• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.905-909
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• 2011

The formation of front metal contact silicon solar cells is required for low cost, low contact resistance to silicon surfaces. One of the available front metal contacts is Ni/Cu plating, which can be mass produced via asimple and inexpensive process. A selective emitter, meanwhile, involves two different doping levels, with higher doping (${\leq}30{\Omega}/sq$) underneath the grid to achieve good ohmic contact and low doping between the grid in order to minimize the heavy doping effect in the emitter. This study describes the formation of a selective emitter and a nickel silicide seed layer for the front metallization of silicon cells. The contacts were thickened by a plated Ni/Cu two-step metallization process on front contacts. The experimental results showed that the Ni layer via SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and EDX (Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analyses. Finally, a plated Ni/Cu contact solar cell displayed efficiency of 18.10% on a $2{\times}2cm^2$, Cz wafer.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.1056-1063
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• 2006

Thermal evaporated 10 nm-Ni/l nm-Ir/(or polycrystalline)p-Si(100) and 10 nm-$Ni_{50}Co_{50}$/(or polycrystalline)p-Si(100) films were thermally annealed using rapid thermal annealing fur 40 sec at $300{\sim}1200^{\circ}C$. The annealed bilayer structure developed into Ni(Ir or Co)Si and resulting changes in sheet resistance, microstructure, phase and composition were investigated using a four-point probe, a scanning electron microscopy, a field ion beam, an X-ray diffractometer and an Auger electron spectroscope. The final thickness of Ir- and Co-inserted nickel silicides on single crystal silicon was approximately 20$\sim$40 nm and maintained its sheet resistance below 20 $\Omega$/sq. after the silicidation annealing at $1000^{\circ}C$. The ones on polysilicon had thickness of 20$\sim$55 nm and remained low resistance up to $850^{\circ}C$. A possible reason fur the improved thermal stability of the silicides formed on single crystal silicon substrate is the role of Ir and Co in preventing $NiSi_2$ transformation. Ir and Co also improved thermal stability of silicides formed on polysilicon substrate, but this enhancement was lessened due to the formation of high resistant phases and also a result of silicon mixing during high temperature diffusion. Ir-inserted nickel silicides showed surface roughness below 3 nm, which is appropriate for nano process. In conclusion, the proposed Ir- and Co- inserted nickel silicides may be superior over the conventional nickel monosilicides due to improved thermal stability.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.91.2-91.2
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• 2010

The use of plated front contact for metallization of silicon solar cell may alternative technologies as a screen printed and silver paste contact. This technologies should allow the formation of contact with low contact resistivity a high line conductivity and also reduction of shading losses. The better performance of Ni/Cu contacts is attributed to the reduced series resistance due to better contact conductivity of Ni with Si and subsequent electroplating of Cu on Ni. The ability to pattern narrower grid lines for reduced light shading combined with the lower resistance of a metal silicide contact and improved conductivity of plated deposit. This improves the FF as the series resistance is deduced. This is very much required in the case of low concentrator solar cells in which the series resistance is one of the important and dominant parameter that affect the cell performance. A selective emitter structure with highly dopes regions underneath the metal contacts, is widely known to be one of the most promising high-efficiency solution in solar cell processing. This paper using selective emitter structure technique, fabricated Ni/Cu plating metallization cell with a cell efficiency of 17.19%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.341-345
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• 2006

[ $Ni_2Si$ ] mixed powders were mechanically alloyed by a ball mill and then processed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). In the powder that was mechanically alloyed for 15minutes(MA 15 min), only Ni and Si were observed but in the powder that was mechanically alloyed for 30minutes(MA 30 min), $Ni_2Si$, Ni and Si were mixed together. Some of the MA 15 min powder and MA 30 min powder were processed by HIP under pressure of 150MPa at the temperature of $1000^{\circ}C$ for two hours and some of them were processed by SPS under pressure of 60 MPa at the temperature of $1000^{\circ}C$ for 60 seconds. Both methods completely compounded the powders to $Ni_2Si$. The maximum density of sintered lumps by HIP method was 99.5% and the maximum density of the sintered lump by SPS method was 99.3%. with the hardness of HRc 66 with the hardness of HRc 63. Therefore, the SPS method that can sinter in short time at low cost is considered to be more economical that the HIP method that requires complicated sintering conditions and high cost and the sintering can produce target materials in desired sizes and shapes to be used for thin film.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2003.07b
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• pp.671-674
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• 2003

