Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation

Kerf-less removal of surface layers of photovoltaic materials including silicon is an emerging technology by controlled spalling technology. The method is extremely simple, versatile, and applicable to a wide range of substrates. Controlled spalling technology requires a stressor layer, such as Ni,...

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Main Author: Maha M. Khayyat
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:Crystals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/9/1020
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author Maha M. Khayyat
author_facet Maha M. Khayyat
author_sort Maha M. Khayyat
collection DOAJ
description Kerf-less removal of surface layers of photovoltaic materials including silicon is an emerging technology by controlled spalling technology. The method is extremely simple, versatile, and applicable to a wide range of substrates. Controlled spalling technology requires a stressor layer, such as Ni, to be deposited on the surface of a brittle material; then, the controlled removal of a continuous surface layer can be performed at a predetermined depth by manipulating the thickness and stress of the Ni layer, introducing a crack near the edge of the substrate, and mechanically guiding the crack as a single fracture front across the surface. However, spalling Si(100) at 300 K (room temperature RT) introduced many cracks and rough regions within the spalled layer. These mechanical issues make it difficult to process these layers of Si(100) for PV, and in other advanced applications, Si does not undergo phase transformations at 77 K (Liquid Nitrogen Temperature, LNT); based on this fact, spalling of Si(100) has been carried out. Spalling of Si(100) at LNT improved material quality for further designed applications. Mechanical flexibility is achieved by employing controlled spalling technology, enabling the large-area transfer of ultrathin body silicon devices to a plastic substrate at room temperature.
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spelling doaj.art-0b7048ddb31541e69b81011747dac4b32023-11-22T12:34:38ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522021-08-01119102010.3390/cryst11091020Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ IndentationMaha M. Khayyat0Nanotechnology and Semiconductors Center, Materials Science Research Institute, King Abdullaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi ArabiaKerf-less removal of surface layers of photovoltaic materials including silicon is an emerging technology by controlled spalling technology. The method is extremely simple, versatile, and applicable to a wide range of substrates. Controlled spalling technology requires a stressor layer, such as Ni, to be deposited on the surface of a brittle material; then, the controlled removal of a continuous surface layer can be performed at a predetermined depth by manipulating the thickness and stress of the Ni layer, introducing a crack near the edge of the substrate, and mechanically guiding the crack as a single fracture front across the surface. However, spalling Si(100) at 300 K (room temperature RT) introduced many cracks and rough regions within the spalled layer. These mechanical issues make it difficult to process these layers of Si(100) for PV, and in other advanced applications, Si does not undergo phase transformations at 77 K (Liquid Nitrogen Temperature, LNT); based on this fact, spalling of Si(100) has been carried out. Spalling of Si(100) at LNT improved material quality for further designed applications. Mechanical flexibility is achieved by employing controlled spalling technology, enabling the large-area transfer of ultrathin body silicon devices to a plastic substrate at room temperature.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/9/1020indentationroom temperatureliquid nitrogen temperaturespallingSi-NWsnanoscale chemical templating (NCT)
spellingShingle Maha M. Khayyat
Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
Crystals
indentation
room temperature
liquid nitrogen temperature
spalling
Si-NWs
nanoscale chemical templating (NCT)
title Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
title_full Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
title_fullStr Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
title_full_unstemmed Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
title_short Crystalline Silicon Spalling as a Direct Application of Temperature Effect on Semiconductors’ Indentation
title_sort crystalline silicon spalling as a direct application of temperature effect on semiconductors indentation
topic indentation
room temperature
liquid nitrogen temperature
spalling
Si-NWs
nanoscale chemical templating (NCT)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/9/1020
work_keys_str_mv AT mahamkhayyat crystallinesiliconspallingasadirectapplicationoftemperatureeffectonsemiconductorsindentation