RECOMBINATION CENTERS IN ELECTRON-IRRADIATED CZOCHRALSKI SILICON SOLAR-CELLS

The defect responsible for the minority-carrier lifetime in P-type Czo chralski silicon introduced by electron irradiation has been detected and characterized by deep-level transient spectroscopy and spin-depend ent recombination. From the isotropic g value (2.0055), the defect is tentatively identified as a Si dangling bond originating from a vacanc y cluster. Its energetic location in the gap is at 630 meV below the c onduction band. The electron and hole cross sections and their variati on with temperature have been determined, and found to account for the minority-carrier lifetime of the material.