the work reported here. A fiber optic provides 650 nm (1.9 eV) photons that each produce an electron-hole (e- h+) pair in the crystal near the grid. The energy of the drifting charges is measured with a phonon sensor noise σ ˜0.09 e- h+ pair. The observed charge quantization is nearly identical for h+s or e-s transported across the crystal.

Thermal neutron scattering kernels for sapphire and silicon single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantargi, F.; Granada, J.R.; Mayer, R.E.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal cross section libraries for sapphire and silicon single crystals were generated. • Debye model was used to represent the vibrational frequency spectra to feed the NJOY code. • Sapphire total cross section was measured at Centro Atómico Bariloche. • Cross section libraries were validated with experimental data available. - Abstract: Sapphire and silicon are materials usually employed as filters in facilities with thermal neutron beams. Due to the lack of the corresponding thermal cross section libraries for those materials, necessary in calculations performed in order to optimize beams for specific applications, here we present the generation of new thermal neutron scattering kernels for those materials. The Debye model was used in both cases to represent the vibrational frequency spectra required to feed the NJOY nuclear data processing system in order to produce the corresponding libraries in ENDF and ACE format. These libraries were validated with available experimental data, some from the literature and others obtained at the pulsed neutron source at Centro Atómico Bariloche

Trap spectrum of the ``new oxygen donor'' in silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Hölzlein, K.; Pensl, G.; Schulz, M.

1984-07-01

Electronic properties of the new oxygen donor generated in phosphorus-doped Czochralski-silicon at 650‡C are investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy. A continuous distribution of trap states (1014 1016 cm-3 eV-1) is detected in the upper half of the band gap with increasing values towards the conduction band. The magnitude of the state density observed increases with the oxygen content, the heat duration, and a preanneal at temperatures lower than 650‡C. The continuous trap spectrum of the new donor is explained by interface states occuring at the surface of SiO x precipitates.

Gamma-stimulated modification of structure and mechanical properties of silicon crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khaydarov, T.K.; Khamraeva, R.N.; Rustamova, V.M.; Ibragimova, E.M.; Kalanov, M.U.; Abdurakhimov, A.A.; Abdurakhmanov, A.A.

2004-01-01

Full text: The paper presents the results of gamma-irradiation effect on the fine structure and mechanical properties of silicon crystals. The objects of researches were p-Si single crystals with the following characteristics: ρ ≅ 10Ω · cm; N D ≅ 10 2 cm -2 ; N O ≅ 10 17 cm -3 ; N B ≅ 6· 10 15 cm -3 . The plate size were 20.8·4.1· 1.2 mm 3 with the surface oriented along {111}. The structure was studied at the diffractometer DRON-UM1 with CuK α - radiation ( λ = 0.1542 nm). The intrinsic friction (Q -1 ) of the samples was measured with the ultra-sonic resonance technique at the frequency of 148 kHz of the plate bending oscillations. The samples were irradiated at the INP AS RUz 60 Co gamma-facility (E γ ≅ 1.2 MeV) in the dose range of 10 1 † 10 7 Gy at 320 K. The dose dependence of Q -1 had a non-monotonous character. The irradiation to the dose of 5·10 3 Gy resulted in increasing the initial value of Q -1 due to irradiation induced growth of the point defect concentration and accumulating of the elastic lattice strains. It is also evidenced by the symmetric broadening of the structure reflection (111). At the dose of 5 ·10 3 Gy the strain value seems to gain the upper fluidity limit of (6 †15) ·10 -8 N/m 2 , after which a weak splitting of the (111) reflection appears, meaning the beginning of twin formation in the form of insertion stock defects with partial dislocations. At dose increasing to 10 4 Gy the twins cause the sharp drop of Q -1 , related with decreasing of the elastic strains, which stops at the dose of 5·10 4 Gy probably due to reaching the lower limit of fluidity for silicon ((1† 4) · 10 -8 N/m 2 ), when the process of the twin defect formation completes. This mechanism is confirmed by the total splitting of the structure peak (111) and practical independence of Q -1 on dose till 10 7 Gy. Thus, gamma-irradiation in the studied dose range modifies the existing lattice imperfectness, that influences upon both mechanical

Characterisation and stabilisation of the surface region of a highly polished silicon crystal sphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenny, M.J.; Wielunski, L.S.

1999-01-01

Full text: Typically a single crystal silicon wafer has a native oxide layer a few nm thick which changes slowly with time. A number of parameters such as hydrocarbons, water vapour, storage environment can affect this layer. The thickness of the layer is also orientation dependent. In the case of a silicon sphere the situation becomes more complex, because all orientations are present and the process of polishing involves a higher pressure and also high local temperatures. A highly polished single crystal sphere 93.6 mm in diameter is being used to determine the Avogadro constant with an uncertainty of ≤ 1 x 10 -8 . This will then be used to obtain an atomic definition of the kilogram. The composition and structure of the surface oxide layer play an important role in this measurement. Firstly the density of the oxide layer is different from that of silicon. Secondly since the diameter is measured by optical interferometry, corrections must be applied for the phase change in the reflected light beam due to the surface layer. Thirdly the orientation dependence of the layer complicated the corrections to be applied. Fourthly if measurements are made over a period of time, any changes in the surface layer must be taken into account. Given the accuracy required in the determination, the surface layer is a determining factor in the final result. A number of techniques such as spectroscopic ellipsometry and ion beam analysis are being used to study the composition and structure of the surface of a silicon sphere. Cleaning techniques such as HF and low temperature ultraviolet (ozone) are being developed to produce a clean surface. The next step involves deposition of a stable and uniform surface oxide layer a few nm thick. Techniques being investigated for this include ultra violet ozone deposition at 450 deg C and plasma deposition. The paper describes work at the NML in achieving an appropriate stable surface on the silicon sphere

Optical and structural characterization of KBr crystals doped cadmium bromide (CdBr{sub 2})

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bensouici, A., E-mail: bensouicia@yahoo.f [Laboratory of Crystallography (Saint Lucia), Department of Physics, Mentouri-Constantine University, Constantine (Algeria); Plaza, J.L., E-mail: joseluis.plaza@uam.e [Crystal Growth Laboratory (CGL), Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Dieguez, E. [Crystal Growth Laboratory (CGL), Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Halimi, O. [Laboratory of Crystallography (Saint Lucia), Department of Physics, Mentouri-Constantine University, Constantine (Algeria); Guerbous, L. [Centre de recherche nucleaire d' Alger (CRNA), Alger 16000 (Algeria); Sebais, M. [Laboratory of Crystallography (Saint Lucia), Department of Physics, Mentouri-Constantine University, Constantine (Algeria)

2010-04-15

In this paper we demonstrate the presence of CdBr{sub 2} and cadmium aggregates in KBr matrix during Czochralski growth of KBr crystals. The chemical decomposition of CdBr{sub 2} due to high temperature of crystallisation and reformation of cadmium bromide seems to be responsible for this effect.

Crystal growth, structure, defects, mechanical and spectral properties of Nd{sub 0.01}:Gd{sub 0.89}La{sub 0.1}NbO{sub 4} mixed crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Shoujun; Lu, Wancheng; Xu, Jinrui [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui Province (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Zhang, Qingli; Luo, Jianqiao; Liu, Wenpeng; Sun, Guihua; Sun, Dunlu [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui Province (China)

2017-10-15

A novel mixed laser crystal of Nd:GdLaNbO{sub 4} (Nd:GLNO) was grown successfully by conventional Czochralski method. The unit cell parameters were obtained by Rietveld refinement method. The density of the as-grown crystal was measured by Archimedean buoyancy method and calculated in theory. Absorption spectrum of Nd:GLNO crystal was recorded at room temperature, and 11 absorption peaks were assigned. The defects of Nd:GLNO crystal were revealed by using chemical etching method with phosphoric acid as etchant. The mechanical properties (including hardness, yield strength, elastic stiffness constant, fracture toughness and brittleness index) were systemically estimated based on Vickers hardness test. All these obtained results play a quite important role in further investigation of Nd:GLNO crystal. (orig.)

Ultra-compact and wide-spectrum-range thermo-optic switch based on silicon coupled photonic crystal microcavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xingyu; Chung, Chi-Jui; Pan, Zeyu; Yan, Hai; Chakravarty, Swapnajit; Chen, Ray T.

2015-01-01

We design, fabricate, and experimentally demonstrate a compact thermo-optic gate switch comprising a 3.78 μm-long coupled L0-type photonic crystal microcavities on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. A nanohole is inserted in the center of each individual L0 photonic crystal microcavity. Coupling between identical microcavities gives rise to bonding and anti-bonding states of the coupled photonic molecules. The coupled photonic crystal microcavities are numerically simulated and experimentally verified with a 6 nm-wide flat-bottom resonance in its transmission spectrum, which enables wider operational spectrum range than microring resonators. An integrated micro-heater is in direct contact with the silicon core to efficiently drive the device. The thermo-optic switch is measured with an optical extinction ratio of 20 dB, an on-off switching power of 18.2 mW, a thermo-optic tuning efficiency of 0.63 nm/mW, a rise time of 14.8 μs, and a fall time of 18.5 μs. The measured on-chip loss on the transmission band is as low as 1 dB

Influence of photochemical transformations upon optic-spectral characteristics of iodine cadmium crystals with copper dopant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novosad, S.S.

2000-01-01

The influence of photochemical transformations upon absorption. X-ray, photo- and thermostimulated luminescence of crystals CdI 2 :CuI, CdI 2 :CuI and CdI 2 :CuO grown by Stockbarger - Czochralski method has been studied. The photochemical reactions in crystals of iodine cadmium with the dopant of copper leads to reducing the intensity of X-ray, photo- and thermostimulated luminescence, the appearance of new luminescent centers is not observed

Mobility of carriers in the case of diffuse motion in the configuration space of restructuring divacancies in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolgolenko, A.P.

2014-01-01

Calculated temperature dependence of the electron mobility and describes the behavior of holes in high resistance silicon Czochralski grown and float zone melting, after irradiation by fast neutrons reactor and a subsequent isochronous and isothermal annealing. In the framework of the elaborated model of defect clusters was calculated temperature dependence of the concentration of electrons and holes in silicon samples. It is shown that the configuration change divacancies in clusters of defects and in conducting matrix leads to increase in the height of the drift barriers and concentration of long-wave phonons in conducting matrix samples of silicon. It was defined temperature dependence of the height of the drift barriers in the process of ageing at room temperature n-Si

Transmission electron microscope study of neutron irradiation-induced defects in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, Ryuichiro; Kawano, Tetsuya; Fujimoto, Ryoji

1994-01-01

Commercial Czochralski-grown silicon (Cz-Si) and float-zone silicon (Fz-Si) wafers were irradiated with fission neutrons at various fluences from 10 19 to 10 22 n/cm 2 at temperatures ranging from 473 K to 1043 K. The irradiation induced defect structures were examined by transmission electron microscopy and ultra high voltage electron microscopy, which were compared with Marlowe code computer simulation results. It was concluded that the vacancy-type damage structure formed at 473 K were initiated from collapse of vacancy-rich regions of cascades, while interstitial type defect clusters formed by irradiation above 673 K were associated with interstitial oxygen atoms and free interstitials which diffused out of the cascades. Complex defect structures were identified to consist of {113} and {111} planar faults by the parallel beam illumination diffraction analysis. (author)

Single crystal growth and nonlinear optical properties of Nd3+ doped STGS crystal for self-frequency-doubling application

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Feifei; Wang, Lijuan; Wang, Xinle; Cheng, Xiufeng; Yu, Fapeng; Wang, Zhengping; Zhao, Xian

2017-11-01

The self-frequency-doubling crystal is an important kind of multi-functional crystal materials. In this work, Nd3+ doped Sr3TaGa3Si2O14 (Nd:STGS) single crystals were successfully grown by using Czochralski pulling method, in addition, the nonlinear and laser-frequency-doubling properties of Nd:STGS crystals were studied. The continuous-wave laser at 1064 nm was demonstrated along different physical axes, where the maximum output power was obtained to be 295 mW for the Z-cut samples, much higher than the Y-cut (242 mW) and X-cut (217 mW) samples. Based on the measured refractive indexes, the phase matching directions were discussed and determined for type I (42.5°, 30°) and type II (69.5°, 0°) crystal cuts. As expected, self-frequency-doubling green laser at 529 nm was achieved with output powers being around 16 mW and 12 mW for type I and type II configurations, respectively.

Crystal growth, defects, and mechanical and spectral properties of a novel mixed laser crystal Nd:GdYNbO{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Shoujun; Dou, Renqin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei, Anhui Province (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China); Liu, Wenpeng; Zhang, Qingli; Peng, Fang; Luo, Jianqiao; Sun, Guihua; Sun, Dunlu [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei, Anhui Province (China)

2017-01-15

A mixed laser crystal of Nd-doped GYNO crystal was grown successfully by Czochralski method. The crystal belongs to monoclinic system with space group I2/a, the structural parameters are obtained by the X-ray Rietveld refinement method. The defects and dislocations along three crystallographic orientations were studied by using the chemical etching method with the phosphoric acid etchant. The mechanical properties (including hardness, yield strength, fracture toughness, and brittle index) of the crystal were estimated by Vickers hardness test. The transmission spectrum was measured at room temperature, and the absorption peaks were assigned. Spectral properties of the as-grown crystal were investigated by Judd-Ofelt theory, and the Judd-Ofelt intense parameters Ω{sub 2,4,6} were obtained to be 9.674 x 10{sup -20}, 2.092 x 10{sup -20}, and 4.061 x 10{sup -20} cm{sup 2}, respectively. (orig.)