본 논문에서는 Cobalt interlayer 와 Titanium Nitride(TiN) capping layer를 Ni SALICIDE의 단점인 열 안정성과 sheet resistance 와 series 저항을 감소시키는데 적용하여 0.lum 급 CMOS 소자의 특성을 연구하였다. 첫째로, Ni/Si 의 interface 에 Co interlayer 를 증착하여 Nickel Silicide의 단점인 열 안정성 평가인 700℃, 30min의 furnace annealing 후에 낮은 sheet resistance와 누설전류를 줄일 수 있었다. 두번째로, TiN caping layer를 적용하여 실리사이드 형성시 산소와의 반응을 막아 실리사이드의 표면특성을 향상시켜 누설전류의 특성을 개선하였다. 결과적으로 소자의 구동전류 향상, 누설전류 저하, 낮은 면저항으로 소자의 특성을 개선하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.444-445
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• 2009

The metallic contact system of silicon solar cell must have several properties, such as low contact resistance, easy application and good adhesion. Ni is shown to be a suitable barrier to Cu diffusion as well as desirable contact metal to silicon. Nickel monosilicide(NiSi) has been suggested as a suitable silicide due to its lower resistivity, lower sintering temperature and lower layer stress than $TiSi_2$. Copper and Silver can be plated by electro & light-induced plating method. Light-induced plating makes use the photovoltaic effect of solar cell to deposit the metal on the front contact. The cell is immersed into the electrolytic plating bath and irradiated at the front side by light source, which leads to a current density in the front side grid. Electroless plated Ni/ Electro&light-induced plated Cu/ Light-induced plated Ag contact solar cells result in an energy conversion efficiency of 16.446 % on $0.2\sim0.6\;{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, $20\;\times\;20\;mm^2$, CZ(Czochralski) wafer.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.571-577
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• 2006

We fabricated thermal evaporated 10 nm-Ni/(poly)Si and 10 nm-Ni/1 nm-Ir/(poly)Si films to investigate the thermal stability of nickel monosilicide at the elevated temperatures by rapid annealing them at the temperatures of $300{\sim}1200^{\circ}C$ for 40 seconds. Silicides for salicide process was formed on top of both the single crystal silicon actives and the polycrystalline silicon gates. A four-point tester is used for sheet resistance. Scanning electron microscope and field ion beam were employed for thickness and microstructure evolution characterization. An x-ray diffractometer and an auger depth profile scope were used for phase and composition analysis, respectively. Nickel silicides with iridium on single crystal silicon actives and polycrystalline silicon gates showed low resistance up to $1200^{\circ}C$ and $800^{\circ}C$, respectively, while the conventional nickel monosilicide showed low resistance below $700^{\circ}C$. The grain boundary diffusion and agglomeration of silicides led to lower the NiSi stable temperature with polycrystalline silicon substrates. Our result implies that our newly proposed Ir added NiSi process may widen the thermal process window for nano CMOS process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.234-234
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• 2010

