• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.30.1-30.1
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• 2011

Silicon is one of useful materials in various industry such as semiconductor, solar cell, and secondary battery. The metallic silicon produces generally melting process for ingot type or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for thin film type. However, these methods have disadvantages of high cost, complicated process, and consumption of much energy. Electrodeposition has been known as a powerful synthesis method for obtaining metallic species by relatively simple operation with current and voltage control. Unfortunately, the electrodeposition of the silicon is impossible in aqueous electrolyte solution due to its low oxidation-reduction equilibrium potential. Ionic liquids are simply defined as ionic melts with a melting point below $100^{\circ}C$. Characteristics of the ionic liquids are high ionic conductivities, low vapour pressures, chemical stability, and wide electrochemical windows. The ionic liquids enable the electrochemically active elements, such as silicon, titanium, and aluminum, to be reduced to their metallic states without vigorous hydrogen gas evolution. In this study, the electrodeposion of silicon has been investigated in ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylpyrolidinium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide ([bmpy]$Tf_2N$) saturated with $SiCl_4$ at room temperature. Also, the effect of electrode materials on the electrodeposition and morphological characteristics of the silicon electrodeposited were analyzed The silicon electrodeposited on gold substrate was composed of the metallic Si with single crystalline size between 100~200nm. The silicon content by XPS analysis was detected in 31.3 wt% and the others were oxygen, gold, and carbon. The oxygen was detected much in edge area of th electrode due to $SiO_2$ from a partial oxidation of the metallic Si.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.225-229
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• 2011

Most of the silicon cutting methods using the multi-wire with the slurry injection have been used for wafers of the crystalline solar cell. But the productivity of slurry injection cutting type falls due to low cutting speeds. Also, the direct contact with the metal wire and silicon block increases the concentration of metallic impurities in the wafer's surface. In addition, the abrasive silicon carbide (SiC) generates pollutants. And production costs are rising because it does not re-use the worn wire. On the other hand, the productivity of the cutting method using the diamond coated wire is about 2 times faster than the slurry injection cutting type. Also, the continuous cutting using the used wire of low wear is possible. And this is a big advantage for reduced production costs. Therefore, the cutting method of the diamond coated wire is more efficient than the slurry injection cutting technique. In this study, each cutting type is analyzed using the surface characteristics of the solar wafer and will describe the effects of the manufacturing process of the solar cell. Finally, we will suggest improvement methods of the solar cell process for using the diamond cutting type wafer.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.59.1-59.1
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• 2010

Aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) is studied with the structure of a glass/Al/$SiO_2$/a-Si, in which the $SiO_2$ layer has micron-sized laser holes in the stack. An oxide layer between aluminum and a-Si thin films plays a significant role in the metal-induced crystallization (MIC) process determining the properties such as grain size and preferential orientation. In our case, the crystallization of a-Si is carried out only through the key hole because the $SiO_2$ layer is substantially thick enough to prevent a-Si from contacting aluminum. The crystal growth is successfully realized toward the only vertical direction, resulting a crystalline silicon grain with a size of $3{\sim}4{\mu}m$ under the hole. Lateral growth seems to be not occurred. For the AIC experiment, the glass/Al/$SiO_2$/a-Si stacks were prepared where an Al layer was deposited on glass substrate by DC sputter, $SiO_2$ and a-Si films by PECVD method, respectively. Prior to the a-Si deposition, a $30{\times}30$ micron-sized hole array with a diameter of $1{\sim}2{\mu}m$ was fabricated utilizing the femtosecond laser pulses to induce the AIC process through the key holes and the prepared workpieces were annealed in a thermal chamber for 2 hours. After heat treatment, the surface morphology, grain size, and crystal orientation of the polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si) film were evaluated by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and energy dispersive spectrometer. In conclusion, we observed that the vertical crystal growth was occurred in the case of the crystallization of a-Si with aluminum by the MIC process in a small area. The pc-Si grain grew under the key hole up to a size of $3{\sim}4{\mu}m$ with the workpiece.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.21-25
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• 2014