Optical properties of organic-silicon photonic crystal nanoslot cavity light source

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Jay Yang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available We theoretically study a dielectric photonic crystal nanoslot cavity immersed in an organic fluid containing near-infrared dyes by means of a full rate equation model including the complete cavity QED effects. Based on the modeling results, we numerically design an organic-silicon cavity light source in which its mode volume, quality factor, and far-field emission pattern are optimized for energy-efficient, high-speed applications. Dye quantum efficiency improved by two orders of magnitude and 3dB modulation bandwidth of a few hundred GHz can be obtained.

Growth and characterization of Nd:CLNGG crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Z. B.; Zhang, H. J.; Wang, J. Y.; Yu, Y. G.; Wang, Z. P.; Yu, H. H.; Sun, S. Q.; Xia, H. R.; Jiang, M. H.

2009-07-01

The disordered laser crystal neodymium-doped calcium lithium niobium gallium garnet (Nd:CLNGG) was successfully grown by the Czochralski method. Its thermal properties, including the average linear thermal expansion coefficient, thermal diffusion coefficient, specific heat, and thermal conductivity were measured, and continuous-wave (CW) laser performance at 1.06 μm was demonstrated. The maximum power of 1.48 W was achieved with corresponding optical conversion efficiency of 12.4% and slope efficiency of 16.2%.

Light-trapping optimization in wet-etched silicon photonic crystal solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eyderman, Sergey, E-mail: sergey.eyderman@utoronto.ca [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7 (Canada); John, Sajeev [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7 (Canada); Department of Physics, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Hafez, M.; Al-Ameer, S. S.; Al-Harby, T. S.; Al-Hadeethi, Y. [Department of Physics, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Bouwes, D. M. [iX-factory GmbH, Konrad Adenauer–Allee 11, 44263 Dortmund (Germany)

2015-07-14

We demonstrate, by numerical solution of Maxwell's equations, near-perfect solar light-trapping and absorption over the 300–1100 nm wavelength band in silicon photonic crystal (PhC) architectures, amenable to fabrication by wet-etching and requiring less than 10 μm (equivalent bulk thickness) of crystalline silicon. These PhC's consist of square lattices of inverted pyramids with sides comprised of various (111) silicon facets and pyramid center-to-center spacing in the range of 1.3–2.5 μm. For a wet-etched slab with overall height H = 10 μm and lattice constant a = 2.5 μm, we find a maximum achievable photo-current density (MAPD) of 42.5 mA/cm{sup 2}, falling not far from 43.5 mA/cm{sup 2}, corresponding to 100% solar absorption in the range of 300–1100 nm. We also demonstrate a MAPD of 37.8 mA/cm{sup 2} for a thinner silicon PhC slab of overall height H = 5 μm and lattice constant a = 1.9 μm. When H is further reduced to 3 μm, the optimal lattice constant for inverted pyramids reduces to a = 1.3 μm and provides the MAPD of 35.5 mA/cm{sup 2}. These wet-etched structures require more than double the volume of silicon, in comparison to the overall mathematically optimum PhC structure (consisting of slanted conical pores), to achieve the same degree of solar absorption. It is suggested these 3–10 μm thick structures are valuable alternatives to currently utilized 300 μm-thick textured solar cells and are suitable for large-scale fabrication by wet-etching.

Silicon nanocrystal-based photonic crystal slabs with broadband and efficient directional light emission

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ondič, Lukáš; Varga, Marián; Pelant, Ivan; Valenta, J.; Kromka, Alexander; Elliman, R. G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-8, č. článku 5763. ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA ČR GJ16-09692Y; GA MŠk(CZ) LD15003 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : photonic crystal slab * silicon nanocrystals * light emission Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Precision interplanar spacings measurements of boron doped silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, D.A.W.; Pimentel, C.A.F.

1982-05-01

A study of lattice parameters of boron doped silicon (10 14 -10 19 atom/cc) grown in and directions by Czochralski technique has been undertaken. Interplanar spacings (d) were measured by pseudo-Kossel technique to a precision up to 0,001%; different procedures to obtain d and the errors are discussed. It is concluded that the crystallographic planes contract preferentially and the usual study of parameter variation must be made as a function of d. The diffused B particularly contracts the [333] plane and in a more pronunciate way in high concentrations. An orientation dependence of the diffusion during growth was observed. (Author) [pt

Tunnel oxide passivated rear contact for large area n-type front junction silicon solar cells providing excellent carrier selectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuguo Tao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Carrier-selective contact with low minority carrier recombination and efficient majority carrier transport is mandatory to eliminate metal-induced recombination for higher energy conversion efficiency for silicon (Si solar cells. In the present study, the carrier-selective contact consists of an ultra-thin tunnel oxide and a phosphorus-doped polycrystalline Si (poly-Si thin film formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD and subsequent thermal crystallization. It is shown that the poly-Si film properties (doping level, crystallization and dopant activation anneal temperature are crucial for achieving excellent contact passivation quality. It is also demonstrated quantitatively that the tunnel oxide plays a critical role in this tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCON scheme to realize desired carrier selectivity. Presence of tunnel oxide increases the implied Voc (iVoc by ~ 125 mV. The iVoc value as high as 728 mV is achieved on symmetric structure with TOPCON on both sides. Large area (239 cm2 n-type Czochralski (Cz Si solar cells are fabricated with homogeneous implanted boron emitter and screen-printed contact on the front and TOPCON on the back, achieving 21.2% cell efficiency. Detailed analysis shows that the performance of these cells is mainly limited by boron emitter recombination on the front side.

Oxygen and carbon transfer during solidification of semiconductor grade silicon in different processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeyron, P. J.; Durand, F.

2000-03-01

A model is established for comparing the solute distribution resulting from four solidification processes currently applied to semiconductor grade silicon: Czochralski pulling (CZ), floating zone (FZ), 1D solidification and electromagnetic continuous pulling (EMCP). This model takes into account solid-liquid interface exchange, evaporation to or contamination by the gas phase, container dissolution, during steady-state solidification, and in the preliminary preparation of the melt. For simplicity, the transfers are treated in the crude approximation of perfectly mixed liquid and boundary layers. As a consequence, only the axial ( z) distribution can be represented. Published data on oxygen and carbon transfer give a set of acceptable values for the thickness of the boundary layers. In the FZ and EMCP processes, oxygen evaporation can change the asymptotic behaviour of the reference Pfann law. In CZ and in 1D-solidification, a large variety of solute profile curves can be obtained, because they are very sensitive to the balance between crucible dissolution and evaporation. The CZ process clearly brings supplementary degrees of freedom via the geometry of the crucible, important for the dissolution phenomena, and via the rotation rate of the crystal and of the crucible, important for acting on transfer kinetics.

Reduced Moment-Based Models for Oxygen Precipitates and Dislocation Loops in Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Trzynadlowski, Bart

The demand for ever smaller, higher-performance integrated circuits and more efficient, cost-effective solar cells continues to push the frontiers of process technology. Fabrication of silicon devices requires extremely precise control of impurities and crystallographic defects. Failure to do so not only reduces performance, efficiency, and yield, it threatens the very survival of commercial enterprises in today's fiercely competitive and price-sensitive global market. The presence of oxygen in silicon is an unavoidable consequence of the Czochralski process, which remains the most popular method for large-scale production of single-crystal silicon. Oxygen precipitates that form during thermal processing cause distortion of the surrounding silicon lattice and can lead to the formation of dislocation loops. Localized deformation caused by both of these defects introduces potential wells that trap diffusing impurities such as metal atoms, which is highly desirable if done far away from sensitive device regions. Unfortunately, dislocations also reduce the mechanical strength of silicon, which can cause wafer warpage and breakage. Engineers must negotiate this and other complex tradeoffs when designing fabrication processes. Accomplishing this in a complex, modern process involving a large number of thermal steps is impossible without the aid of computational models. In this dissertation, new models for oxygen precipitation and dislocation loop evolution are described. An oxygen model using kinetic rate equations to evolve the complete precipitate size distribution was developed first. This was then used to create a reduced model tracking only the moments of the size distribution. The moment-based model was found to run significantly faster than its full counterpart while accurately capturing the evolution of oxygen precipitates. The reduced model was fitted to experimental data and a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the results. Source

Digital silicon photomultiplier readout of a new fast and bright scintillation crystal (Ce:GFAG)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong-Seok [Department of Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Leem, Hyun-Tae [Molecular Imaging Research & Education (MiRe) Laboratory, Department of Electronic Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yamamoto, Seiichi [Department of Medical Technology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya (Japan); Choi, Yong, E-mail: ychoi@sogang.ac.kr [Molecular Imaging Research & Education (MiRe) Laboratory, Department of Electronic Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kamada, Kei [New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); C& A corporation, Sendai (Japan); Yoshikawa, Akira [New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); C& A corporation, Sendai (Japan); Institute for Material Research, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); Park, Sang-Geon [Department of Electrical & Electronics, Silla University, Pusan (Korea, Republic of); Yeom, Jung-Yeol, E-mail: jungyeol@korea.ac.kr [Department of Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-01

A new Gadolinium Fine Aluminum Gallate (Ce:GFAG) scintillation crystal with both high energy resolution and fast timing properties has successfully been grown. Compared to Gd{sub 3}Al{sub 2}Ga{sub 3}O{sub 12} (Ce:GAGG), this new inorganic scintillation crystal has a high luminosity similar to and a faster decay time. In this paper, we report on the timing and energy performance results of the new GFAG scintillation crystal read out with digital silicon photomultipliers (dSiPM) for positron emission tomography (PET) application. The best coincidence resolving time (FWHM) of polished 3×3×5 mm{sup 3} crystals was 223±6 ps for GFAG crystals compared to 396±28 ps for GAGG crystals and 131±3 ps for LYSO crystals respectively. An energy resolution (511 keV peak of Na-22) of 10.9±0.2% was attained with GFAG coupled to dSiPM after correcting for saturation effect, compared to 9.5±0.3% for Ce:GAGG crystals and 11.9±0.4% for LYSO crystals respectively. It is expected that this new scintillator may be competitive in terms of overall properties such as energy resolution, timing resolution and growing (raw material) cost, compared to existing scintillators for positron emission tomography (PET).

Crystal growth, spectroscopic characterization, and continuous wave laser operation of Nd3+-doped LiLuF4 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, C. C.; Hang, Y.; Zhang, L. H.; He, X. M.; Yin, J. G.; Li, R.; Yu, T.; Chen, W. B.

2011-04-01

Nd3+-doped LiLuF4 single crystal with high optical quality was grown by Czochralski technique. The segregation coefficient of Nd3+ in LiLuF4 crystal was determined by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry method. Polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra were investigated. The peak absorption cross section at 792 nm and peak emission cross section at 1053 nm are 6.94×10-20 and 7.60×10-20 cm2, respectively. With a laser-diode as the pump source, a maximum 6.22 W continuous-wave laser output at 1053 nm has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 37.2% with respect to the pump power.

Furnace and support equipment for space processing. [space manufacturing - Czochralski method

Science.gov (United States)

Mazelsky, R.; Duncan, C. S.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Johnson, R. A.; Hopkins, R. H.; Roland, G. W.

1975-01-01

A core facility capable of performing a majority of materials processing experiments is discussed. Experiment classes are described, the needs peculiar to each experiment type are outlined, and projected facility requirements to perform the experiments are treated. Control equipment (automatic control) and variations of the Czochralski method for use in space are discussed.

Wavelength-controlled external-cavity laser with a silicon photonic crystal resonant reflector

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Fernandez, A. A.; Liles, Alexandros A.; Persheyev, Saydulla; Debnath, Kapil; O'Faolain, Liam

2016-03-01

We report the experimental demonstration of an alternative design of external-cavity hybrid lasers consisting of a III-V Semiconductor Optical Amplifier with fiber reflector and a Photonic Crystal (PhC) based resonant reflector on SOI. The Silicon reflector comprises a polymer (SU8) bus waveguide vertically coupled to a PhC cavity and provides a wavelength-selective optical feedback to the laser cavity. This device exhibits milliwatt-level output power and sidemode suppression ratio of more than 25 dB.

Temperature dependent evolution of wrinkled single-crystal silicon ribbons on shape memory polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu; Yu, Kai; Qi, H Jerry; Xiao, Jianliang

2017-10-25

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) can remember two or more distinct shapes, and thus can have a lot of potential applications. This paper presents combined experimental and theoretical studies on the wrinkling of single-crystal Si ribbons on SMPs and the temperature dependent evolution. Using the shape memory effect of heat responsive SMPs, this study provides a method to build wavy forms of single-crystal silicon thin films on top of SMP substrates. Silicon ribbons obtained from a Si-on-insulator (SOI) wafer are released and transferred onto the surface of programmed SMPs. Then such bilayer systems are recovered at different temperatures, yielding well-defined, wavy profiles of Si ribbons. The wavy profiles are shown to evolve with time, and the evolution behavior strongly depends on the recovery temperature. At relatively low recovery temperatures, both wrinkle wavelength and amplitude increase with time as evolution progresses. Finite element analysis (FEA) accounting for the thermomechanical behavior of SMPs is conducted to study the wrinkling of Si ribbons on SMPs, which shows good agreement with experiment. Merging of wrinkles is observed in FEA, which could explain the increase of wrinkle wavelength observed in the experiment. This study can have important implications for smart stretchable electronics, wrinkling mechanics, stimuli-responsive surface engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

Effect of preliminary annealing of silicon substrates on the spectral sensitivity of photodetectors in bipolar integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blynskij, V.I.; Bozhatkin, O.A.; Golub, E.S.; Lemeshevskaya, A.M.; Shvedov, S.V.

