Characterization of silicon polycrystalline solar cells at cryogenic temperatures with ion beam-induced charge

The ion beam induced charge (IBIC) technique is a scanning microscopy technique which uses finely focused MeV ion beams as probes to measure and image the transport properties of semiconductor materials and devices. Its success stems from the combination of three main factors: the first is strictly technical and lies in the availability of laboratories and expertise around the world to provide scanning MeV ion beams focused down to submicrometer spots. The second reason stems from the peculiarity of MeV ion interaction with matter, due to the ability to penetrate tens of micrometers with reduced scattering and to excite a high number of free carriers to produce a measurable charge pulse from each incident ion. Last, but not least, is the availability of a robust theoretical model able to extract from the measurements all the parameters for an exhaustive characterization of the semiconductor. This paper is focused on these two latter issues, which are examined by reviewing the current status of IBIC by a comprehensive survey of the theoretical model and remarkable examples of IBIC applications and of ancillary techniques to the study of advanced semiconductor materials and devices.

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Images of grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon solar cells by electron and ion beam induced charge collection

Materials Science and Engineering B ◽

10.1016/s0921-5107(96)01955-1 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 42 (1-3) ◽

pp. 306-310 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

C. Donolato ◽

R. Nipoti ◽

D. Govoni ◽

G.P. Egeni ◽

V. Rudello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Grain Boundaries ◽

Polycrystalline Silicon ◽

Ion Beam ◽

Charge Collection ◽

Silicon Solar Cells ◽

Induced Charge

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Preparation and characterization of thin films of carbon nitride

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100136891 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

pp. 104-105

Author(s):

L. Wan ◽

R. F. Egerton

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nitride ◽

Arc Discharge ◽

Ion Beam ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Reactive Sputtering ◽

Vacuum Arc ◽

Specimen Preparation ◽

Bonding Structure ◽

Electron Energy Loss

INTRODUCTION Recently, a new compound carbon nitride (CNx) has captured the attention of materials scientists, resulting from the prediction of a metastable crystal structure β-C3N4. Calculations showed that the mechanical properties of β-C3N4 are close to those of diamond. Various methods, including high pressure synthesis, ion beam deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhanced evaporation, and reactive sputtering, have been used in an attempt to make this compound. In this paper, we present the results of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis of composition and bonding structure of CNX films deposited by two different methods.SPECIMEN PREPARATION Specimens were prepared by arc-discharge evaporation and reactive sputtering. The apparatus for evaporation is similar to the traditional setup of vacuum arc-discharge evaporation, but working in a 0.05 torr ambient of nitrogen or ammonia. A bias was applied between the carbon source and the substrate in order to generate more ions and electrons and change their energy. During deposition, this bias causes a secondary discharge between the source and the substrate.

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