The silicon nitride ($SiN_x$) film for surface passivation and anti-reflection coating of crystalline silicon solar cell is very important and it is generally deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). PECVD can be divided into low and high frequency method. In this paper, the $SiN_x$ film deposited by low and high frequency PECVD method was studied. First, to optimize the $SiN_x$ film deposited by low frequency PECVD method, the refractive index was measured by varying the process conditions like $SiH_4$, $NH_3$, $N_2$ gas rate, and RF power. When $SiH_4$ gas rate was increased and $NH_3$ gas rate was decreased, the refractive index was increased. The refractive index was also increased with RF power decline. Second, to compare the characteristics of the low and high frequency PECVD $SiN_x$ film, the refractive index was measured by varying $NH_3/SiH_4$ gas ratio and RF power and the minority carrier lifetime of before and after high temperature treatment process was also measured. The refractive index of both low and high frequency PECVD $SiN_x$ film was decreased with increase in $NH_3/SiH_4$ gas ratio and RF power. After high temperature treatment process, the minority carrier lifetime of both low and high frequency PECVD $SiN_x$ film was increased and increased degree was similar. The minority carrier lifetime of low frequency PECVD $SiN_x$ was increased from $11.03{\mu}m$ to $28.24{\mu}m$ and that of high frequency PECVD $SiN_x$ was increased from $11.60{\mu}m$ to $27.10{\mu}m$.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.461-465
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• 2016

n-type silicon shows the better tolerance towards metal impurities with a higher minority carrier lifetime compared to p-type silicon substrate. Due to better lifetime stability as compared to p-type during illumination made the photovoltaic community to switch toward n-type wafers for high efficiency silicon solar cells. We fabricated the front electrode of the n-type solar cell with AgAl paste. The electrodes characteristics of the AgAl paste depend on the contact junction depth that is closely related to the firing temperature. Metal contact depth with p+ emitter, with optimized depth is important as it influence the resistance. In this study, we optimize the firing condition for the effective formation of the metal depth by varying the firing condition. The firing was carried out at temperatures below $670^{\circ}C$ with low contact depth and high contact resistance. It was noted that the contact resistance was reduced with the increase of firing temperature. The contact resistance of $5.99m{\Omega}cm^2$ was shown for the optimum firing temperature of $865^{\circ}C$. Over $900^{\circ}C$, contact junction is bonded to the Si through the emitter, resulting the contact resistance to shunt. we obtained photovoltaic parameter such as fill factor of 76.68%, short-circuit current of $40.2mA/cm^2$, open-circuit voltage of 620 mV and convert efficiency of 19.11%.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.561-566
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• 2005

Polycrystalline silicon films were deposited using hot wire CVD (HWCVD). The deposition of silicon thin films was approached by the theory of charged clusters (TCC). The TCC states that thin films grow by self-assembly of charged clusters or nanoparticles that have nucleated in the gas phase during the normal thin film process. Negatively charged clusters of a few nanometer in size were captured on a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid and observed by TEM. The negatively charged clusters are believed to have been generated by ion-induced nucleation on negative ions, which are produced by negative surface ionization on a tungsten hot wire. The electric current on the substrate carried by the negatively charged clusters during deposition was measured to be approximately $-2{\mu}A/cm^2$. Silicon thin films were deposited at different $SiH_4$ and $H_2$ gas mixtures and filament temperatures. The crystalline volume fraction, grain size and the growth rate of the films were measured by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The deposit ion behavior of the si1icon thin films was related to properties of the charged clusters, which were in turn controlled by the process conditions. In order to verify the effect of the charged clusters on the growth behavior, three different electric biases of -200 V, 0 V and +25 V were applied to the substrate during the process, The deposition rate at an applied bias of +25 V was greater than that at 0 V and -200 V, which means that the si1icon film deposition was the result of the deposit ion of charged clusters generated in the gas phase. The working pressures had a large effect on the growth rate dependency on the bias appled to the substrate, which indicates that pressure affects the charging ratio of neutral to negatively charged clusters. These results suggest that polycrystalline silicon thin films with high crystalline volume fraction and large grain size can be produced by control1ing the behavior of the charged clusters generated in the gas phase of a normal HWCVD reactor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.470.2-470.2
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• 2014