2010-01-01

We examine the results of an effect of preliminary annealing on the spectral sensitivity of photodetectors in bipolar integrated circuits, formed in silicon grown by the Czochralski method. We demonstrate the possibility of substantially improving the sensitivity of photodetectors in the infrared region of the spectrum with twostep annealing. The observed effect is explained by participation of oxidation in the gettering process, where oxidation precedes formation of a buried n + layer in the substrate. (authors)

Piezoelectric Ca{sub 3}NbGa{sub 3}Si{sub 2}O{sub 14} crystal: crystal growth, piezoelectric and acoustic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roshchupkin, Dmitry; Emelin, Evgenii [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microelectronics Technology and High-Purity Materials, Chernogolovka, Moscow District (Russian Federation); National University of Science and Technology MISiS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Ortega, Luc [Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay Cedex (France); Plotitcyna, Olga; Irzhak, Dmitry [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microelectronics Technology and High-Purity Materials, Chernogolovka, Moscow District (Russian Federation); Erko, Alexei; Zizak, Ivo; Vadilonga, Simone [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie GmbH, Institute for Nanometre Optics and Technology, Berlin (Germany); Buzanov, Oleg [FOMOS Materials Co., Moscow (Russian Federation); Leitenberger, Wolfram [Universitaet Potsdam Institut fuer Physik, Potsdam (Germany)

2016-08-15

Ca{sub 3}NbGa{sub 3}Si{sub 2}O{sub 14} (CNGS), a five-component crystal of lanthanum-gallium silicate group, was grown by the Czochralski method. The parameters of the elementary unit cell of the crystal were measured by powder diffraction. The independent piezoelectric strain coefficients d{sub 11} and d{sub 14} were determined by the triple-axis X-ray diffraction in the Bragg and Laue geometries. Excitation and propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAW) were studied by high-resolution X-ray diffraction at BESSY II synchrotron radiation source. The velocity of SAW propagation and power flow angles in the Y-, X- and yxl/+36 {sup circle} -cuts of the CNGS crystal were determined from the analysis of the diffraction spectra. The CNGS crystal was found practically isotropic by its acoustic properties. (orig.)

Microcrystalline silicon growth by low laser energy crystallization on a plastic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, D. Y.; Seo, C. K.; Shim, M. S.; Kim, C. H.; Yi, J.

2004-01-01

We are reporting the crystallization of amorphous silicon (a-Si) using a XeCl excimer laser treatment. Although polycarbonate (PC) plastic substrates are very weak at high temperatures of more than 150 .deg. C, they are very useful for applications to microelectronics because of light weight, high transmittance, and flexibility. In order to crystallize a-Si films on plastic substrates, we suggest that a CeO 2 seed layer will be very helpful at a low laser energy density. The seed layer is deposited at room temperature by rf using magnetron sputtering. A seed layer deposition method will be also presented in detail in this article. We compare a-Si crytallization without a seed layer with one with a seed layer deposited between the a-Si and the plastic substrate. The a-Si was deposited on the plastic substrate by using inductively coupled plasma Chemical-Vapor Deposition (ICPCVD) at the room temperature. In this paper, we will present the crystallization properties of a-Si with and without a CeO 2 seed layer on the plastic substrate.

Self-supporting film method of silicon single crystal by ion implantation and it`s application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saito, Kazuo; Nakao, Setsuo; Niwa, Hiroaki; Miyagawa, Soji [National Industrial Research Inst. of Nagoya (Japan)

1996-12-01

A few {mu}m of thickness of self-supporting film of silicon single crystal was produced by the ion implantation and the selective etching. This materials are distinguished by a uniform film thickness, good controllability, crystallization and the mechanical strength. For applying it to device, the detailed process has to be established, because there are some improved problems such as pinhole and morphology on the surface. This materials are very useful to the basic experiment of the base for epitaxial growth under irradiation of ion beams and the ion beam analysis in the atmosphere. (S.Y.)

Spectral properties and laser performance of Tm, Ho: LuLF4 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Haiyan; Zhang, Kun; Zhang, Lianhan; Hang, Yin; Xu, Jianqiu; Tang, Yulong; Cheng, Yan; Xiong, Jing

2008-12-01

LuLiF4 single crystals co-doped with thulium (5%) and holmium (0.5%), which had large size, intact shape and high optical quality, were successfully grown by the medium frequency induction heating Czochralski Technique. The absorption spectrum of the crystals showed that the main absorption peak located at 686 nm and 792nm. At room temperature, LuLiF4 single crystals co-doped with thulium (5%) and holmium (0.5%) were end-pumped by a fiber-coupled laser diode system with pumping wavelength of 795 nm. We achieved power of 50 mw continuous laser output at 2.05 μm wavelength.

Twinning structures in near-stoichiometric lithium niobate single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Shuhua; Chen, Yanfeng

2010-01-01

A near-stoichiometric lithium niobate single crystal has been grown by the Czochralski method in a hanging double crucible with a continuous powder supply system. Twins were found at one of the three characteristic growth ridges of the as-grown crystal. The twin structure was observed and analyzed by transmission synchrotron topography. The image shifts ΔX and ΔY in the transmission synchrotron topograph were calculated for the 3 anti 2 anti 12 and 0 anti 222 reflections based on results from high-resolution X-ray diffractometry. It is confirmed that one of the {01 anti 1 anti 2} m planes is the composition face of the twin and matrix crystals. The formation mechanism of these twins is discussed. (orig.)

Magnetic flow control in growth and casting of photovoltaic silicon: Numerical and experimental results

Science.gov (United States)

Poklad, A.; Pal, J.; Galindo, V.; Grants, I.; Heinze, V.; Meier, D.; Pätzold, O.; Stelter, M.; Gerbeth, G.

2017-07-01

A novel, vertical Bridgman-type technique for growing multi-crystalline silicon ingots in an induction furnace is described. In contrast to conventional growth, a modified setup with a cone-shaped crucible and susceptor is used. A detailed numerical simulation of the setup is presented. It includes a global thermal simulation of the furnace and a local simulation of the melt, which aims at the influence of the melt flow on the temperature and concentration fields. Furthermore, seeded growth of cone-shaped Si ingots using either a monocrystalline seed or a seed layer formed by pieces of poly-Si is demonstrated and compared to growth without seeds. The influences of the seed material on the grain structure and the dislocation density of the ingots are discussed. The second part addresses model experiments for the Czochralski technique using the room temperature liquid metal GaInSn. The studies were focused on the influence of a rotating and a horizontally static magnetic field on the melt flow and the related heat transport in crucibles being heated from bottom and/or side, and cooled by a crystal model covering about 1/3 of the upper melt surface.

Growth of optical grade germanium crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waris, M.; Akhtar, M.J.; Mehmood, N.; Ashraf, M.; Siddique, M.

2011-01-01

A novel design of Czochralski( CZ ) growth station in a low frequency induction furnace is described and growth of optical grade Ge crystal as a test material is performed achieving a flat solid-liquid interface shape. Grown Ge crystals are annealed in air at 450 -500 deg. C for 4 hrs and then characterized by determination of crystallographic orientation by Laue (back-reflection of X-rays) method, dislocation density studies by etch-pits formation, measuring electrical resistivity by 4-probe technique, conductivity type determination by hot probe method, measurement of hardness on Moh's scale and optical transmission measurement in IR region. The results obtained are compared to those reported in the literature. The use of this growth station for other materials is suggested. (author)

Performance study of Philips digital silicon photomultiplier coupled to scintillating crystals

CERN Document Server

Liu, Z.; Auffray, E.; Lecoq, P.; Paganoni, M.

2016-01-01

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and scintillators are often arranged in the shape of arrays in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems. Digital SiPMs provide signal readout in single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) level. From the photon count rate measurement of each SPAD cell of digital SiPM, we found that the output scintillating photons distribute in an area larger than the scintillator physical coupling area. Taking advantage of the possibility to enable/disable individual cells of the digital SiPM, a group of Lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals with different dimensions coupled to a digital SiPM was used to study the influence of using different SiPM active area on the number of photons detected, energy resolution and coincidence time resolution (CTR). For the same crystal coupled to the digital SiPM, the larger the active area of digital SiPM, the higher the number of photons detected. The larger active area of the digital SiPM also results in a better energy resolution after saturation...

Observation of Multiple Volume Reflection of Ultrarelativistic Protons by a Sequence of Several Bent Silicon Crystals

CERN Document Server

Scandale, Walter; Baricordi, S; Dalpiaz, P; Fiorini, M; Guidi, V; Mazzolari, A; Della Mea, G; Milan, R; Ambrosi, G; Zuccon, P; Bertucci, B; Bürger, W; Duranti, M; Cavoto, G; Santacesaria, R; Valente, P; Luci, C; Iacoangeli, F; Vallazza, E; Afonin, A G; Chesnokov, Yu A; Kotov, V I; Maisheev, V A; Yazynin, I A; Kovalenko, A D; Taratin, A M; Denisov, A S; Gavrikov, Y A; Ivanov, Yu M; Lapina, L P; Malyarenko, L G; Skorogobogatov, V V; Suvorov, V M; Vavilov, S A; Bolognini, D; Hasan, S; Mozzanica, A; Prest, M

2009-01-01

The interactions of 400 GeV protons with different sequences of bent silicon crystals have been investigated at the H8 beam line of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. The multiple volume reflection of the proton beam has been studied in detail on a five-crystal reflector measuring an angular beam deflection =52.96±0.14 µrad. The efficiency was found larger than 80% for an angular acceptance at the reflector entrance of 70 µrad, with a maximal efficiency value of =0.90±0.01±0.03.

Monitoring of degradation of porous silicon photonic crystals using digital photography

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

We report the monitoring of porous silicon (pSi) degradation in aqueous solutions using a consumer-grade digital camera. To facilitate optical monitoring, the pSi samples were prepared as one-dimensional photonic crystals (rugate filters) by electrochemical etching of highly doped p-type Si wafers using a periodic etch waveform. Two pSi formulations, representing chemistries relevant for self-reporting drug delivery applications, were tested: freshly etched pSi (fpSi) and fpSi coated with the biodegradable polymer chitosan (pSi-ch). Accelerated degradation of the samples in an ethanol-containing pH 10 aqueous basic buffer was monitored in situ by digital imaging with a consumer-grade digital camera with simultaneous optical reflectance spectrophotometric point measurements. As the nanostructured porous silicon matrix dissolved, a hypsochromic shift in the wavelength of the rugate reflectance peak resulted in visible color changes from red to green. While the H coordinate in the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color space calculated using the as-acquired photographs was a good monitor of degradation at short times (t  pSi-ch. PMID:25242902

Ray trace visualization of negative refraction of light in two-dimensional air-bridged silicon photonic crystal slabs at 1.55 microm.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Lin; Liu, Ya-Zhao; Li, Jiang-Yan; Zhang, Ze-Bo; Zhang, Dao-Zhong; Li, Zhi-Yuan

2009-06-08

We demonstrate design, fabrication, and ray trace observation of negative refraction of near-infrared light in a two-dimensional square lattice of air holes etched into an air-bridged silicon slab. Special surface morphologies are designed to reduce the impedance mismatch when light refracts from a homogeneous silicon slab into the photonic crystal slab. We clearly observed negative refraction of infrared light for TE-like modes in a broad wavelength range by using scanning near-field optical microscopy technology. The experimental results are in good agreement with finite-difference time-domain simulations. The results indicate the designed photonic crystal structure can serve as polarization beam splitter.

VV and VO2 defects in silicon studied with hybrid density functional theory

KAUST Repository

Christopoulos, Stavros Richard G

2014-12-07

The formation of VO (A-center), VV and VO2 defects in irradiated Czochralski-grown silicon (Si) is of technological importance. Recent theoretical studies have examined the formation and charge states of the A-center in detail. Here we use density functional theory employing hybrid functionals to analyze the formation of VV and VO2 defects. The formation energy as a function of the Fermi energy is calculated for all possible charge states. For the VV and VO2 defects double negatively charged and neutral states dominate, respectively.

G-centers in irradiated silicon revisited: A screened hybrid density functional theory approach

KAUST Repository

Wang, H.

2014-05-13

Electronic structure calculations employing screened hybrid density functional theory are used to gain fundamental insight into the interaction of carbon interstitial (Ci) and substitutional (Cs) atoms forming the CiCs defect known as G-center in silicon (Si). The G-center is one of the most important radiation related defects in Czochralski grown Si. We systematically investigate the density of states and formation energy for different types of CiCs defects with respect to the Fermi energy for all possible charge states. Prevalence of the neutral state for the C-type defect is established.

Proceedings of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project Workshop on Crystal Gowth for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, K. A. (Editor)

1985-01-01

A Workshop on Crystal Growth for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells was held December 3 and 4, 1984, in San Diego, California. The Workshop offered a day and a half of technical presentations and discussions and an afternoon session that involved a panel discussion and general discussion of areas of research that are necessary to the development of materials for high-efficiency solar cells. Topics included the theoretical and experimental aspects of growing high-quality silicon crystals, the effects of growth-process-related defects on photovoltaic devices, and the suitability of various growth technologies as cost-effective processes. Fifteen invited papers were presented, with a discussion period following each presentation. The meeting was organized by the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These Proceedings are a record of the presentations and discussions, edited for clarity and continuity.

Influence of metal induced crystallization parameters on the performance of polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, L.; Barquinha, P.; Fortunato, E.; Martins, R.

