An EBIC study of HEM polycrystalline silicon

Low-cost silicon for solar cells grown by the heat exchanger method (HEM) was studied in the electron beam induced current (EBIC) mode of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Comparisons were made between the defects observed optically and the recombination centers visible in EBIC. Much of the HEM material was single crystalline, but structural defects were found from areas near the corners of the grown material. Most of these defects consisted of linear twin boundaries and grain boundaries. The electrical activity of these boundaries was dependent on symmetry of the boundaries. Symmetric twin boundaries did not exhibit recombination activity while unsymmetric twin boundaries were electrically active.