This paper compares the electrically active damage in dry-etched n-type float-zone silicon, using NF3/Ar or H2-plasma exposure and assessed by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and recombination lifetime analysis. It is shown that the NF3/Ar-plasma damage consists of at least four different types of electron traps in the upper half of the band gap, which can be associated with vacancy- and vacancy-impurity-related complexes. In the case of H2-plasma damage, it is believed that the accumulation of point defects results in a gradual disordering of the near-surface layer. These defect levels also act as recombination centers, judged by the fact that they degrade the minority carrier lifetime. It is finally shown that lifetime measurements are more sensitive to the etching-induced damage than DLTS.
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July 2018
Research Article|
June 13 2018
Dry etch damage in n-type crystalline silicon wafers assessed by deep-level transient spectroscopy and minority carrier lifetime
Eddy Simoen;
Eddy Simoen
a)
Imec
, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Hariharsudan Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan;
Hariharsudan Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan
Imec
, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Md. Gius Uddin;
Md. Gius Uddin
Imec
, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Ivan Gordon;
Ivan Gordon
Imec
, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Jef Poortmans;
Jef Poortmans
Imec
, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Chong Wang;
Chong Wang
School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
, 610054 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic China
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Wei Li
Wei Li
School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
, 610054 Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic China
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a)
Also at Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S1, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; electronic mail: eddy.simoen@imec.be
b)
Also at Department of Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
c)
Also at Universiteit Hasselt, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan-gebouw D, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 36, 041201 (2018)
Article history
Received:
February 21 2018
Accepted:
May 29 2018
Citation
Eddy Simoen, Hariharsudan Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan, Md. Gius Uddin, Ivan Gordon, Jef Poortmans, Chong Wang, Wei Li; Dry etch damage in n-type crystalline silicon wafers assessed by deep-level transient spectroscopy and minority carrier lifetime. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 July 2018; 36 (4): 041201. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.5026529
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