2005-01-01

In this work, metal induced crystallization using nickel was employed to obtain polycrystalline silicon by crystallization of amorphous films for thin film transistor applications. The devices were produced through only one lithographic process with a bottom gate configuration using a new gate dielectric consisting of a multi-layer of aluminum oxide/titanium oxide produced by atomic layer deposition. The best results were obtained for TFTs with the active layer of poly-Si crystallized for 20 h at 500 deg. C using a nickel layer of 0.5 nm where the effective mobility is 45.5 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . The threshold voltage, the on/off current ratio and the sub-threshold voltage are, respectively, 11.9 V, 5.55x10 4 and 2.49 V/dec

Growth and optical properties of Tm:GdVO4 single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urata, Y.; Akagawa, K.; Wada, S.; Tashiro, H.; Fukuda, T.

1999-01-01

Thulium-doped gadolinium vanadate (Tm:GdVO 4 ) single crystal has been successfully grown by a modified Czochralski (CZ) technique. Effective distribution coefficient of Tm was determined to be 0.74. Absorption characterization was performed in the 800 nm region and the maximum absorption peak was found at 799 nm for π polarization. Fluorescence spectra for tuning at the maximum absorption were obtained around 1.8-2.0 μm region with 100 nm bandwidth. This suggests that a Tm:GdVO 4 crystal is expected as a new promising LD pumped solid-state laser in the 2 μm region. (orig.)

Numerical analysis of continuous charge of lithium niobate in a double-crucible Czochralski system using the accelerated crucible rotation technique

Science.gov (United States)

Kitashima, Tomonori; Liu, Lijun; Kitamura, Kenji; Kakimoto, Koichi

2004-05-01

The transport mechanism of supplied raw material in a double-crucible Czochralski system using the accelerated crucible rotation technique (ACRT) was investigated by three-dimensional and time-dependent numerical simulation. The calculation clarified that use of the ACRT resulted in enhancement of the mixing effect of the supplied raw material. It is, therefore, possible to maintain the composition of the melt in an inner crucible during crystal growth by using the ACRT. The effect of the continuous charge of the raw material on melt temperature was also investigated. Our results showed that the effect of feeding lithium niobate granules on melt temperature was small, since the feeding rate of the granules is small. Therefore, solidification of the melt surface due to the heat of fusion in this system is not likely.

Polarized spectroscopic properties of Er{sup 3+}:Gd{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} crystal and evaluation of Er{sup 3+}:Yb{sup 3+}:Gd{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} crystal as a 1.55 μm laser medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, H. [Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Huang, J.H.; Gong, X.H.; Chen, Y.J.; Lin, Y.F.; Luo, Z.D. [Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China); Huang, Y.D., E-mail: huyd@fjirsm.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China)

2016-10-01

An Er{sup 3+}-doped Gd{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} single crystal with high optical quality has been grown by the Czochralski method. Polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the crystal were measured at room temperature. Intensity parameters, spontaneous emission probabilities, fluorescence branching ratios, and radiative lifetimes were estimated on the basis of the Judd–Ofelt theory. Besides, potentiality of 1.55 μm laser emission in an Er{sup 3+}–Yb{sup 3+} co-doped Gd{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} crystal was evaluated.

Depletion voltage studies on n-in-n MCz silicon diodes after irradiation with 70 MeV protons

CERN Document Server

Holmkvist, William

2014-01-01

Silicon detectors is the main component in the pixel detectors in the ATLAS experiment at CERN in order to detect the particles and recreate their tracks after a proton-proton collision. One criteria on these detectors is to be able to operate in the high radiation field close to the particle collision. The usual behavior of the silicon detectors is that they get type inverted and an increase in the depletion voltage can be seen after exposed to significant amounts of radiation. In contrast n-type Magnetic Czochralski (MCz) silicon doesn’t follow FZ silicons pattern of getting type inverted when it comes to high energy particle irradiation, in the range of GeV. However it was observed that MCz silicon diodes that had been irradiated with 23 MeV protons followed the FZ silicon behavior and did type invert. The aim of the project is to find out how the depletion voltage of MCz silicon changes after being irradiated by 70 MeV at fluencies of 1E13, 1E14 and 5E14 neq/cm2, to give a further insight of at what en...

Crystal Growth and Characterization of MT2Si2 Ternary Intermetallics (M = U, RE and T = 3d, 4d, 5d Transition Metals)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menovsky, A.A.; Moleman, A.C.; Snel, G.E.; Gortenmulder, T.J.; Palstra, T.T.M.

1986-01-01

Bulk single crystals of the ternary intermetallic compounds UT2Si2 (T = Ni, Pd, Pt and Ru), LaT2Si2 (T = Pd and Rh) and LuPd2Si2 have been grown from the melt with a modified “tri-arc” Czochralski method. The as-grown crystals were characterized by X-ray, microprobe and chemical analyses. The

Quantum mechanical theory of epitaxial transformation of silicon to silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukushkin, S A; Osipov, A V

2017-01-01

The paper focuses on the study of transformation of silicon crystal into silicon carbide crystal via substitution reaction with carbon monoxide gas. As an example, the Si(1 0 0) surface is considered. The cross section of the potential energy surface of the first stage of transformation along the reaction pathway is calculated by the method of nudged elastic bands. It is found that in addition to intermediate states associated with adsorption of CO and SiO molecules on the surface, there is also an intermediate state in which all the atoms are strongly bonded to each other. This intermediate state significantly reduces the activation barrier of transformation down to 2.6 eV. The single imaginary frequencies corresponding to the two transition states of this transformation are calculated, one of which is reactant-like, whereas the other is product-like. By methods of quantum chemistry of solids, the second stage of this transformation is described, namely, the transformation of precarbide silicon into silicon carbide. Energy reduction per one cell is calculated for this ‘collapse’ process, and bond breaking energy is also found. Hence, it is concluded that the smallest size of the collapsing islet is 30 nm. It is shown that the chemical bonds of the initial silicon crystal are coordinately replaced by the bonds between Si and C in silicon carbide, which leads to a high quality of epitaxy and a low concentration of misfit dislocations. (paper)

Optical properties and radiation response of Ce3+-doped GdScO3 crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaji, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Futami, Yoshisuke; Yokota, Yuui; Kurosawa, Shunsuke; Kochurikhin, Vladimir; Yanagida, Takayuki; Yoshikawa, Akira

2012-01-01

10%-Ce doped GdScO 3 perovskite type single crystal was grown by the Czochralski process. The Ce concentration in the crystal was measured. No impurity phases were observed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. We evaluated the optical and radiation properties of the grown crystal. Ce:GdScO 3 crystal showed photo- and radio-luminescence peaks due to Ce 3+ of 5d-4f transition and colour centre. The photoluminescence decay time was sub-ns order. The relative light yield under 5.5 MeV alpha-ray excitation was calculated to be approximately 9% of BGO. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Study on control of defect mode in hybrid mirror chirped porous silicon photonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying; Luo, Pei; Han, Yangyang; Cui, Xingning; He, Lei

2018-03-01

Based on the optical resonance principle and the tight-binding theory, a hybrid mirror chirped porous silicon photonic crystal is proposed. The control of the defect mode in hybrid mirror chirped porous silicon photonic crystal is studied. Through the numerical simulation, the control regulations of the defect modes resulted by the number of the periodical layers for the fundamental unit and the cascading number of the chirped structures are analyzed, and the split and the degeneration of the defect modes resulted by the change of the relative location between the mirror structures and the quasi-mirror structures are discussed. The simulation results show that the band gap would be broadened with the increase of the chirp quantity and the layer number of unilateral chirp. Adjusting the structural parameters of the hybrid mirror structure, the multimode characteristics will occur in the band gap. The more the cascading number of the chirped units, the more the number of the filtering channels will be. In addition, with the increase of the relative location between the mirror structures and the quasi-mirror structures, the degeneration of the defect modes will occur and can obtain high Q value. The structure can provide effective theoretical references for the design the multi-channel filters and high Q value sensors.

N-type polycrystalline silicon films formed on alumina by aluminium induced crystallization and overdoping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuezuen, O. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg (France)], E-mail: Ozge.Tuzun@iness.c-strasbourg.fr; Slaoui, A. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Gordon, I. [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Focsa, A. [InESS, UMR 7163 CNRS-ULP, 23 rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Ballutaud, D. [GEMaC-UMR 8635 CNRS, 1 place Aristide Briand, F-92195 Meudon (France); Beaucarne, G.; Poortmans, J. [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)

2008-08-30

In this work, we investigated the formation of n-type polysilicon films on alumina substrates by overdoping a p-type silicon layer obtained by aluminium induced crystallization of amorphous silicon (AIC), and subsequent epitaxy. The phosphorus doping of the AIC was carried out by thermal diffusion from a solid source. The structural quality of the n-type Si film was monitored by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The doping efficiency was determined by resistivity measurements and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The sheet resitivity changed from 2700{omega}/sq to 19.6{omega}/sq after thermal diffusion at 950 deg. C for 1h, indicating the overdoping effect. The SIMS profile carried out after the high temperature epitaxy exhibits a two steps phosphorus distribution, indicating the formation of an n{sup +}n structure.

Study on defects and impurities in cast-grown polycrystalline silicon substrates for solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arafune, K.; Sasaki, T.; Wakabayashi, F.; Terada, Y.; Ohshita, Y.; Yamaguchi, M.

2006-01-01

We focused on the defects and impurities in polycrystalline silicon substrates, which deteriorate solar cell efficiency. Comparison of the minority carrier lifetime with the grain size showed that the region with short minority carrier lifetimes did not correspond to the region with small grains. Conversely, the minority carrier lifetime decreased as the etch-pit density (EPD) increased, suggesting that the minority carrier lifetime is strongly affected by the EPD. Electron beam induced current measurements revealed that a combination of grain boundaries and point defects had high recombination activity. Regarding impurities, the interstitial oxygen concentration was relatively low compared with that in a Czochralski-grown silicon substrate, the total carbon concentration exceeded the solubility limit of silicon melt. X-ray microprobe fluorescence measurements revealed a large amount of iron in the regions where there were many etch-pits and grain boundaries with etch-pits. X-ray absorption near edge spectrum analysis revealed trapped iron in the form of oxidized iron

Semiconductors and semimetals oxygen in silicon

CERN Document Server

Willardson, Robert K; Beer, Albert C; Shimura, Fumio

1994-01-01

This volume reviews the latest understanding of the behavior and roles of oxygen in silicon, which will carry the field into the ULSI era from the experimental and theoretical points of view. The fourteen chapters, written by recognized authorities representing industrial and academic institutions, cover thoroughly the oxygen related phenomena from the crystal growth to device fabrication processes, as well as indispensable diagnostic techniques for oxygen.Key Features* Comprehensive study of the behavior of oxygen in silicon* Discusses silicon crystals for VLSI and ULSI applications* Thorough coverage from crystal growth to device fabrication* Edited by technical experts in the field* Written by recognized authorities from industrial and academic institutions* Useful to graduate students, scientists in other disciplines, and active participants in the arena of silicon-based microelectronics research* 297 original line drawings

A liquid-crystal-on-silicon color sequential display using frame buffer pixel circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangrok

Next generation liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) high definition (HD) televisions and image projection displays will need to be low-cost and high quality to compete with existing systems based on digital micromirror devices (DMDs), plasma displays, and direct view liquid crystal displays. In this thesis, a novel frame buffer pixel architecture that buffers data for the next image frame while displaying the current frame, offers such a competitive solution is presented. The primary goal of the thesis is to demonstrate the LCOS microdisplay architecture for high quality image projection displays and at potentially low cost. The thesis covers four main research areas: new frame buffer pixel circuits to improve the LCOS performance, backplane architecture design and testing, liquid crystal modes for the LCOS microdisplay, and system integration and demonstration. The design requirements for the LCOS backplane with a 64 x 32 pixel array are addressed and measured electrical characteristics matches to computer simulation results. Various liquid crystal (LC) modes applicable for LCOS microdisplays and their physical properties are discussed. One- and two-dimensional director simulations are performed for the selected LC modes. Test liquid crystal cells with the selected LC modes are made and their electro-optic effects are characterized. The 64 x 32 LCOS microdisplays fabricated with the best LC mode are optically tested with interface circuitry. The characteristics of the LCOS microdisplays are summarized with the successful demonstration.

Using short silicon crystals for beam extraction and collimation at U-70 proton synchrotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afonin, A.G.; Baranov, V.T.; Biryukov, V.M.; Kotov, V.I.; Maisheev, V.A.; Terekhov, V.I.; Troyanov, E.F.; Fedotov, Yu.S.; Chepegin, V.N.; Chesnonkov, Yu.A.

2002-01-01

Results of investigations into escape and collimation of proton beams at the IHEP U-70 synchrotron with the application of short flexed silicon monocrystals in length 2 - 4 mm are demonstrated. Good agreement between the measured and calculated efficiency of the flexed crystal is available. Lowering efficiency with the decreasing proton energy is explained by growth of root-mean-square angle of the multiple Coulomb scattering and drop of dechanneling length [ru

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.

Impact of the silicon substrate resistivity and growth condition on the deep levels in Ni-Au/AlN/Si MIS Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong; Simoen, Eddy; Zhao, Ming; Li, Wei

2017-10-01

Deep levels formed under different growth conditions of a 200 nm AlN buffer layer on B-doped Czochralski Si(111) substrates with different resistivity were investigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) on metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. Growth-temperature-dependent Al diffusion in the Si substrate was derived from the free carrier density obtained by capacitance-voltage measurement on samples grown on p- substrates. The DLTS spectra revealed a high concentration of point and extended defects in the p- and p+ silicon substrates, respectively. This indicated a difference in the electrically active defects in the silicon substrate close to the AlN/Si interface, depending on the B doping concentration.

