Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T19:34:06.950Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Quasi-pyramidal texturing using phase-segregated masks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2011

Katherine L. Saenger
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center, Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Roy Carruthers
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center, Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Keith E. Fogel
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center, Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Daniel Inns
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center, Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Get access

Abstract

Surface texturing processes for thin silicon solar cells ideally remove as little Si as possible relative to amount of topography generated. Here we describe how a micron-scale quasi-pyramidal texture may be achieved in Si layers with arbitrary crystallinity using a phase-segregated mask in combination with reactive ion etching (RIE). The Si to be textured is coated with a thin barrier layer followed by a layer of Al-Si alloy which phase-segregates into micron-sized regions of Al and Si after low temperature (<450 °C) annealing. One omponent of the mask is selectively etched away and the Si under the exposed barrier regions is etched by a process that gives the desired depth and lateral undercut. In this paper we show the dependence of the segregated Al-Si morphology on Al-Si alloy composition, thickness, and annealing conditions, and then present examples of texturing produced in single crystal Si by these masks in combination with CF4/O2 reactive ion etching.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. King, D.L. and Buck, M.E., Proc. 22nd IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, p. 303 (IEEE, New York, 1991).Google Scholar
2. Blakers, A.W., Wang, A., Milne, A.M., Zhao, J., and Green, M.A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 55 1363 (1989).Google Scholar
3. Chen, H. L., Chuang, S. Y., Lin, C. H., and Lin, Y. H., Optics Express 15 14793 (2007).Google Scholar
4. Gunawan, O., Wang, K., Fallahazad, B., Zhang, Y., Tutuc, E. and Guha, S., Prog. PVRA 18 (2010).Google Scholar
5. Fukutani, K. Tanji, K., Saito, T., and Den, T., J. Appl. Phys. 98 033507 (2005).Google Scholar