Doping Profile Research Articles

Intrinsic Poly-Si layer thickness: Its role in pinhole contact formation and interface passivation in poly-silicon on oxide solar cells

Tunnel oxide passivating contact (TOPCon) solar cells are characterized by high surface passivation and electrical transport efficiency due to the chemical passivation and field effect of the tunnel oxide and doped poly-silicon layers, respectively. Nevertheless, the passivation quality, implied open-circuit voltage (iVoc), and device lifetime are adversely affected by high-temperature processing, leading to Auger recombination and pinhole defects in the tunnel oxide layer. This study aimed to explore the introduction of intrinsic poly-silicon as an interlayer to improve thermal stability and assesses its effect on the passivation of the tunnel oxide interface. Findings indicate that an intrinsic poly-silicon interlayer with a minimum thickness of 18 nm prevents passivation degradation at elevated temperatures. Additionally, the incorporation of this interlayer facilitates the tuning of the doping profile in crystalline silicon, resulting in a diminished pinhole density and an enhanced iVoc of 714.9 mV. These results advance our understanding of TOPCon solar cell performance and provide a foundation for their further optimization.

IMPACT OF SOURCE (DRAIN) DOPING PROFILES AND CHANNEL DOPING LEVEL ON SELF-HEATING EFFECT IN FinFET

In this work the impact of the doping profile in the source and drain areas on the self-heating effect in SOI FinFET is simulated at different doping levels in the channel. Constant profile as well as two types of analytical profiles are considered. The impact of the doping profile on the threshold voltage and on the ratio Ion/Ioff at different doping levels of the channel is also considered. To consider the self-heating effect the thermodynamic transport model in TCAD Sentaurus software is used for simulation. The results of simulation show that self-heating effect, threshold voltage, and Ion/Ioff ratio considerably depend on the doping profile in source and drain areas.

Scanning electron microscopy imaging of multilayer-doped GaN: Effects of surface band bending, surface roughness, and contamination layers on doping contrast

Dopant profiling by a scanning electron microscope possesses great potential in the semiconductor industry due to its rapid, contactless, non-destructive, low cost, high spatial resolution, and high accuracy characteristics. Here, the influence of plasma and wet chemical treatments on doping contrast was investigated for a multilayered p-n GaN specimen, which is one of the most promising third-generation wide bandgap semiconductors. Angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscope were employed to characterize the degree of surface band bending, surface roughness, gallium oxides, and hydrocarbons on the surface of GaN. N2 and air plasmas were unable to remove the surface contamination layers, although the degree of surface band bending was suppressed. In contrast, wet chemical methods offer superior capability in removing contamination layers; however, the surface roughness was increased to varying degrees. Notably, NH4F solution is capable of improving the doping contrast. The underlying mechanism was elucidated from the perspective of surface band bending, surface roughness, and contamination. The findings reported here will provide a feasible solution for effective characterization of semiconductor materials and devices.

Characterization of newly developed large area SiC sensors for the NUMEN experiment

First prototypes of large area, p–n junction, silicon carbide (SiC) detectors have been produced as part of an ongoing programme to develop a new particle identification wall for the focal plane detector of the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer, in preparation for future NUMEN experimental campaigns. First characterizations of sensors from two wafers obtained with epitaxial silicon carbide growth and with different doping concentration are presented. Current (I–V) and capacitance (C–V) characteristics are investigated in order to determine the full depletion voltage and the doping profile. Radioactive α-sources are used to measure the energy resolution and estimate the depletion depth.

Effect of cell structures on electrical degradation of GaAs laser power convertors after 1 MeV electron irradiation and structure-optimization for improving radiation resistance

Laser wireless power transfer (LWPT) technology holds significant promise for wireless power transmission in space, necessitating that high-efficiency GaAs laser power convertors (LPCs) have strong tolerance to high-energy particle radiation. Therefore, the degradation characteristics of GaAs LPCs with different architectures under 1 MeV electron irradiation were investigated. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate that LPCs with thicker bottom cells suffer from significantly more electrical degradation. The degradation is primarily due to a reduction in electron concentrations in the base of the bottom cells, which is considerably less pronounced as the thickness of the bottom cells decreases. Based on these analyses, thinning the thickness and optimizing the doping profile for the bottom cells are proposed to improve the radiation resistance of the LPCs. Simulations show that the electrical degradation of the optimized four-junction LPCs is notably less than that of the original four-junction LPCs under the same irradiation conditions, indicating that the proposed strategies effectively enhance the radiation resistance of the LPCs.