Sequential purification and crystal growth for the production of low cost silicon substrates. Quarterly technical progress report No. 1, 15 September 1979-31 December 1979

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liaw, M.; Secco, F.; Ingle, B.; Down, D.

1980-02-01

Over the past several years, Motorola's Materials Technology Laboratory (MTL), has been conducting several projects with goals directed at the production of high quality low cost silicon crystals. One of the projects which is being investigated is the direct purification of MG-Si. A unique characteristic of the approach used by this project is the use of a crystal puller to perform both purification and crystal growth. Sequential steps of purification were taken. By the completion of this series of purification, the purified MG-Si melt will be further purified by impurity redistribution using ingot pulling. The final purified silicon will be in an ingot form of desired dimensions for slicing into silicon sheets. The sequential steps of purification include: (1) leaching of MG-Si charge, (2) phase separation, (3) reactive gas treatment, (4) liquid-liquid extraction (called Slagging), and (5) purification by redistribution of impurities using ingot pulling. Progress on items (1) and (2) is reported. (WHK)

Progress in the Development of the Lead Tungstate Crystals for EM-Calorimetry in High-Energy Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Novotny, R. W.; Brinkmann, K.-T.; Borisevich, A.; Dormenev, V.; Houzvicka, J.; Korjik, M.; Zaunick, H.-G.

2017-11-01

Even at present time there is a strong interest and demand for high quality lead tungstate crystals (PbWO4, PWO) for electromagnetic (EM) calorimetry. PWO is implemented into the EM calorimeter of the CMS-ECAL detector at LHC [1] and required for the completion of the PANDA EMC [2] and various ongoing detector projects at Jefferson Lab. The successful mass production of PWO using the Czochralski method was stopped after bankruptcy of the Bogoroditsk Technical Chemical Plant (BTCP) in Russia as major producer so far. The Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Science (China) was considered as an alternative producer using the modified Bridgman method. The company CRYTUR (Turnov, Czech Republic) with good experience in the development and production of different types of inorganic oxide crystals has restarted at the end of 2014 the development of lead tungstate for mass production based on the Czochralski method. An impressive progress was achieved since then. The growing technology was optimized to produce full size samples with the quality meeting the PANDA-EMC specifications for PWO-II. We will present a detailed progress report on the research program in collaboration with groups at Orsay and JLab. The full size crystals will be characterized with respect to optical performance, light yield, kinetics and radiation hardness.

Optical spectroscopy of Ho{sup 3+}-doped SrWO{sub 4} scheelite crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Jianfu; Jia Guohua; Zhu Zhaojie; You Zhenyu; Wang Yan; Wu Baichang; Tu Chaoyang [Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and National Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Crystalline Materials, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China)

2007-04-07

Ho{sup 3+}-doped SrWO{sub 4} crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. The polarized absorption and emission spectra together with the fluorescent decay curve were measured at room temperature. The intensity parameters, radiative lifetimes and branching ratios were calculated based on the Judd-Ofelt theory. The stimulated emission cross-sections of the potential laser transitions were determined using the reciprocity method.

Effects of material non-linearity on the residual stresses in a dendritic silicon crystal ribbon

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Sujit K.; Utku, Senol

1990-01-01

Thermal stresses developed in a dendritic silicon crystal ribbon have been shown to cause plastic deformation and residual stresses in the ribbon. This paper presents an implementation of a numerical model proposed for thermoelastoplastic behavior of a material. The model has been used to study the effects of plasticity of silicon on the residual stresses. The material properties required to implement this model are all assumed, and the response of the material to the variations in these assumed parameters of the constitutive law and in the finite element mesh is investigated. The steady state growth process is observed to be periodic with nonzero residual stresses. Numerical difficulties are also encountered in the computer solution process, resulting in sharp jumps and large oscillations in the stress responses.

Probing the formation of silicon nano-crystals (Si-ncs) using variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Knights, A. P.; Bradley, J. D. B.; Hulko, O.; Stevanovic, D. V.; Edwards, C. J.; Kallis, A.; Coleman, P. G.; Crowe, I. F.; Halsall, M. P.; Gwilliam, R. M.

2011-01-01

We describe preliminary results from studies of the formation of silicon nano-crystals (Si-ncs) embedded in stoichiometric, thermally grown SiO2 using Variable Energy Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (VEPAS). We show that the VEPAS technique is able to monitor the introduction of structural damage. In SiO2 through the high dose Si+ ion implantation required to introduce excess silicon as a precursor to Si-nc formation. VEPAS is also able to characterize the rate of the removal of this damage with high temperature annealing, showing strong correlation with photoluminescence. Finally, VEPAS is shown to be able to selectively probe the interface between Si-ncs and the host oxide. Introduction of hydrogen at these interfaces suppresses the trapping of positrons at the interfaces.

Ultra-thin distributed Bragg reflectors via stacked single-crystal silicon nanomembranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Minkyu; Seo, Jung-Hun; Lee, Jaeseong; Mi, Hongyi; Kim, Munho; Ma, Zhenqiang, E-mail: mazq@engr.wisc.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Zhao, Deyin; Zhou, Weidong [Nanophotonics Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019 (United States); Yin, Xin; Wang, Xudong [Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2015-05-04

In this paper, we report ultra-thin distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) via stacked single-crystal silicon (Si) nanomembranes (NMs). Mesh hole-free single-crystal Si NMs were released from a Si-on-insulator substrate and transferred to quartz and Si substrates. Thermal oxidation was applied to the transferred Si NM to form high-quality SiO{sub 2} and thus a Si/SiO{sub 2} pair with uniform and precisely controlled thicknesses. The Si/SiO{sub 2} layers, as smooth as epitaxial grown layers, minimize scattering loss at the interface and in between the layers. As a result, a reflection of 99.8% at the wavelength range from 1350 nm to 1650 nm can be measured from a 2.5-pair DBR on a quartz substrate and 3-pair DBR on a Si substrate with thickness of 0.87 μm and 1.14 μm, respectively. The high reflection, ultra-thin DBRs developed here, which can be applied to almost any devices and materials, holds potential for application in high performance optoelectronic devices and photonics applications.

Beam tests of lead tungstate crystal matrices and a silicon strip preshower detector for the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter

CERN Document Server

Auffray, Etiennette; Barney, D; Bassompierre, Gabriel; Benhammou, Ya; Blick, A M; Bloch, P; Bonamy, P; Bourotte, J; Buiron, L; Cavallari, F; Chipaux, Rémi; Cockerill, D J A; Dafinei, I; Davies, G; Depasse, P; Deiters, K; Diemoz, M; Dobrzynski, Ludwik; Donskov, S V; Mamouni, H E; Ercoli, C; Faure, J L; Felcini, Marta; Gautheron, F; Géléoc, M; Givernaud, Alain; Gninenko, S N; Godinovic, N; Graham, D J; Guillaud, J P; Guschin, E; Haguenauer, Maurice; Hillemanns, H; Hofer, H; Ille, B; Inyakin, A V; Jääskeläinen, S; Katchanov, V A; Kirn, T; Kloukinas, Kostas C; Korzhik, M V; Lassila-Perini, K M; Lebrun, P; Lecoq, P; Lecoeur, Gérard; Lecomte, P; Leonardi, E; Locci, E; Loos, R; Longo, E; MacKay, C K; Martin, E; Mendiburu, J P; Musienko, Yu V; Nédélec, P; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Organtini, G; Paoletti, S; Pansart, J P; Peigneux, J P; Puljak, I; Qian, S; Reid, E; Renker, D; Rosowsky, A; Rosso, E; Rusack, R W; Rykaczewski, H; Schneegans, M; Seez, Christopher J; Semeniouk, I N; Shagin, P M; Sillou, D; Singovsky, A V; Sougonyaev, V; Soric, I; Verrecchia, P; Vialle, J P; Virdee, Tejinder S; Zhu, R Y

1998-01-01

Tests of lead tungstate crystal matrices carried out in high-energy electron beams in 1996, using new crystals, new APDs and an improved test set-up, confirm that an energy resolution of better than 0 .6% at 100 GeV can be obtained when the longitudinal uniformity of the struck crystal is adequate. Light loss measurements under low dose irradiation are reported. It is shown that there is no loss of energy resolution after irradiation and that the calibration change due to light loss can be tracked with a precision monitoring system. Finally, successuful tests with a preshower device, equipped wi th silicon strip detector readout, are described.

Development of practical application technology for photovoltaic power generation systems in fiscal 1997. Development of technologies to manufacture application type thin film solar cells with new structure (development of technologies to manufacture amorphous silicon and thin film poly-crystal silicon hybrid thin film solar cells); 1997 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu. Usumaku taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu, oyogata shinkozo usumaku taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu (amorphous silicon/usumaku takessho silicon hybrid usumaku taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

Research and development was performed with an objective to manufacture amorphous silicon and thin film poly-crystal silicon hybrid solar cells with large area and at low cost, being a high-efficiency next generation solar cell. The research was performed based on a principle that low-cost substrates shall be used, that a manufacturing process capable of forming amorphous silicon films with large area shall be based on, and that silicon film with as thin as possible thickness shall be used. Fiscal 1997 has started research and development on making the cells hybrid with amorphous silicon cells. As a result of the research and development, such achievements have been attained as using texture structure on the rear layer in thin poly-crystal silicon film solar cells with a thickness of two microns, and having achieved conversion efficiency of 10.1% by optimizing the junction interface forming conditions. A photo-deterioration test was carried out on hybrid cells which combine the thin poly-crystal silicon film cells having STAR structure with the amorphous silicon cells. Stabilization efficiency of 11.5% was attained after light has been irradiated for 500 hours or longer. (NEDO)

Fabrication of heterojunction solar cells by using microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon oxide film as an emitter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Chandan; Sritharathikhun, Jaran; Konagai, Makoto; Yamada, Akira

2008-01-01

Wide gap, highly conducting n-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiO : H) films were prepared by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition at a very low substrate temperature (170 deg. C) as an alternative to amorphous silicon (a-Si : H) for use as an emitter layer of heterojunction solar cells. The optoelectronic properties of n-μc-SiO : H films prepared for the emitter layer are dark conductivity = 0.51 S cm -1 at 20 nm thin film, activation energy = 23 meV and E 04 = 2.3 eV. Czochralski-grown 380 μm thick p-type (1 0 0) oriented polished silicon wafers with a resistivity of 1-10 Ω cm were used for the fabrication of heterojunction solar cells. Photovoltaic parameters of the device were found to be V oc = 620 mV, J sc = 32.1 mA cm -2 , FF = 0.77, η = 15.32% (active area efficiency)

Effect of impurities on the growth of {113} interstitial clusters in silicon under electron irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Nakai, K.; Hamada, K.; Satoh, Y.; Yoshiie, T.

2011-01-01

The growth and shrinkage of interstitial clusters on {113} planes were investigated in electron irradiated Czochralski grown silicon (Cz-Si), floating-zone silicon (Fz-Si), and impurity-doped Fz-Si (HT-Fz-Si) using a high voltage electron microscope. In Fz-Si, {113} interstitial clusters were formed only near the beam incident surface after a long incubation period, and shrank on subsequent irradiation from the backside of the specimen. In Cz-Si and HT-Fz-Si, {113} interstitial clusters nucleated uniformly throughout the specimen without incubation, and began to shrink under prolonged irradiation at higher electron beam intensity. At lower beam intensity, however, the {113} interstitial cluster grew stably. These results demonstrate that the {113} interstitial cluster cannot grow without a continuous supply of impurities during electron irradiation. Detailed kinetics of {113} interstitial cluster growth and shrinkage in silicon, including the effects of impurities, are proposed. Then, experimental results are analyzed using rate equations based on these kinetics.

A new computationally-efficient two-dimensional model for boron implantation into single-crystal silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, K.M.; Park, C.; Yang, S.; Morris, S.; Do, V.; Tasch, F.

1992-01-01

We have developed a new computationally-efficient two-dimensional model for boron implantation into single-crystal silicon. This paper reports that this new model is based on the dual Pearson semi-empirical implant depth profile model and the UT-MARLOWE Monte Carlo boron ion implantation model. This new model can predict with very high computational efficiency two-dimensional as-implanted boron profiles as a function of energy, dose, tilt angle, rotation angle, masking edge orientation, and masking edge thickness

Structural Characterization of Doped GaSb Single Crystals by X-ray Topography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honnicke, M.G.; Mazzaro, I.; Manica, J.; Benine, E.; M da Costa, E.; Dedavid, B. A.; Cusatis, C.; Huang, X. R.

2009-09-13

We characterized GaSb single crystals containing different dopants (Al, Cd and Te), grown by the Czochralski method, by x-ray topography and high angular resolution x-ray diffraction. Lang topography revealed dislocations parallel and perpendicular to the crystal's surface. Double-crystal GaSb 333 x-ray topography shows dislocations and vertical stripes than can be associated with circular growth bands. We compared our high-angular resolution x-ray diffraction measurements (rocking curves) with the findings predicted by the dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction. These measurements show that our GaSb single crystals have a relative variation in the lattice parameter ({Delta}d/d) on the order of 10{sup -5}. This means that they can be used as electronic devices (detectors, for example) and as x-ray monochromators.

Growth and scintillation properties of gadolinium and yttrium orthovanadate crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voloshina, O.V.; Baumer, V.N.; Bondar, V.G.; Kurtsev, D.A.; Gorbacheva, T.E.; Zenya, I.M.; Zhukov, A.V.; Sidletskiy, O.Ts.

