Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation
In this work, we report the same trends for the contact potential difference measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy and the effective carrier lifetime on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers passivated by AlO<sub>x</sub> layers of different thicknesses and submitted to annealing under va...
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/7/1803 |
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| author | Zhen Zheng Junyang An Ruiling Gong Yuheng Zeng Jichun Ye Linwei Yu Ileana Florea Pere Roca i Cabarrocas Wanghua Chen |
| author_facet | Zhen Zheng Junyang An Ruiling Gong Yuheng Zeng Jichun Ye Linwei Yu Ileana Florea Pere Roca i Cabarrocas Wanghua Chen |
| author_sort | Zhen Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this work, we report the same trends for the contact potential difference measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy and the effective carrier lifetime on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers passivated by AlO<sub>x</sub> layers of different thicknesses and submitted to annealing under various conditions. The changes in contact potential difference values and in the effective carrier lifetimes of the wafers are discussed in view of structural changes of the c-Si/SiO<sub>2</sub>/AlO<sub>x</sub> interface thanks to high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Indeed, we observed the presence of a crystalline silicon oxide interfacial layer in as-deposited (200 °C) AlO<sub>x</sub>, and a phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous silicon oxide when they were annealed in vacuum at 300 °C. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d2558ab8060b47bdbe715d5f83706b3f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-d2558ab8060b47bdbe715d5f83706b3f2023-11-22T04:34:08ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912021-07-01117180310.3390/nano11071803Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si PassivationZhen Zheng0Junyang An1Ruiling Gong2Yuheng Zeng3Jichun Ye4Linwei Yu5Ileana Florea6Pere Roca i Cabarrocas7Wanghua Chen8School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, ChinaSchool of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, ChinaSchool of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, ChinaNingbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, ChinaNingbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, ChinaNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Electronics Science and Engineering/Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, ChinaLaboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, FranceLaboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, FranceSchool of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, ChinaIn this work, we report the same trends for the contact potential difference measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy and the effective carrier lifetime on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers passivated by AlO<sub>x</sub> layers of different thicknesses and submitted to annealing under various conditions. The changes in contact potential difference values and in the effective carrier lifetimes of the wafers are discussed in view of structural changes of the c-Si/SiO<sub>2</sub>/AlO<sub>x</sub> interface thanks to high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Indeed, we observed the presence of a crystalline silicon oxide interfacial layer in as-deposited (200 °C) AlO<sub>x</sub>, and a phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous silicon oxide when they were annealed in vacuum at 300 °C.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/7/1803Kelvin probe force microscopyc-Si passivationsurface potentialAlO<sub>x</sub>SiO<sub>x</sub> |
| spellingShingle | Zhen Zheng Junyang An Ruiling Gong Yuheng Zeng Jichun Ye Linwei Yu Ileana Florea Pere Roca i Cabarrocas Wanghua Chen Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation Nanomaterials Kelvin probe force microscopy c-Si passivation surface potential AlO<sub>x</sub> SiO<sub>x</sub> |
| title | Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation |
| title_full | Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation |
| title_fullStr | Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation |
| title_short | Coupled Investigation of Contact Potential and Microstructure Evolution of Ultra-Thin AlO<sub>x</sub> for Crystalline Si Passivation |
| title_sort | coupled investigation of contact potential and microstructure evolution of ultra thin alo sub x sub for crystalline si passivation |
| topic | Kelvin probe force microscopy c-Si passivation surface potential AlO<sub>x</sub> SiO<sub>x</sub> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/7/1803 |
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