PECVD is a process used to deposit thin films like silicon nitride on solar cell substrates through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It works by creating a plasma from reacting gases like silane and ammonia, which then chemically deposit the film on wafers loaded into a furnace. Key parameters of the process include thickness, refractive index, gas flows and ratios, pressure, and power, which must be carefully controlled to produce an antireflective coating with the proper optical properties needed for high solar cell efficiency. Critical aspects of running the process include monitoring loading/unloading, deposition uniformity, and verifying that quality parameters like thickness and refractive index meet specifications.
PECVD is a process used to deposit thin films like silicon nitride on solar cell substrates through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It works by creating a plasma from reacting gases like silane and ammonia, which then chemically deposit the film on wafers loaded into a furnace. Key parameters of the process include thickness, refractive index, gas flows and ratios, pressure, and power, which must be carefully controlled to produce an antireflective coating with the proper optical properties needed for high solar cell efficiency. Critical aspects of running the process include monitoring loading/unloading, deposition uniformity, and verifying that quality parameters like thickness and refractive index meet specifications.
PECVD is a process used to deposit thin films like silicon nitride on solar cell substrates through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It works by creating a plasma from reacting gases like silane and ammonia, which then chemically deposit the film on wafers loaded into a furnace. Key parameters of the process include thickness, refractive index, gas flows and ratios, pressure, and power, which must be carefully controlled to produce an antireflective coating with the proper optical properties needed for high solar cell efficiency. Critical aspects of running the process include monitoring loading/unloading, deposition uniformity, and verifying that quality parameters like thickness and refractive index meet specifications.
PECVD is a process used to deposit thin films like silicon nitride on solar cell substrates through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It works by creating a plasma from reacting gases like silane and ammonia, which then chemically deposit the film on wafers loaded into a furnace. Key parameters of the process include thickness, refractive index, gas flows and ratios, pressure, and power, which must be carefully controlled to produce an antireflective coating with the proper optical properties needed for high solar cell efficiency. Critical aspects of running the process include monitoring loading/unloading, deposition uniformity, and verifying that quality parameters like thickness and refractive index meet specifications.
• To Deposit thin films of different materials over a substrate. • In Solar cell line, Thin Film of silicon nitride is deposited over Silicon substrate and Known as ARC Layer. • Chemical reactions are involved in the process, which occur after creation of a plasma of the reacting gases used in this PECVD process.
5 Basic Principle :
d1=λ0/4η1
d1: Layer thickness
λ0: wavelength of incident light η1: Refractive index of coated layer n2: Refractive index of Silicon. n0: Refractive index of rarer medium. ARC Purpose??? Purpose
Provide Platform to H2Bulk Passivation • During Firing all H2 Front surface Passivation bond got Passivated • Defects cause dangling • Results in getting better bonds, which form trap states efficiency. • Results in getting higher Reduce Reflection Losses voltage. • Reduction in front surface reflection from 26% to 7% of silicon material. • Results Drawing maximum amount of current Reflection Losses :
The most common semiconductor solar cells, the entire visible spectrum (350 - 780 nm) has enough energy to create electron-hole pairs and therefore all visible light would ideally be absorbed but in actual most portion light gets reflected back on bare silicon. After texturing the reflection of a silicon surface is over 25% due to its high refractive index. After this ARC coating reduces reflection losses to 7%. Front Side Passivation • Surface recombination can be major impact both on the short-circuit current and on the open-circuit voltage. High recombination rates at the top surface have a particularly detrimental impact on the short-circuit current. • Lowering the high top surface recombination is typically accomplished by reducing the number of dangling silicon bonds at the top surface by using “Passivating" layer on the top surface. • For commercial solar cells, dielectric layers such as silicon nitride are commonly used. Bulk Passivation-H2 • This hydrogenation induces passivation of defects and impurities in the bulk and can significantly increase the lifetime of minority charge carriers in the bulk of multi- crystalline wafers. • The benefits of bulk passivation in Solar Processing done by silicon nitride (SiNx:H). • The improvement of the surface passivation for layers grown with NH 3/SiH4 with a refractive index of about ~2.1
• * SiNx:H to improve the effective lifetime of minority charge carriers in the bulk of mc-Si wafers (bulk passivation) if the layer is annealed as in the firing process.* Overview!!!!!! Machine Overview
•Graphite Boat-308Pcs/Boat •Plates are electrodes to ignite plasma •Must be cleaned (etched back) after certain period. It is also required to Pre-coating of Boat (memory effect). •No deposition on tube easy maintenance Overview- Process Furnace
Power [W] NH3 Plasma to clean wafer surface, Remove SiO2, Increase Preclean Max Current [A] Adhesion, Reduce Blistering Time [s]
Time [sec] Determines Layer thickness
NH3 [slm]
SiH4 [sccm] Ratio determines Refractive Index, Hydrogen amount NH3/SiH4 ratio Pressure [m Torr] SiNx Deposition Power [W]
Pulse on [ms] Plasma On:- Layer is deposited & Process gases are consumed Plasma Off:- Process gases have time to distribute uniformly Pulse off [ms] again
Thickness,d [nm] Layer Properties Results Refractive Index n Process Optimisation:
Process ARC Results
Process time
Thickness Process temperature Control Parameter
Process Gas RI Flow(SiH4/NH3) RI
Silane Power Pressure Fraction
Power Pressure Silane Fraction
Effect of Gas Flow on Electrical Parameter: • Highest Voc is obtained for silicon rich due to optimum surface passivation for Si- rich layers. • The Isc, however, depends strongly on the optical properties of the layers.
25 Effect of Current (Isc) & Voltage(Voc) over the Material Thickness
•Monitoring Loading/Unloading Carrier eg. Carrier Orientation and breakage.
•Monitoring Boat Loading /Unloading eg. verify Breakage, Wafer tilt, Wafer breakage at Tube door and inside Tube, Condition of Boat. •Ensure process run has no issue eg. Vacuum failure, ARC deposition not proper, Temp. difference, Undesired sound etc. Critical Parameter… Critical Parameter.. Note : ARC thickness & RI should be as per Process Set value •Verify the product quality by two parameters RI (Refractive Index) Thickness measurement If any deviation found in measurement Data and Process control Spec , need to inform superior…
Quality Tool-Laser Ellipsometer
Defects Defects Types:
Types
Color Rear Chemical
Dust Particle Variation Deposition Marks Defects- Colour variation
Causes: •Graphite Boat Life •Improper Boat Cleaning •Recipe abort •Pump Failure •Breakage During Process •Abatement Down During Process •Pressure Varying Defects- Rear Deposition
Causes: •Wafer is missing from one slot during loading. •Weak wafer breaks and remove from that slots inside tube. •Wafers breakages inside tube •Tilting Wafer from slot Defects - Dust Particles & Chemical Marks
Chemical Mark : •Can be from Improper Process at PSG & Texturization PECVD –SPC!!! SPC-(Statical Process Control) PECVD- Thickness and RI Control Any Question ????..