2012-01-01

Aiming to explore the possibility of using the undoped rare-earth orthovanadates as scintillation materials, we developed the procedure for growth of gadolinium (GdVO 4 ) and yttrium (YVO 4 ) orthovanadate single crystals by Czochralski method, and determined the optimal conditions of their after-growth annealing. Optical, luminescent, and scintillation properties of YVO 4 and GdVO 4 were discussed versus known literature data. Scintillation characteristics of GdVO 4 were determined for the first time.

In situ study of the growth and degradation processes in tetragonal lysozyme crystals on a silicon substrate by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalchuk, M. V.; Prosekov, P. A.; Marchenkova, M. A.; Blagov, A. E.; D'yakova, Yu. A.; Tereshchenko, E. Yu.; Pisarevskii, Yu. V.; Kondratev, O. A.

2014-09-01

The results of an in situ study of the growth of tetragonal lysozyme crystals by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry are considered. The crystals are grown by the sitting-drop method on crystalline silicon substrates of different types: both on smooth substrates and substrates with artificial surface-relief structures using graphoepitaxy. The crystals are grown in a special hermetically closed crystallization cell, which enables one to obtain images with an optical microscope and perform in situ X-ray diffraction studies in the course of crystal growth. Measurements for lysozyme crystals were carried out in different stages of the crystallization process, including crystal nucleation and growth, developed crystals, the degradation of the crystal structure, and complete destruction.

Growth of Bi 12SiO 20 single crystals by the pulling-down method with continuous feeding

Science.gov (United States)

Maida, Shigeru; Higuchi, Mikio; Kodaira, Kohei

1999-09-01

Bi 12SiO 20 single crystals were successfully grown by the pulling-down method with continuous feeding. As-grown crystals were amber in color and transparent, and had no cracks or inclusions. A crystal with homogeneous composition was obtained from Bi-rich feed powder having a composition of 14.1 mol% SiO 2, whereas precipitates of Bi 4Si 3O 12 were observed on the surface of a crystal grown with stoichiometric powder. The shape of the solid-liquid interface during the crystal growth was estimated to be almost flat, which was favorable to avoid core formation. Average dislocation density was 4×10 3/cm 2, which was comparable to that of Bi 12SiO 20 crystals grown by the Czochralski method.

Metal induced crystallization of silicon germanium alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gjukic, M.

2007-05-15

In the framework of this thesis the applicability of the aluminium-induced layer exchange on binary silicon germanium alloys was studied. It is here for the first time shown that polycrstalline silicon-germanium layers can be fabricated over the whole composition range by the aluminium-induced layer exchange. The experimental results prove thet the resulting material exhibits a polycrystalline character with typocal grain sizes of 10-100 {mu}m. Raman measurements confirm that the structural properties of the resulting layers are because of the large crystallites more comparable with monocrystalline than with nano- or microcrystalline silicon-germanium. The alloy ratio of the polycrystalline layer correspondes to the chemical composition of the amorphous starting layer. The polycrystalline silicon-germanium layers possess in the range of the interband transitions a reflection spectrum, as it is otherwise only known from monocrystalline reference layers. The improvement of the absorption in the photovoltaically relevant spectral range aimed by the application of silicon-germanium could be also proved by absorption measurments. Strongly correlated with the structural properties of the polycrystalline layers and the electronic band structure resulting from this are beside the optical properties also the electrical properties of the material, especially the charge-carrier mobility and the doping concentration. For binary silicon-germanium layers the hole concentration of about 2 x 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} for pure silicon increrases to about 5 x 10{sup 20} cm{sub -3} for pure germanium. Temperature-resolved measurements were applied in order to detect doping levels respectively semiconductor-metal transitions. In the last part of the thesis the hydrogen passivation of polycrystalline thin silicon-germanium layers, which were fabricated by means of aluminium-induced layer exchange, is treated.

Silicon radiation detectors: materials and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, J.T.; Haller, E.E.

1982-10-01

Silicon nuclear radiation detectors are available today in a large variety of sizes and types. This profusion has been made possible by the ever increasing quality and diameter silicon single crystals, new processing technologies and techniques, and innovative detector design. The salient characteristics of the four basic detector groups, diffused junction, ion implanted, surface barrier, and lithium drift are reviewed along with the silicon crystal requirements. Results of crystal imperfections detected by lithium ion compensation are presented. Processing technologies and techniques are described. Two recent novel position-sensitive detector designs are discussed - one in high-energy particle track reconstruction and the other in x-ray angiography. The unique experimental results obtained with these devices are presented

Deep and tapered silicon photonic crystals for achieving anti-reflection and enhanced absorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Yung-Jr; Lee, San-Liang; Coldren, Larry A

2010-03-29

Tapered silicon photonic crystals (PhCs) with smooth sidewalls are realized using a novel single-step deep reactive ion etching. The PhCs can significantly reduce the surface reflection over the wavelength range between the ultra-violet and near-infrared regions. From the measurements using a spectrophotometer and an angle-variable spectroscopic ellipsometer, the sub-wavelength periodic structure can provide a broad and angular-independent antireflective window in the visible region for the TE-polarized light. The PhCs with tapered rods can further reduce the reflection due to a gradually changed effective index. On the other hand, strong optical resonances for TM-mode can be found in this structure, which is mainly due to the existence of full photonic bandgaps inside the material. Such resonance can enhance the optical absorption inside the silicon PhCs due to its increased optical paths. With the help of both antireflective and absorption-enhanced characteristics in this structure, the PhCs can be used for various applications.

Slow-light-enhanced energy efficiency for graphene microheaters on silicon photonic crystal waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Siqi; Zhu, Xiaolong; Frandsen, Lars Hagedorn; Xiao, Sanshui; Mortensen, N. Asger; Dong, Jianji; Ding, Yunhong

2017-01-01

Slow light has been widely utilized to obtain enhanced nonlinearities, enhanced spontaneous emissions and increased phase shifts owing to its ability to promote light–matter interactions. By incorporating a graphene on a slow-light silicon photonic crystal waveguide, here we experimentally demonstrate an energy-efficient graphene microheater with a tuning efficiency of 1.07 nmmW−1 and power consumption per free spectral range of 3.99 mW. The rise and decay times (10–90%) are only 750 and 525 ns, which, to the best of our knowledge, are the fastest reported response times for microheaters in silicon photonics. The corresponding figure of merit of the device is 2.543 nW s, one order of magnitude better than results reported in previous studies. The influence of the length and shape of the graphene heater to the tuning efficiency is further investigated, providing valuable guidelines for enhancing the tuning efficiency of the graphene microheater. PMID:28181531

Development of low cost silicon solar cells by reusing the silicon saw dust collected during wafering process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaidi, Z.I.; Raza, B.; Ahmed, M.; Sheikh, H.; Qazi, I.A.

2002-01-01

Silicon material due to its abundance in nature and maximum conversion efficiency has been successfully being used for the fabrication of electronic and photovoltaic devices such as ICs, diodes, transistors and solar cells. The 80% of the semiconductor industry is ruled by silicon material. Single crystal silicon solar cells are in use for both space and terrestrial application, due to the well developed technology and better efficiency than polycrystalline and amorphous silicon solar cells. The current research work is an attempt to reduce the cost of single crystal silicon solar cells by reusing the silicon saw dust obtained during the watering process. During the watering process about 45% Si material is wasted in the form of Si powder dust. Various waste powder silicon samples were analyzed using inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) technique, for metallic impurities critical for solar grade silicon material. The results were evaluated from impurity and cost point of view. (author)

Elite silicon and solar power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasamanov, N.A.

2000-01-01

The article is of popular character, the following issues being considered: conversion of solar energy into electric one, solar batteries in space and on the Earth, growing of silicon large-size crystals, source material problems relating to silicon monocrystals production, outlooks of solar silicon batteries production [ru

The photorefractive characteristics of bismuth-oxide doped lithium niobate crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Dahuai; Yao, Jiaying; Kong, Yongfa; Liu, Shiguo; Zhang, Ling; Chen, Shaolin; Xu, Jingjun

2015-01-01

Bismuth-doped lithium niobate (LN:Bi) crystals were grown by Czochralski method and their optical damage resistance, photorefraction, absorption spectra, and defect energy levels were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the photorefractive properties of LN:Bi were enhanced as compared with congruent one, the photorefractive response time was greatly shortened, the photorefractive sensitivity was increased, and the diffraction efficiency of near-stoichiometric LN:Bi (SLN:Bi) reached 31.72% and 49.08% at 532 nm and 488 nm laser, respectively (light intensity of 400 mW/cm 2 ). An absorption peak at about 350 nm was observed in the absorption spectrum of LN:Bi. And the defect energy levels simulation indicates new defect levels appear in the forbidden gap of LN:Bi crystals. Therefore bismuth can act as photorefractive centers in LN crystals

The photorefractive characteristics of bismuth-oxide doped lithium niobate crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Dahuai; Yao, Jiaying [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072 (China); Kong, Yongfa, E-mail: kongyf@nankai.edu.cn [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); MOE Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics and TEDA Applied Physics School, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457 (China); R and D Center, Taishan Sports Industry Group, Leling 253600 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072 (China); Liu, Shiguo [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Zhang, Ling; Chen, Shaolin [MOE Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics and TEDA Applied Physics School, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457 (China); Xu, Jingjun [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); MOE Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics and TEDA Applied Physics School, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072 (China)

2015-01-15

Bismuth-doped lithium niobate (LN:Bi) crystals were grown by Czochralski method and their optical damage resistance, photorefraction, absorption spectra, and defect energy levels were investigated. The experimental results indicate that the photorefractive properties of LN:Bi were enhanced as compared with congruent one, the photorefractive response time was greatly shortened, the photorefractive sensitivity was increased, and the diffraction efficiency of near-stoichiometric LN:Bi (SLN:Bi) reached 31.72% and 49.08% at 532 nm and 488 nm laser, respectively (light intensity of 400 mW/cm{sup 2}). An absorption peak at about 350 nm was observed in the absorption spectrum of LN:Bi. And the defect energy levels simulation indicates new defect levels appear in the forbidden gap of LN:Bi crystals. Therefore bismuth can act as photorefractive centers in LN crystals.

Luminescent and laser properties of Yb Er:GdCa4O(BO3)3: a new crystal for eye-safe 1.5-μm lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Denker, B.; Galagan, B.; Ivleva, L.; Osiko, V.; Sverchkov, S.; Voronina, I.; Hellstrom, J. E.; Karlsson, G.; Laurell, F.

2004-09-01

We present for the first time 1.5-μm laser emission in Yb Er:GdCa4O(BO3)3 (GdCOB). The crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from platinum crucibles. Spectroscopic and laser tests of the crystals are described. A continuous-wave output power of 80 mW was achieved in a monolithic microchip cavity under laser-diode pumping.

Friction and Wear of Metals With a Single-Crystal Abrasive Grit of Silicon Carbide - Effect of Shear Strength of Metal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

1978-01-01

An investigation was conducted to examine the removal and plastic deformation of metal as a function of the metal properties when the metal is in sliding contact with a single-crystal abrasive grit of silicon carbide...

Quantitative study of the transmission of axially channeled protons in thin silicon crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosner, J.S.; Gibson, W.M.; Golovchenko, J.A.; Goland, A.N.; Wegner, H.E.

1978-01-01

The azimuthal distributions of protons transmitted through thin silicon single crystals near the axis were measured using a two-dimensional position-sensitive detector. The data are composed of ringlike distributions with strong azimuthal and transverse energy dependence. The azimuthal distributions are compared with theoretical predictions based on the random string approximation using different forms of the interatomic potential. ''Blocking'' in the transverse plane is also observed. In addition, from an analysis of the radial spreading of the distribution the effects of inelastic scattering in the transverse plane are clearly seen

Optical properties and radiation response of Ce{sup 3+}-doped GdScO{sub 3} crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaji, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Futami, Yoshisuke; Yokota, Yuui; Kurosawa, Shunsuke [Institute of Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 (Japan); Kochurikhin, Vladimir [General Physics Institute, 38 Vavilov Str., 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Yanagida, Takayuki [New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan); Yoshikawa, Akira [Institute of Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 (Japan); New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan)

2012-12-15

10%-Ce doped GdScO{sub 3} perovskite type single crystal was grown by the Czochralski process. The Ce concentration in the crystal was measured. No impurity phases were observed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. We evaluated the optical and radiation properties of the grown crystal. Ce:GdScO{sub 3} crystal showed photo- and radio-luminescence peaks due to Ce{sup 3+} of 5d-4f transition and colour centre. The photoluminescence decay time was sub-ns order. The relative light yield under 5.5 MeV alpha-ray excitation was calculated to be approximately 9% of BGO. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Solid phase crystallized polycrystalline thin-films on glass from evaporated silicon for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Dengyuan; Inns, Daniel; Straub, Axel; Terry, Mason L.; Campbell, Patrick; Aberle, Armin G.

2006-01-01

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-films are made on planar and textured glass substrates by solid phase crystallization (SPC) of in situ doped amorphous silicon (a-Si) deposited by electron-beam evaporation. These materials are referred to by us as EVA materials (SPC of evaporated a-Si). The properties of EVA poly-Si films are characterised by Raman microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. A narrow and symmetrical Raman peak at a wave number of about 520 cm -1 is observed for all samples, showing that the films are fully crystallized. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the films are preferentially (111)-oriented. Furthermore, the full width at half maximum of the dominant (111) XRD peaks indicates that the structural quality of the films is affected by the a-Si deposition temperature and the surface morphology of the glass substrates. A-Si deposition at 200 instead of 400 deg. C leads to an enhanced poly-Si grain size. On textured glass, the addition of a SiN barrier layer between the glass and the Si improves the poly-Si material quality. No such effect occurs on planar glass. Mesa-type solar cells are made from these EVA films on planar and textured glass. A strong correlation between the cells' current-voltage characteristics and their crystalline material quality is observed

Cross two photon absorption in a silicon photonic crystal waveguide fiber taper coupler with a physical junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkissian, Raymond, E-mail: RaymondSark@gmail.com; O' Brien, John [Electrophysics department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 (United States)

2015-01-21

Cross two photon absorption in silicon is characterized using a tapered fiber photonic crystal silicon waveguide coupler. There is a physical junction between the tapered fiber and the waveguide constituting a stand-alone device. This device is used to obtain the spectrum for cross two photon absorption coefficient per unit volume of interaction between photons of nondegenerate energy. The corresponding Kerr coefficient per unit volume of interaction is also experimentally extracted. The thermal resistance of the device is also experimentally determined and the response time of the device is estimated for on-chip all-optical signal processing and data transfer between optical signals of different photon energies.