최근 CMOS 소자 크기가 축소됨에 따라 소스와 드레인 영역에서의 접촉저항을 줄이기 위하여, 실리사이드 공정이 많이 연구되고 있다. 실리사이드 물질로서 NiSi는 낮은 저항률과 낮은 실리콘 소모, 낮은 공정온도, 등의 장점을 가지고 있다. 그러나, 실리사이드 형성으로 인한 나노소자의 소오스/드레인에서정션(junction) 누설전류의 증가는 큰 문제가 되므로 실리콘과 실리사이드 계면의 특성이 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 니켈을 이용한 실리사이드 형성시 계면 활성제인 에틸 요오드를 이용하여 실험을 진행하였다. 금속 유기 전구체인 MABONi을 사용하여 ALD 방식으로 증착 한 니켈 박막과 니켈 핵 형성시 계면활성제인 에틸요오드의 처리 방법에 따른 Ni-silicide 박막의 특성을 비교, 분석하였다. 먼저 자연산화막을 건식식각으로 제거한 뒤, 첫 번째 샘플에서는 10회의 주기로 초기 니켈을 증착한 뒤, 에틸요오드로 니켈의 표면 위를 처리하고, 다시 200회의 주기로 니켈을 증착하였으며, 두 번째는 첫 번째 방식에서 에틸요오드 주입 시 동시에 수소도 함께 주입하였다. 세 번째는 비교를 위해 에틸요오드 처리를 하지 않고 니켈 박막만을 증착 하였다. 이어서, 각 샘플을 급속 열처리 장비에서 $400^{\circ}C$부터 $900^{\circ}C$까지 각각 30sec간 열처리를 진행후, 반응하지 않은 잔여 니켈을 제거한 후, XRD(x-ray diffraction), AES(auger), 그리고 4-point probe 등을 이용하여 형성된 실리사이드의 특성을 분석하였다. 에틸요오드와 함께 수소를 주입한 경우 계면에서의 산소 불순물과 카본 성분이 효과적으로 제거되어 $400^{\circ}C$에서 $2.9{\Omega}/{\Box}$ 의 낮은 면저항을 가지는 NiSi가 형성되었고 모든 온도구간에서 다른 샘플에 비하여 가장 낮은 면저항 분포를 보였다. 이는 분해 흡착된 요오드에 의한 계면 특성 향상과 카본 성분이 포함된 잔여물들이 수소처리에 의해 효율적으로 제거되어 실리사이드의 특성이 향상되었기 때문이다. 계면활성제를 사용하지 않은 경우에는 $500^{\circ}C$에서 NiSi가 형성되었다. 반면에 에틸요오드로만 표면을 처리한 경우에는 니켈과 실리콘 계면에서의 카본 성분에 의하여 silicidation 이 충분히 일어나지 않았다. 이러한 결과는 향후 45nm 이하의 CMOS 공정상에서 소스와 드레인의 낮은 누설전류를 가지고, 접촉저항을 줄이기 위한 니켈 실리사이드 형성에 큰 도움을 줄 것으로 기대된다.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1996

The phase distribution and interface chemistry by the solid-state reaction between SiC and nickel were studied at temperatures between $550 \;and\; 1250^{\circ}C$ for 0.5-100 h. The reaction with the formation of silicides and carbon was first observed above $650^{\circ}C$. At $750^{\circ}C$, as the reaction proceeded, the initially, formed $Ni_3Si_2$ layer was converted to $Ni_2$Si. The thin nickel film reacted completely with SiC after annealing at $950^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. The thermodynamically stable $Ni_2$Si is the only obsrved silicide in the reaction zone up to $1050^{\circ}C$. The formation of $Ni_2$Si layers with carbon precipitates alternated periodically with the carbon free layers. At temperatures between $950^{\circ}C$ and $1050^{\circ}C$, the typical layer sequences in the reaction zone is determined by quantitative microanalysis to be $SiC/Ni_2$$Si+C/Ni_2$$Si/Ni_2$$Si+C/…Ni_2$Si/Ni(Si)/Ni. The mechanism of the periodic band structure formation with the carbon precipitation behaviour was discussed in terms of reaction kinetics and thermodynamic considerations. The reaction kinetics is proposed to estimate the effective reaction constant from the parabolic growth of the reaction zone.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2001

The reaction stability of nickel with side-wall materials of SiO$_2$ and Si$_3$N$_4$ on p-type 4"(100) Si substrate were investigated. Ni on 1300 $\AA$ thick SiO$_2$ and 500 $\AA$ - thick Si$_3$N$_4$ were deposited. Then the samples were annealed at 400, 500, 750 and 100$0^{\circ}C$ for 30min, and the residual Ni layer was removed by a wet process. The interface reaction stability was probed by AES depth Profiling. No reaction was observed at the Ni/SiO$_2$ and Ni/Si$_3$N$_4$, interfaces at 400 and 50$0^{\circ}C$. At 75$0^{\circ}C$, no reaction occurred at Ni/SiO$_2$ interface, while $NiO_x$ and Si$_3$N$_4$ interdiffused at Ni/Si$_3$N$_4$ interface. At 100$0^{\circ}C$, Ni layers on SiO$_2$ and Si$_3$N$_4$ oxidized into $NiO_x$ and then $NiO_x$ interacted with side-wall materials. Once $NiO_x$ was formed, it was not removed in wet etching process and easily diffused into sidewall materials, which could lead to bridge effect of gate-source/drain.