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  • Study of the microstructures and lifetime of spin-cast silicon sheets for photovoltaics.

Study of the microstructures and lifetime of spin-cast silicon sheets for photovoltaics.

Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology (2013-07-19)
Hyunhui Kim, Jaewoo Lee, Changbum Lee, Joonsoo Kim, Bo-Yun Jang, Jinseok Lee, Youngsoo Ahn, Wooyoung Yoon
ABSTRACT

Silicon sheets were fabricated by a new fabricating method, spin casting with various rotation speeds of the graphite mold. The microstructure of spin-cast silicon sheets were investigated using an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and scanning electron microscope/electron backscatter diffraction/orientation image micrograph, and the lifetime of the sheets was mapped using microwave photoconductance decay. The silicon sheets were vertically aligned, with sizes ranging from tens of microns to one hundred microns. The as-grown lifetime was measured and found to range from 0.049 micros to 0.250 micros. The ASTM number was plotted against the lifetime using ASTM E112 to estimate the grain size. Approximately half of the grain boundaries seemed electrically inactive with meaning of no recombination center since the grains were growth directionally, especially in a longitudinal aligned. It was confirmed that the lifetime of spin-cast sheets makes them suitably applicable for photovoltaics compared to those produced by alternative ribbon-producing methods.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <100>, N-type, contains phosphorus as dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <111>, P-type, contains boron as dopant, diam. × thickness 3 in. × 0.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <100>, P-type, contains boron as dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <111>, N-type, contains no dopant, diam. × thickness 3 in. × 0.5 mm
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Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <111>, N-type, contains phosphorus as dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.5 mm
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Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <100>, N-type, contains no dopant, diam. × thickness 3 in. × 0.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <111>, N-type, contains no dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.5 mm
Sigma-Aldrich
Silicon, wafer (single side polished), <100>, N-type, contains no dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.5 mm
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Silicon, wafer, <111>, P-type, contains boron as dopant, diam. × thickness 2 in. × 0.3 mm
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Silicon, nanopowder, <100 nm particle size (TEM), ≥98% trace metals basis
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Silicon, powder, −325 mesh, 99% trace metals basis
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Silicon, pieces, 99.95% trace metals basis