Advances in silicon nanophotonics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvam, Jørn Märcher; Pu, Minhao

Silicon has long been established as an ideal material for passive integrated optical circuitry due to its high refractive index, with corresponding strong optical confinement ability, and its low-cost CMOS-compatible manufacturability. However, the inversion symmetry of the silicon crystal lattice.......g. in high-bit-rate optical communication circuits and networks, it is vital that the nonlinear optical effects of silicon are being strongly enhanced. This can among others be achieved in photonic-crystal slow-light waveguides and in nano-engineered photonic-wires (Fig. 1). In this talk I shall present some...... recent advances in this direction. The efficient coupling of light between optical fibers and the planar silicon devices and circuits is of crucial importance. Both end-coupling (Fig. 1) and grating-coupling solutions will be discussed along with polarization issues. A new scheme for a hybrid III...

Channeling, volume reflection, and volume capture study of electrons in a bent silicon crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. N. Wistisen

2016-07-01

Full Text Available We present the experimental data and analysis of experiments conducted at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory investigating the processes of channeling, volume-reflection and volume-capture along the (111 plane in a strongly bent quasimosaic silicon crystal. These phenomena were investigated at 5 energies: 3.35, 4.2, 6.3, 10.5, and 14.0 GeV with a crystal with bending radius of 0.15 m, corresponding to curvatures of 0.053, 0.066, 0.099, 0.16, and 0.22 times the critical curvature, respectively. Based on the parameters of fitting functions we have extracted important parameters describing the channeling process such as the dechanneling length, the angle of volume reflection, the surface transmission, and the widths of the distribution of channeled particles parallel and orthogonal to the plane.

Piezoresistive pressure sensor using low-temperature aluminium induced crystallization of sputter-deposited amorphous silicon film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, Ruchi; Chandra, Sudhir

2013-01-01

In the present work, we have investigated the piezoresistive properties of silicon films prepared by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique, followed by the aluminium induced crystallization (AIC) process. Orientation and grain size of the polysilicon films were studied by x-ray diffraction analysis and found to be in the range 30–50 nm. Annealing of the Al–Si stack on an oxidized silicon substrate was performed in air ambient at 300–550 °C, resulting in layer exchange and transformation from amorphous to polysilicon phase. Van der Pauw and Hall measurement techniques were used to investigate the sheet resistance and carrier mobility of the resulting polycrystalline silicon film. The effect of Al thickness on the sheet resistance and mobility was also studied in the present work. A piezoresistive pressure sensor was fabricated on an oxidized silicon substrate in a Wheatstone bridge configuration, comprising of four piezoresistors made of polysilicon film obtained by the AIC process. The diaphragm was formed by the bulk-micromachining of silicon substrate. The response of the pressure sensor with applied negative pressure in 10–95 kPa range was studied. The gauge factor was estimated to be 5 and 18 for differently located piezoresistors on the diaphragm. The sensitivity of the pressure sensor was measured to be ∼ 30 mV MPa −1 , when the Wheatstone bridge was biased at 1 V input voltage. (paper)

Optical nonreciprocal transmission in an asymmetric silicon photonic crystal structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Zheng; Chen, Juguang; Ji, Mengxi; Huang, Qingzhong; Xia, Jinsong; Wang, Yi, E-mail: yingwu2@126.com, E-mail: ywangwnlo@mail.hust.edu.cn [Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); Wu, Ying, E-mail: yingwu2@126.com, E-mail: ywangwnlo@mail.hust.edu.cn [Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China)

2015-11-30

An optical nonreciprocal transmission (ONT) is realized by employing the nonlinear effects in a compact asymmetric direct-coupled nanocavity-waveguide silicon photonic crystal structure with a high loaded quality factor (Q{sub L}) of 42 360 and large extinction ratio exceeding 30 dB. Applying a single step lithography and successive etching, the device can realize the ONT in an individual nanocavity, alleviating the requirement to accurately control the resonance of the cavities. A maximum nonreciprocal transmission ratio of 21.1 dB as well as a working bandwidth of 280 pm in the telecommunication band are obtained at a low input power of 76.7 μW. The calculated results by employing a nonlinear coupled-mode model are in good agreement with the experiment.

Growth and characterisation of lead iodide single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonn, Justus

2012-01-01

The work in hand deals with the growth and characterisation of lead iodide (PbI 2 ) single crystals. PbI 2 is regarded as a promising candidate for low-noise X- and gamma ray detection at room temperature. Its benefits if compared to conventional materials like HgI 2 , CdTe, Si, or GaAs lie in a band gap energy of 2.32 eV, an excellent ability to absorb radiation, and a high electrical resistivity. For an application of PbI 2 as detector material the growth and characterisation of crystals with high chemical and structural quality is extremely challenging. In light of this, the effectiveness of zone purification of the PbI 2 used for crystal growth was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, technological aspects during processing of purified PbI 2 were investigated. With the help of thermal analysis, a correlation was found between the degree of exposing the source material to oxygen from the air and the structural quality of the resulting crystals. A hydrogen treatment was applied to PbI 2 as an effective method for the removal of oxidic pollutions, which resulted in a significant reduction of structural defects like polytypic growth and stress-induced cracking. The growth of PbI 2 single crystals was, among others, carried out by the Bridgman-Stockbarger method. In this context, much effort was put on the investigation of influences resulting from the design and preparation of ampoules. For the first time, crystal growth of PbI 2 was also carried out by the Czochralski method. If compared to the Bridgman-Stockbarger method, the Czochralski technique allowed a significantly faster growth of nearly crack-free crystals with a reproducible predetermination of crystallographic orientation. By an optimised sample preparation of PbI 2 , surface orientations perpendicular to the usually cleaved (0001) plane were realised. It is now possible to determine the material properties along directions which were so far not accessible. Thus, for example, the ratio of

Synchrotron Topographic and Diffractometer Studies of Buried Layered Structures Obtained by Implantation with Swift Heavy Ions in Silicon Single Crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wierzchowski, W.; Wieteska, K.; Zymierska, D.; Graeff, W.; Czosnyka, T.; Choinski, J.

2006-01-01

A distribution of crystallographic defects and deformation in silicon crystals subjected to deep implantation (20-50 μm) with ions of the energy of a few MeV/amu is studied. Three different buried layered structures (single layer, binary buried structure and triple buried structure) were obtained by implantation of silicon single crystals with 184 MeV argon ions, 29.7 MeV boron ions, and 140 MeV argon ions, each implantation at a fluency of 1x10 14 ions cm -2 . The implanted samples were examined by means of white beam X-ray section and projection topography, monochromatic beam topography and by recording local rocking curves with the beam restricted to 50 x 50 μm 2 . The experiment pointed to a very low level of implantation-induced strain (below 10 -5 ). The white beam Bragg case section experiment revealed a layer producing district black contrast located at a depth of the expected mean ion range. The presence of these buried layered structures in studied silicon crystals strongly affected the fringe pattern caused by curvature of the samples. In case of white beam projection and monochromatic beam topographs the implanted areas were revealed as darker regions with a very tiny grain like structure. One may interpret these results as the effect of considerable heating causing annihilation of point defects and formation of dislocation loops connected with point defect clusters. (author)

Rare-Earth Tantalates and Niobates Single Crystals: Promising Scintillators and Laser Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renqin Dou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rare-earth tantalates, with high density and monoclinic structure, and niobates with monoclinic structure have been paid great attention as potential optical materials. In the last decade, we focused on the crystal growth technology of rare-earth tantalates and niobates and studied their luminescence and physical properties. A series of rare-earth tantalates and niobates crystals have been grown by the Czochralski method successfully. In this work, we summarize the research results on the crystal growth, scintillation, and laser properties of them, including the absorption and emission spectra, spectral parameters, energy levels structure, and so on. Most of the tantalates and niobates exhibit excellent luminescent properties, rich physical properties, and good chemical stability, indicating that they are potential outstanding scintillators and laser materials.

Buckling of Single-Crystal Silicon Nanolines under Indentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min K. Kang

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Atomic force microscope-(AFM- based indentation tests were performed to examine mechanical properties of parallel single-crystal silicon nanolines (SiNLs of sub-100-nm line width, fabricated by a process combining electron-beam lithography and anisotropic wet etching. The SiNLs have straight and nearly atomically flat sidewalls, and the cross section is almost perfectly rectangular with uniform width and height along the longitudinal direction. The measured load-displacement curves from the indentation tests show an instability with large displacement bursts at a critical load ranging from 480 μN to 700 μN. This phenomenon is attributed to a transition of the buckling mode of the SiNLs under indentation. Using a set of finite element models with postbuckling analyses, we analyze the indentation-induced buckling modes and investigate the effects of tip location, contact friction, and substrate deformation on the critical load of mode transition. The results demonstrate a unique approach for the study of nanomaterials and patterned nanostructures via a combination of experiments and modeling.

Crystal growth, spectroscopic characterization and laser performance of Tm/Mg:LiNbO3 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, P. X.; Yin, J. G.; Zhang, R.; Li, H. Q.; Xu, J. Q.; Hang, Y.

2014-03-01

A Tm, Mg co-doped LiNbO3 crystal was grown by the traditional Czochralski method. The room-temperature absorption, photo-luminescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of Tm3+ ions in the crystal have been investigated. The experimental results show that the co-doped of MgO can lead to the lengthening of the measured fluorescence lifetime of the upper Tm3+:3F4 level. Based on the Judd-Ofelt approach, the intensity parameters Ω2,4,6 of Tm3+ were calculated to be Ω2 (6.29 × 10-20 cm2), Ω4 (0.54 × 10-20 cm2) and Ω6 (0.79 × 10-20 cm2). Other spectroscopic parameters that relate to laser performance were also obtained. Non-photorefractive continuous wave laser operation with a Tm, Mg:LiNbO3 single crystal is demonstrated at room temperature for the first time. We obtained 1.026 W output power at 1.885 μm with a slope efficiency of near 14%, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the largest output power and the highest slope efficiency obtained for this crystal thus far. The output power was observed to be stable, and the crystal showed no sign of photorefractive damage.

Buried oxide layer in silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Sadana, Devendra Kumar; Holland, Orin Wayne

2001-01-01

A process for forming Silicon-On-Insulator is described incorporating the steps of ion implantation of oxygen into a silicon substrate at elevated temperature, ion implanting oxygen at a temperature below 200.degree. C. at a lower dose to form an amorphous silicon layer, and annealing steps to form a mixture of defective single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon alone and then silicon oxide from the amorphous silicon layer to form a continuous silicon oxide layer below the surface of the silicon substrate to provide an isolated superficial layer of silicon. The invention overcomes the problem of buried isolated islands of silicon oxide forming a discontinuous buried oxide layer.

Crystal growth, optical properties, and continuous-wave laser operation of Nd3+-doped Lu2SiO5 crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D Z; Xu, X D; Zhou, D H; Xia, C T; Wu, F; Xu, J; Cong, Z H; Zhang, J; Tang, D Y

2011-01-01

High quality Nd 3+ -doped Lu 2 SiO 5 (Nd:LSO) crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Room temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the Nd:LSO crystal were measured and analyzed. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters Ω 2,4,6 were obtained to be 2.59, 4.90, and 5.96×10 -20 cm 2 , respectively. The absorption and emission cross sections and the branching ratios were calculated. The peak emission cross section is 5.8 and 6.6×10 -20 cm 2 at 1075 and 1079 nm, respectively, with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 2.8 and 5.1 nm in turn. Pumped by a laser diode, a maximum 2.54 W continuous-wave laser output has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 32%. All the results show that this crystal is a promising laser material

Crystal growth, optical properties, and continuous-wave laser operation of Nd3+-doped Lu2SiO5 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D. Z.; Xu, X. D.; Zhou, D. H.; Xia, C. T.; Wu, F.; Xu, J.; Cong, Z. H.; Zhang, J.; Tang, D. Y.

2011-01-01

High quality Nd3+-doped Lu2SiO5 (Nd:LSO) crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Room temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the Nd:LSO crystal were measured and analyzed. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters Ω2,4,6 were obtained to be 2.59, 4.90, and 5.96×10-20 cm2, respectively. The absorption and emission cross sections and the branching ratios were calculated. The peak emission cross section is 5.8 and 6.6×10-20 cm2 at 1075 and 1079 nm, respectively, with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 2.8 and 5.1 nm in turn. Pumped by a laser diode, a maximum 2.54 W continuous-wave laser output has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 32%. All the results show that this crystal is a promising laser material.

Performance study of Philips digital silicon photomultiplier coupled to scintillating crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Z.; Pizzichemi, M.; Paganoni, M.; Auffray, E.; Lecoq, P.