Evaluation of DSRD-based pulsers for a Dielectric Wall Accelerator

Silicon (Si) drift step recovery diodes (DSRD) are opening switches that form the basis for nanosecond-scale high voltage (HV) pulsers. These pulsers are crucial to the operation of a dielectric wall accelerator (DWA), a compact particle accelerator design for proton beam radiation therapy. For the DWA to operate properly, the pulser must generate HV pulses with fast rise times and widths on the order of 1 ns at an operating frequency above 1 kHz. Several pulser designs are available that can optimally drive DSRDs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the capabilities of two DSRD-based pulsers in the context of the DWA and the required pulse parameters. The first pulser is based on a magnetic saturation transformer (MST) and a DRSD. The second pulser considered is a multi-module MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser. Additionally, Sentaurus TCAD simulations are used to study the influence of the Si DSRD doping profile on the output pulse shape. The MST-DSRD-based pulser is able to generate higher amplitude pulses than the MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser with a single module (9645 V and 1807 V, respectively). However, the multi-module MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser achieves the maximum pulse amplitude (10.9 kV) compared to MST-DSRD-based pulser (9645 V). The MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser also generates pulses with shorter pulse widths compared to the MST-DSRD-based pulser (minimum of 3 ns vs. minimum of 8.36 ns, respectively). With no compression stage, the MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser (with more than one module) generates pulses with consistently faster rise times (≤3.06 ns) compared to the MST-DSRD-based pulser (≤4.31 ns). With a compression stage, the rise times were comparable between the two pulsers (MOSFET-DSRD: 1.66 ns and MST-DSRD: 1.48 ns). Both pulsers are able to operate at 1 kHz and the MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser up to 10 kHz. Parasitic capacitance and coupling between modules of the MOSFET-DSRD-based pulser affect the pulse through their influence on the forward and reverse pumping duration. Simulations show that the p region of the DSRD should be larger than the n doped region. Simulations including a parasitic capacitance, modelling the electrical connections to the DSRD, reduce the pulse amplitude. Simulations of the pulsers incorporating SiC DSRDs show a reduction in the pulse amplitude and a widening of the pulse width in comparison to the Si DSRDs.

Reconstruction of the doping profile in Vlasov–Poisson system

Abstract We study the inverse problem of recovering the doping profile in the stationary Vlasov–Poisson equation, given the knowledge of the incoming and outgoing measurements at the boundary of the domain. This problem arises from identifying impurities in the semiconductor manufacturing. Our result states that, under suitable assumptions, the doping profile can be uniquely determined through an asymptotic formula of the electric field that it generates.

(Invited) Epitaxial Process Development and Challenges for Advanced SiGe BiCMOS

The performance of an HBT is primarily influenced by 1D dopant profile obtained by CVD epitaxy. Typically, three epitaxial layers are required to construct an HBT: the collector, the intrinsic base, and the emitter. Collector layer can be grown by either NSEG or selective epitaxy. While the NSEG process is cost effective, it results in autodoping. Switching to selective epitaxy can mitigate autodoping but must be controlled to minimize faceting. The intrinsic base is critical to device performance, with boron positioning being a key factor. Incorporating substitutional carbon atoms into the SiGe lattice significantly reduces boron diffusion. By switching from SiH4 to Si2H6, three times more substitutional carbon incorporation in SiGe without interstitial C atoms at 550 °C is achieved. Below 600 °C, the co-flow approach is ineffective, necessitating a cyclic deposition-etch (CDE) approach to maintain selectivity. Comparisons between CDE and single deposition-etch (DE) approaches show that CDE degrades the monocrystalline SiGeC:B layer, resulting in high RMS roughness and degraded morphology. In contrast, the DE approach shows promising results with lower RMS roughness and no significant morphological degradation. The last epitaxial layer discussed is the emitter. Current fabrication methods involve non-selective Si:As deposition at growth temperatures above 600 °C, resulting in polycrystalline Si:As deposition on dielectrics and monocrystalline Si:As growth on silicon. A novel process developed at 550 °C using Si2H6 as silicon precursor yields monocrystalline emitter by amorphous deposition on dielectrics followed by solid phase epitaxial regrowth. However, this process exhibits TED of arsenic, making it currently not viable.

