Electrical and optical properties of semi-insulating polycrystalline silicon thin films: the role of microstructure and doping

We have investigated the relationship between microstructure and electrical conductivity in semi-insulating polycrystalline silicon (SIPOS) with oxygen concentrations in the 2–35 at.% range and the effect of doping with boron, phosphorus, arsenic and erbium by ion implantation. SIPOS thin films are mixtures of silicon and silicon oxide phases. The chemical and morphological evolution of these phases upon annealing is emphasized. Electrical conductivity measurements are interpreted in terms of a physical model containing few free parameters related to the material microstructure. A direct extension of this model explains also the conductivity increase in SIPOS doped with elements of the third or the fifth group. In the last part of the paper, data of electroluminescence at 1.54 μm in Er-implanted SIPOS due to intra-4f transitions of the Er³⁺ ion are shown and discussed.     

Structural properties of phosphorous-doped polycrystalline silicon

The structural properties and hydrogen bonding of undoped and phosphorous doped polycrystalline silicon produced by step-by-step laser dehydrogenation and crystallization technique were investigated using Raman spectroscopy and hydrogen effusion measurements. At low laser fluences, E_L, a two-layer system is created. This is accompanied by the change in hydrogen bonding. The intensity of the Si–H vibration mode at 2000 decreases faster than the one at 2100 cm⁻¹. This is even more pronounced in phosphorous-doped specimens. The laser crystallization results in an increase of the hydrogen binding energy by approximately 0.2–0.3 eV compared to the amorphous starting materials.     

Electrical/electronic effects of titanium and iron impurities in EFG and FZ solar cell silicon: SPV/EBIC analysis

In this paper results on surface photovoltage (SPV) and electron beam induced conductivity (EBIC) studies of edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) and floating zone (FZ) silicon solar cell materials (both p-type) are presented. A systematic comparison based on minority carrier diffusion length and carrier recombination is made between: (i) samples contaminated with Ti and/or Fe, (ii) samples gettered by phosphorous diffusion, and (iii) as-received samples. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements, together with the iron-boron (FeB) pairing kinetics [1] have successfully been used to detect the presence of Fe in the samples. Even though this process is effective in revealing Fe impurities in p-type FZ silicon it is evidently not suitable for Fe identification in p-type EFG silicon. Ti, like Fe, is found to be a prominent lifetime-limiting metallic impurity in both EFG and FZ silicon. Phosphorous diffusion is proven to be an effective external gettering technique for fast-diffusing impurities such as Fe, but not for Ti.     

The interfacial microstructure of joined single crystal and polycrystalline alumina

The interfacial microstructures of 96 and 98% polycrystalline alumina joined with single crystal sapphire have been investigated in relation to the joining parameters. Joining has been evaluated based on either using a thin spin-on silica interlayer or by placing the alumina and sapphire in direct contact. The materials were joined by placing the coated or uncoated surfaces in contact and heating in the range of 1340–1475 °C with minimum external load. With the aid of a silica interlayer, sapphire and 98% polycrystalline alumina were successfully joined in 180 min at 1400 °C and above, while samples without a silica interlayer failed to join under these conditions. However, sapphire and 96% polycrystalline alumina were joined both with and without the use of silica interlayer. A variety of interfacial morphologies have been observed, including amorphous regions, fine crystalline alumina, and intimate contact between the sapphire and polycrystalline alumina.     

The optimal diamond wheels for grinding diamond tools

Grinding is the most suitable process for manufacturing good quality diamond tools. In this paper, diamond wheels have been studied. From the grinding of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) insets, the effects of certain factors such as the bonding material, the grit size and structure of a diamond wheel have been investigated. It is concluded that vitrified bond diamond wheels are the most suitable for grinding PCDs and the recommended grit size is mesh number 1000, which can get a good surface quality within an appropriate time. The wheel structure is another important factor. Rougher wheels (mesh #800, #1000) with the softer grade scale P yield a higher material removal rate (MRR) than scale Q. However, a finer wheel (mesh #1200) needs a tougher structure to promote its grinding ability and to have a higher MRR.     

Comparative study of the electrical properties of diamond films grown by microwave plasma assisted and hot-filament chemical vapor deposition

Schottky diodes were built on different polycrystalline diamond films grown by Microwave Plasma and Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition and their electrical properties were studied. The barrier height increased with the diamond film quality and the corresponding ideality factor decreased. Even though the lower-quality HFCVD film displayed poor rectifying properties, it was found to be much less sensitive to variations in the operating conditions (air vs. vacuum). The activation energies of the films depend on morphological parameters, as preferable grain size or orientation. The bulk conduction also depends on the quality of the deposited films, changing from ohmic to trap-free or shallow trap SCLC and SCLC with an exponential distribution of traps. The hypothesis of using the electrical measurements as an indicator for film quality has been discussed.     

Mode of deformation and the rate of energy storage during uniaxial tensile deformation of austenitic steel

The mechanism of slip and its consequence in the process of energy storage during uniaxial tension of austenitic steel was studied. The interpretation of the energy storage process in terms of the slip development and microscopic shear band formation is presented.     

Characterization of CuInS2 thin films for solar cells prepared by spray pyrolysis

We have made a study of the chemical composition, the electrical, the optical and the structural properties of polycrystalline CuInS₂ thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis to be used for thin film solar cells. These films were deposited starting from aqueous solutions with different chemical compositions ([Cu]/[In] and [S]/[Cu] ratios) and at different substrate temperatures. In all cases, the material is p-type with grains preferentially oriented in the (112) direction of the sphalerite structure. The electro-optical properties show a very strong dependence on the [Cu]/[In] ratio in the solution. Films with copper excess have smaller resistivity and better crystallinity than those which are stoichiometric or have indium excess. The results obtained in this work show the possibility of having CuInS₂ thin films with a wide range of resistivity, a fact that could be important for making solar cells based on this material.     

一种多晶铁纤维的表面改性方法

介绍了一种对多晶铁纤维表面进行改性的方法.从磁学物理的角度出发,并结合大量实验结果,确定了具体的实施方案.结果表明处理后的纤维表面电阻率得到显著提高,磁性能也得到一定改进.