S. Binetti et al., EFFECT OF NITROGEN CONTAMINATION BY CRUCIBLE ENCAPSULATION ON POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON MATERIAL QUALITY, Materials science & engineering. B, Solid-state materials for advanced technology, 36(1-3), 1996, pp. 68-72
This paper reports some results about a recently discovered sourer of
lifetime degradation found in polycrystalline silicon ingots grown in
silicon-nitride-lined silica crucibles. A systematic analysis of the l
ow lifetime areas, which preferentially are found corresponding to the
ingot edges and corners, carried out using different structural, spec
troscopical and electrical techniques, shows that the lifetime drop is
associated with the presence of a high density of silicon nitride and
iron silicide submicrometre particles, revealed by transmission elect
ron microscopy and electron diffraction measurements. An at least part
ial recovery of the lifetime is obtained by P gettering at 900 degrees
C, which seems to be effective in dissolving the iron silicide from t
he nitride-rich areas.