Characterization of nonideal silicon in terms of lifetime and diffusion lengthExperimental methods have been evaluated for the determination of lifetime and diffusion length in silicon intentionally doped with potentially lifetime-degrading impurities which may be present in low-cost silicon intended for use in terrestrial flat-plate arrays. Results obtained with these methods have been compared for mutual consistency. The effects of a number of impurities on bulk lifetime were determined from steady-state photoconductivity, and solar cells fabricated from this material were characterized in terms of diffusion length using a penetrating light technique. Comparison was made with results obtained by others using photoconductivity decay. General agreement was found in terms of the hierachy of impurities to which the lifetime is sensitive. The utility of the steady-state photoconductivity method is established even in the presence of considerable trapping.
Document ID
19790057074
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Othmer, S. (Northrop Research and Technology Center Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA, United States)
Chen, S. C. (Northrop Research and Technology Center Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif., United States)