Hydrogenation of defects in edge-defined film-fed grown aluminum-enhanced plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride multicrystalline silicon

Gettering of impurities and hydrogen passivation of defects in edge-defined film-fed grown (EFG) multicrystalline silicon were studied by low-cost manufacturable technologies such as emitter diffusion by a spin-on phosphorus dopant source, back surface field formation by screen-printed aluminum, and a post-deposition anneal of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) silicon nitride antireflection coating. These processes were carried out in a high-throughput lamp-heated conveyor belt furnace. PECVD silicon nitride-induced hydrogenation of defects in EFG silicon was studied in conjunction with screen-printed aluminum back surface field formation to investigate the synergistic effect of aluminum gettering and silicon nitride hydrogenation of bulk defects. It was found that post-deposition anneal of PECVD silicon nitride at temperatures ranging from 450 to 850 degrees C, without the coformation of aluminum back surface field on the back, does not provide appreciable passivation or hydrogenation of bulk defects in EFG material. However, simultaneous anneal of PECVD silicon nitride and formation of aluminum back surface field at 850 degrees C significantly enhanced the hydrogenation ability of the PECVD silicon nitride film. PECVD silicon nitride deposition and a subsequent anneal, after the aluminum back surface field formation, was found to be less effective in passivating bulk defects. It is proposed that aluminum-enhanced hydrogenation from a PECVD silicon nitride film is the result of vacancy generation at the aluminum-silicon interface due to the alloying process. The affinity of hydrogen to react with vacancies provides a chemical potential gradient that increases the flux of atomic hydrogen from the silicon nitride film into the bulk silicon. In addition, vacancies can dissociate hydrogen molecules, increasing the atomic hydrogen content of the bulk silicon. This enhances defect passivation and improves the minority carrier lifetime. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)02410-5].