2016-01-01

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and scintillators are often arranged in the shape of arrays in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems. Digital SiPMs provide signal readout in single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) level. From the photon count rate measurement of each SPAD cell of digital SiPM, we found that the output scintillating photons distribute in an area larger than the scintillator physical coupling area. Taking advantage of the possibility to enable/disable individual cells of the digital SiPM, a group of Lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals with different dimensions coupled to a digital SiPM was used to study the influence of using different SiPM active area on the number of photons detected, energy resolution and coincidence time resolution (CTR). For the same crystal coupled to the digital SiPM, the larger the active area of digital SiPM, the higher the number of photons detected. The larger active area of the digital SiPM also results in a better energy resolution after saturation correction. The best energy resolution full width half maximum (FWHM) obtained for the 2×2×5mm 3 , 2×2×10 mm 3 , 2×2×15mm 3 , 2×2×20mm 3 LYSO crystals was 10.7%, 11.6%, 12.1%, 12.5%, respectively. For crystals with different cross sections coupled to the digital SiPM, we found that the larger the cross section of coupling area, the more photons were detected and thus a better energy resolution was obtained. The CTR of crystals fully wrapped with Teflon or without wrapping was measured by positioning two identical crystals facing each other. A larger area of digital SiPM improves the CTR and the CTR reaches the plateau when the active area is larger than 2.2×2.2mm 2 with both two configurations of wrapping. The best CTR value for the 2×2×5mm 3 , 2×2×10mm 3 , 2×2×15mm 3 , 2×2×20mm 3 LYSO crystals was 128.9 ps, 148.4 ps, 171.6 ps, 177.9 ps, respectively. The measurements performed lead us to conclude that optimising the coupling between crystal

Growth and laser action of Yb: YVO4 crystals with low Yb doping concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Degao; Teng, Bing; Li, Jianhong; Zhang, Shiming; Zhang, Bingtao; Wang, Chao; Tian, Xueping; Liu, Junhai

2012-11-01

Yb: YVO4 single crystals with low doping concentrations of Yb3+ less than 0.3 at% were grown using the Czochralski method. The polarized absorption spectra were measured at room temperature. Strong anisotropy exists in the absorption spectra, resulting in almost entirely different features for π-polarization and σ-polarization. The laser emission spectrum and relationship curve between the output power and absorbed pump power (Pabs) were measured. The continuous-wave laser action of Yb: YVO4 single crystal in a range of 1020.4-1026.3 nm was realized by using a high-power diode laser as the pump source.

Growth and optical properties of Tm:GdVO{sub 4} single crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urata, Y.; Akagawa, K.; Wada, S.; Tashiro, H. [Photodynamics Research Center, Sendai (Japan). Inst. of Physical and Chemical Research; Suh, S.J.; Yoon, D.H. [Photodynamics Research Center, Sendai (Japan). Inst. of Physical and Chemical Research]|[Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering, Sung Kyun Kwan Univ. (Korea, Republic of); Fukuda, T. [Photodynamics Research Center, Sendai (Japan). Inst. of Physical and Chemical Research]|[Inst. for Materials Research, Tohoku Univ. (Japan)

1999-04-01

Thulium-doped gadolinium vanadate (Tm:GdVO{sub 4}) single crystal has been successfully grown by a modified Czochralski (CZ) technique. Effective distribution coefficient of Tm was determined to be 0.74. Absorption characterization was performed in the 800 nm region and the maximum absorption peak was found at 799 nm for {pi} polarization. Fluorescence spectra for tuning at the maximum absorption were obtained around 1.8-2.0 {mu}m region with 100 nm bandwidth. This suggests that a Tm:GdVO{sub 4} crystal is expected as a new promising LD pumped solid-state laser in the 2 {mu}m region. (orig.) 9 refs.

High-efficiency deflection of high energy protons due to channeling along the 〈110〉 axis of a bent silicon crystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Scandale

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A deflection efficiency of about 61% was observed for 400 GeV/c protons due to channeling, most strongly along the 〈110〉 axis of a bent silicon crystal. It is comparable with the deflection efficiency in planar channeling and considerably larger than in the case of the 〈111〉 axis. The measured probability of inelastic nuclear interactions of protons in channeling along the 〈110〉 axis is only about 10% of its amorphous level whereas in channeling along the (110 planes it is about 25%. High efficiency deflection and small beam losses make this axial orientation of a silicon crystal a useful tool for the beam steering of high energy charged particles.

Origin of dislocation luminescence centers and their reorganization in p-type silicon crystal subjected to plastic deformation and high temperature annealing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlyk, Bohdan; Kushlyk, Markiyan; Slobodzyan, Dmytro

2017-12-01

Changes of the defect structure of silicon p-type crystal surface layer under the influence of plastic deformation and high temperature annealing in oxygen atmosphere were investigated by deep-level capacitance-modulation spectroscopy (DLCMS) and IR spectroscopy of molecules and atom vibrational levels. Special role of dislocations in the surface layer of silicon during the formation of its energy spectrum and rebuilding the defective structure was established. It is shown that the concentration of linear defects (N ≥ 10 4  cm -2 ) enriches surface layer with electrically active complexes (dislocation-oxygen, dislocation-vacancy, and dislocation-interstitial atoms of silicon) which are an effective radiative recombination centers.

Determination of uranium and thorium in semiconductor memory materials by high fluence neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, F.F.; Emery, J.F.; Northcutt, K.J.; Scott, R.M.

1981-01-01

Uranium and thorium were measured by absolute neutron activation analysis in high-purity materials used to manufacture semiconductor memories. The main thrust of the study concerned aluminum and aluminum alloys used as sources for thin film preparation, evaporated metal films, and samples from the Czochralski silicon crystal process. Average levels of U and Th were found for the source alloys to be approx. 65 and approx. 45 ppB, respectively. Levels of U and Th in silicon samples fell in the range of a few parts per trillion. Evaporated metal films contained about 1 ppB U and Th, but there is some question about these results due to the possibility of contamination

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.

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.

Numerically simulated and experimentally obtained X-ray section topographs of a spherical strain field in a floating zone silicon crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okitsu, Kouhei; Iida, Satoshi; Sugita, Yoshimitsu; Takeno, Hiroshi; Yagou, Yasuyoshi; Kawata, Hiroshi.

1992-01-01

An undoped floating zone (FZ) silicon crystal has been investigated by synchrotron X-radiation section topography with high-order reflections up to 14 14 0. Numerically simulated topographs based on the Takagi-Taupin equations were in good agreement with experimental distorted patterns when a spherical strain field was assumed in the crystal. The volume change of the lattice caused by the strain center was estimated to correspond to a sphere with a radius of 10 μm. (author)

Solid-phase crystallization of amorphous silicon on ZnO:Al for thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, C.; Conrad, E.; Dogan, P.; Fenske, F.; Gorka, B.; Haenel, T.; Lee, K.Y.; Rau, B.; Ruske, F.; Weber, T.; Gall, S.; Rech, B. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin fuer Materialien und Energie (formerly Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin), Kekulestr. 5, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Berginski, M.; Huepkes, J. [Institute of Photovoltaics, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, D-52425 Juelich (Germany)

2009-06-15

The suitability of ZnO:Al thin films for polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film solar cell fabrication was investigated. The electrical and optical properties of 700 -nm-thick ZnO:Al films on glass were analyzed after typical annealing steps occurring during poly-Si film preparation. If the ZnO:Al layer is covered by a 30 nm thin silicon film, the initial sheet resistance of ZnO:Al drops from 4.2 to 2.2 {omega} after 22 h annealing at 600 C and only slightly increases for a 200 s heat treatment at 900 C. A thin-film solar cell concept consisting of poly-Si films on ZnO:Al coated glass is introduced. First solar cell results will be presented using absorber layers either prepared by solid-phase crystallization (SPC) or by direct deposition at 600 C. (author)

Experimental investigation and crystal-field modeling of Er{sup 3+} energy levels in GSGG crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, J.Y., E-mail: jygao1985@sina.com [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Sun, D.L.; Zhang, Q.L. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Wang, X.F. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Liu, W.P.; Luo, J.Q.; Sun, G.H.; Yin, S.T. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

2016-06-25

The Er{sup 3+}-doped Gd{sub 3}Sc{sub 2}Ga{sub 3}O{sub 12} (Er{sup 3+}:GSGG) single crystal, a excellent medium of the mid-infrared and anti-radiation solid state laser pumped by laser diode, was grown by Czochralski method successfully. The absorption spectra were measured and analyzed in a wider spectral wavelength range of 350–1700 nm at different temperatures of 7.6, 77, 200 and 300 K. The free-ions and crystal-field parameters were fitted to the experimental energy levels with the root mean square deviation of 9.86 cm{sup −1}. According to the crystal-field calculations, 124 degenerate energy levels of Er{sup 3+} in GSGG host crystals were assigned. The fitting results of free-ions and crystal-field parameters were compared with those already reported of Er{sup 3+}:YSGG. The results indicated that the free-ions parameters for Er{sup 3+} in GSGG host are similar to those in YSGG host crystals, and the crystal-field interaction of GSGG is weaker than that of YSGG, which may result in the better laser characterization of Er{sup 3+}:GSGG crystal. - Highlights: • The efficient diode-end-pumped laser crystal Er:GSGG has been grown successfully. • The absorption spectra of Er:GSGG have been measured in range of 350–1700 nm. • The fitting result is very well for the root mean square deviation is 9.86 cm{sup −1}. • The 124 levels of Er:GSGG have been assigned from the crystal-field calculations.

Modelling, design and analysis of liquid crystal waveguides in preferentially etched silicon grooves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellini, Bob; Beccherelli, Romeo

2009-01-01

This paper presents a fully consistent theoretical framework for liquid crystal (LC) channel waveguides that have been experimentally demonstrated in previous publications. We revise the optical design of the LC waveguides in silicon grooves and implement here a vectorial, fully consistent model of the LC waveguide electro-optical behaviour, based on the finite element method. The numerical investigation shows that LC waveguides demonstrate properties of propagation control and switching. They switch on and off with a low applied voltage. We discuss the major design parameters of the device and the effect of loss-inducing control electrodes.

Growth and luminescent properties of Yb3+--doped oxide single crystals for scintillator application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, A.; Ogino, H.; Shim, J.B.; Nikl, M.; Solovieva, N.; Fukuda, T.

2004-01-01

Rod-shaped (Lu 1-x Yb x ) 3 Al 5 O 12 with x=0.05, 0.15, 0.30 and (Y 1-x Yb x )AlO 3 with x=0.05, 0.10, 0.30 single crystals were grown by the micro-pulling-down method. Edge-defined film-fed growth method was used to prepare (Y 0.9 Yb 0.1 )VO 4 crystal, while Ca 8 (La 1.98 Yb 0.02 )(PO 4 ) 6 O 2 crystal was grown by the Czochralski method. Luminescence of these crystals was studied with main attention paid to the charge transfer emission of Yb 3+ . Temperature tuned decay times in the time scale of units--tens of nanosecond was measured as a feature possibly interesting for an application in scintillation detectors in positron emission tomography

Study on growth techniques and macro defects of large-size Nd:YAG laser crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Jiliang; Yang, Xin; Yang, Mingming; Ma, Decai; Huang, Jinqiang; Zhu, Yunzhong; Wang, Biao

2018-02-01

Large-size neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method. The extinction ratio and wavefront distortion of the crystal were tested to determine the optical homogeneity. Moreover, under different growth conditions, the macro defects of inclusion, striations, and cracking in the as-grown Nd:YAG crystals were analyzed. Specifically, the inclusion defects were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The stresses of growth striations and cracking were studied via a parallel plane polariscope. These results demonstrate that improper growth parameters and temperature fields can enhance defects significantly. Thus, by adjusting the growth parameters and optimizing the thermal environment, high-optical-quality Nd:YAG crystals with a diameter of 80 mm and a total length of 400 mm have been obtained successfully.

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

Growth, spectral properties, and laser demonstration of Nd:GYSO crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D. Z.; Xu, X. D.; Cong, Z. H.; Zhang, J.; Tang, D. Y.; Zhou, D. H.; Xia, C. T.; Wu, F.; Xu, J.

2011-07-01

An Nd:GYSO crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique. The cell parameters were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Room-temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the Nd:GYSO crystal were measured and analyzed. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters Ω 2,4,6 were obtained to be 4.06, 4.65, and 3.63×10-20 cm2, respectively. The absorption and emission cross sections and the branching ratios were calculated. The peak-emission cross section is 3.8×10-20 cm2 at 1074 nm with a FWHM of 8.8 nm. Pumped by a laser diode, a maximum 1.54 W continuous-wave (CW) laser output has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 27.4%. All the results show that Nd:GYSO crystal is a promising laser material.

Rare-Earth Calcium Oxyborate Piezoelectric Crystals ReCa4O(BO33: Growth and Piezoelectric Characterizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fapeng Yu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Rare-earth calcium oxyborate crystals, ReCa4O(BO33 (ReCOB, Re = Er, Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, and La , are potential piezoelectric materials for ultrahigh temperature sensor applications, due to their high electrical resistivity at elevated temperature, high piezoelectric sensitivity and temperature stability. In this paper, different techniques for ReCOB single-crystal growth are introduced, including the Bridgman and Czochralski pulling methods. Crystal orientations and the relationships between the crystallographic and physical axes of the monoclinic ReCOB crystals are discussed. The procedures for dielectric, elastic, electromechanical and piezoelectric property characterization, taking advantage of the impedance method, are presented. In addition, the maximum piezoelectric coefficients for different piezoelectric vibration modes are explored, and the optimized crystal cuts free of piezoelectric cross-talk are obtained by rotation calculations.

Growth and optical property of ZnWO4: Er3+ crystal