Metastable defects in Si3N4 layers accessed by scanning photoluminescence

I. Tarasov; M. Dybiec; S. Ostapenko; T. V. Torchynska

doi:10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094

Metastable defects in Si₃N₄ layers accessed by scanning photoluminescence

I. Tarasov, M. Dybiec, S. Ostapenko, T. V. Torchynska

Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas (ESFM)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on spectroscopic photoluminescence (PL) mapping performed at room temperature in commercial grade multi-crystalline silicon ribbon wafers for solar cells. Besides a standard band-to-band luminescence of silicon with maximum at 1.09eV, a broad visible PL band at 1.94eV is observed under UV excitation on wafers covered with Si₃N₄ layer. Scanning PL was applied consecutively to both PL bands. We observed that the intensity and topography of the visible PL are not related to the band-to-band luminescence, but rather determined by parameters of Si₃N ₄ deposition. The visible PL band exhibits a reversible photoquenching of the intensity under 325nm HeCd laser. The PL intensity can be recovered by annealing with the rate showing a thermally activated behavior. The observed PL photoquenching reveals a metastable process in Si ₃N₄ film. We demonstrate the possibility to create a reversible luminescence pattern on the Si₃N₄ layer using UV laser beam.

Translated title of the contribution	Defectos metaestables en capas de Si 3 N 4 a los que se accede mediante fotoluminiscencia de barrido
Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1124-1128
Number of pages	5
Journal	Physica B: Condensed Matter
Volume	340-342
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094
State	Published - 31 Dec 2003
Event	Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Defects in (ICDS-22) - Aarhus, Denmark Duration: 28 Jul 2003 → 1 Aug 2003

Keywords

Metastability
Photoluminescence
Quenching
SiN

Access to Document

10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094

Cite this

@article{45274749bfab4966b381fcfd26378e84,

title = "Metastable defects in Si3N4 layers accessed by scanning photoluminescence",

abstract = "We report on spectroscopic photoluminescence (PL) mapping performed at room temperature in commercial grade multi-crystalline silicon ribbon wafers for solar cells. Besides a standard band-to-band luminescence of silicon with maximum at 1.09eV, a broad visible PL band at 1.94eV is observed under UV excitation on wafers covered with Si3N4 layer. Scanning PL was applied consecutively to both PL bands. We observed that the intensity and topography of the visible PL are not related to the band-to-band luminescence, but rather determined by parameters of Si3N 4 deposition. The visible PL band exhibits a reversible photoquenching of the intensity under 325nm HeCd laser. The PL intensity can be recovered by annealing with the rate showing a thermally activated behavior. The observed PL photoquenching reveals a metastable process in Si 3N4 film. We demonstrate the possibility to create a reversible luminescence pattern on the Si3N4 layer using UV laser beam.",

keywords = "Metastability, Photoluminescence, Quenching, SiN",

author = "I. Tarasov and M. Dybiec and S. Ostapenko and Torchynska, {T. V.}",

note = "Funding Information: The work was supported by NREL subcontract ACQ-9-29639-03 and NSF/DMII award #0218967. We are thankful to Evergreen Solar, Inc. for supplying samples used in this study. ; Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Defects in (ICDS-22) ; Conference date: 28-07-2003 Through 01-08-2003",

year = "2003",

month = dec,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094",

language = "Ingl{\'e}s",

volume = "340-342",

pages = "1124--1128",

journal = "Physica B: Condensed Matter",

issn = "0921-4526",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Metastable defects in Si3N4 layers accessed by scanning photoluminescence

AU - Tarasov, I.

AU - Dybiec, M.

AU - Ostapenko, S.

AU - Torchynska, T. V.

N1 - Funding Information: The work was supported by NREL subcontract ACQ-9-29639-03 and NSF/DMII award #0218967. We are thankful to Evergreen Solar, Inc. for supplying samples used in this study.

PY - 2003/12/31

Y1 - 2003/12/31

N2 - We report on spectroscopic photoluminescence (PL) mapping performed at room temperature in commercial grade multi-crystalline silicon ribbon wafers for solar cells. Besides a standard band-to-band luminescence of silicon with maximum at 1.09eV, a broad visible PL band at 1.94eV is observed under UV excitation on wafers covered with Si3N4 layer. Scanning PL was applied consecutively to both PL bands. We observed that the intensity and topography of the visible PL are not related to the band-to-band luminescence, but rather determined by parameters of Si3N 4 deposition. The visible PL band exhibits a reversible photoquenching of the intensity under 325nm HeCd laser. The PL intensity can be recovered by annealing with the rate showing a thermally activated behavior. The observed PL photoquenching reveals a metastable process in Si 3N4 film. We demonstrate the possibility to create a reversible luminescence pattern on the Si3N4 layer using UV laser beam.

AB - We report on spectroscopic photoluminescence (PL) mapping performed at room temperature in commercial grade multi-crystalline silicon ribbon wafers for solar cells. Besides a standard band-to-band luminescence of silicon with maximum at 1.09eV, a broad visible PL band at 1.94eV is observed under UV excitation on wafers covered with Si3N4 layer. Scanning PL was applied consecutively to both PL bands. We observed that the intensity and topography of the visible PL are not related to the band-to-band luminescence, but rather determined by parameters of Si3N 4 deposition. The visible PL band exhibits a reversible photoquenching of the intensity under 325nm HeCd laser. The PL intensity can be recovered by annealing with the rate showing a thermally activated behavior. The observed PL photoquenching reveals a metastable process in Si 3N4 film. We demonstrate the possibility to create a reversible luminescence pattern on the Si3N4 layer using UV laser beam.

KW - Metastability

KW - Photoluminescence

KW - Quenching

KW - SiN

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0347764737&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094

DO - 10.1016/j.physb.2003.09.094

M3 - Artículo de la conferencia

AN - SCOPUS:0347764737

SN - 0921-4526

VL - 340-342

SP - 1124

EP - 1128

JO - Physica B: Condensed Matter

JF - Physica B: Condensed Matter

T2 - Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Defects in (ICDS-22)

Y2 - 28 July 2003 through 1 August 2003

ER -

Metastable defects in Si₃N₄ layers accessed by scanning photoluminescence

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this