RF-PECVD 장치에 의해 증착된 실리콘 질화막(SiNx)은 결정질 실리콘 태양전지에서 반사 방지막 효과 및 우수한 표면 패시베이션 특성을 제공하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 논문에서는 실리콘 질화막의 패시베이션 특성을 향상시키기 위해서 공정온도를 $400^{\circ}C$로 고정하고 공정압력, 가스비, RF (radio frequency) power를 가변하였다. 이 때의 실리콘 질화막의 굴절률 및 두께는 각각 2.0, 80 nm로 증착하여 그에 따른 특성에 대해 분석하였다. 공정 압력이 감소할수록 실리콘 질화막이 증착된 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 유효 반송자 수명이 증가함을 보였고, 반면에 증착속도는 감소하였다. 또한 RF-power 500 W에서 실리콘 질화막이 증착된 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 유효 반송자 수명이 상대적으로 높았으며 출력이 올라갈수록 증착속도가 증가하였다. 결과적으로 결정질 실리콘 태양전지에 증착한 실리콘 질화막은 0.8torr 공정 압력과 RF-power 500 W에서 $38.8{\mu}s$로 가장 좋은 유효 반송자 수명을 확인하였다. 위의 결과를 바탕으로 결정질 실리콘 태양전지를 제작하였고 향상된 패시베이션 특성을 갖는 실리콘 질화막의 조건을 찾기 위해서 개방전압(open circuit voltage)을 비교하였다. 공정압력 0.8 torr, RF-power 500 W에서 가장 높은 결과를 보였으며 이는 유효 반송자 수명과 유사한 결과를 나타냈다. 하지만 낮은 FF (fill factor)로 인해 변환 효율이 낮은 결과를 보였다. 태양전지 제작시 낮은 fill factor를 보인 이유와 위의 단점을 보완하기 위해 추가 실험을 수행하였으며, 개선된 fill factor를 통해 18.3% 효율의 태양전지를 제작하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.404-404
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• 2016

태양전지 제작 시 표면에 피라미드 구조를 형성하면 입사되는 광의 흡수를 높여 광 생성 전류의 향상에 기여한다. 일반적인 KOH를 이용한 습식 표면조직화 공정은 평균 10%의 반사율을 보였으며, 유도 결합 플라즈마를 이용한 RIE 공정은 평균 5.4%의 더 낮은 반사율을 보였다. 그러나 RIE 공정을 이용한 표면조직화는 낮은 반사율과 서브 마이크론 크기의 표면 구조를 만들 수 있지만 플라즈마 조사에 의한 표면 손상이 많이 발생하게 된다. 이러한 표면 손상은 태양전지 제작 시 표면에서 높은 재결합 영역으로 작용하게 되어 포화 전류(saturation currents, $J_0$)를 증가시키고 캐리어 수명(carrier lifetime, ${\tau}$)을 낮추는 결함 요소로 작용한다. 이러한 플라즈마에 의한 표면 손상을 제거하기 위해 HF, HNO3, DI-water를 이용하여 DRE(Damage Remove Etching) 공정을 진행하였다. DRE 공정은 HF : DI-water 솔루션과 HNO3 : HF : DI-water 솔루션의 두 가지 공정을 이용하여 공정 시간을 가변하며 진행하였다. 포화전류($J_0$), 캐리어 수명(${\tau}$), 벌크 캐리어 수명(Bulk ${\tau}$)을 비교를 하기위해 KOH, RIE, RIE + DRE 공정을 진행한 세 가지 샘플로 실험을 진행하였다. DRE 공정을 적용할 경우 공정 시간이 지날수록 반사도가 높아지는 경향을 보였지만, 두 번째의 최적화된 솔루션 공정에서 $2.36E-13A/cm^2$, $42{\mu}s$의 $J_0$, Bulk ${\tau}$값과 가장 높은 $26.4{\mu}s$의 ${\tau}$를 얻을 수 있었다. 이러한 결과는 오제 재결합(auger recombination)이 가장 많이 발생하는 지역인 표면과 불균일한 도핑 영역에서 DRE 공정을 통해 나아진 표면 특성과 균일한 도핑 프로파일을 형성하게 되어 재결합 영역과 $J_0$가 감소 된 것으로 판단된다. 높아진 반사도의 경우 $SiN_x$를 이용한 반사방지막을 통해 표면 반사율을 1% 이내로 내릴 수 있어 보완이 가능하였다. 본 연구에서는 RIE 공정 중 플라즈마에 의해 발생하는 표면 손상 제거를 통하여 캐리어 라이프 타임의 향상된 조건을 찾기 위한 연구를 진행하였으며, 기존 RIE 공정에 비해 반사도의 상승은 있지만 플라즈마로 인한 표면 손상을 제거하여 오제 재결합에 의한 발생하는 $J_0$를 낮출 수 있었고 높은 ${\tau}$값인 $26.4{\mu}s$의 결과를 얻어 추후 태양전지 제작에 향상된 효율을 기대할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.