Sheet conductance of laser-doped layers using a Gaussian laser beam: an effective depth approximation

Laser doping of silicon with pulsed and scanned laser beams is now well-established to obtain defect-free, doping profile tailored, and locally selectively doped regions with a high spatial resolution. Picking the correct laser parameters (pulse power, pulse shape, and scanning speed) impacts the depth and uniformity of the melted region geometry. This work performs laser doping on the surface of single crystalline silicon, using a pulsed and scanned laser profile with a Gaussian intensity distribution. A deposited boron oxide precursor layer serves as a doping source. Increasing the local inter-pulse distance xirr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$x_\ ext {irr}$$\\end{document} between subsequent pulses causes a quadratic decrease of the sheet conductance Gsh\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$G_\ ext {sh}$$\\end{document} of the doped surface layer. Here, we present a simple geometric model that explains all experimental findings. The quadratic dependence stems from the approximately parabolic shape of the individual melted regions directly after the laser beam has hit the Si surface. The sheet resistance depends critically on the intersection depth dch\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$d_\ ext {ch}$$\\end{document} and the distance xirr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$x_\ ext {irr}$$\\end{document} of overlap between two subsequent, neighboring pulses. The intersection depth dch\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$d_\ ext {ch}$$\\end{document} quadratically depends on the pulse distance xirr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$x_\ ext {irr}$$\\end{document} and therefore also on the scanning speed vscan\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$v_\ ext {scan}$$\\end{document} of the laser. Finally, we present a simple model that reduces the complicated three dimensional, laterally inhomogeneous doping profile to an effective two-dimensional, homogeneously doped layer which varies its thickness with the scanning speed.

A robust hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin scheme with harmonic averaging technique for steady state of real-world semiconductor devices

Solving real-world nonlinear semiconductor device problems modeled by the drift-diffusion equations coupled with the Poisson equation (also known as the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations) necessitates an accurate and efficient numerical scheme which can avoid non-physical oscillations even for problems with extremely sharp doping profiles. In this paper, we propose a flexible and high-order hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) scheme with harmonic averaging (HA) technique to tackle these challenges. The proposed HDG-HA scheme combines the robustness of finite volume Scharfetter-Gummel (FVSG) method with the high-order accuracy and hp-flexibility offered by the locally conservative HDG scheme. The coupled Poisson equation and two drift-diffusion equations are simultaneously solved by the Newton method. Indicators based on the gradient of net doping and solution variables are proposed to switch between cells with HA technique and high-order conventional HDG cells, utilizing the flexibility of HDG scheme. Numerical results suggest that the proposed scheme does not exhibit oscillations or convergence issues, even when applied to heavily doped and sharp PN-junctions. Devices with circular junctions and realistic doping profiles are simulated in two dimensions, qualifying this scheme for practical simulation of real-world semiconductor devices.

Nanoscale Graded Nitrogen-Doping of TiO2 via Pulsed Laser Deposition for Enhancing Charge Transfer in Perovskite Solar Cells.

An electron transport layer (ETL) for highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) should exhibit superior electrical transport properties and have its band levels aligned with interfacing layers to ensure efficient extraction of photo-generated carriers. Nitrogen-doped TiO2 (TiO2:N) is considered a promising ETL because it offers higher electrical conductivity compared to conventional ETLs made from spray-pyrolyzed TiO2. However, the application of highly doped TiO2:N in PSCs is often limited by the misalignment of energy band levels with adjacent layers and reduced optical transparency. In this study, a novel approach is introduced to enhance the charge transport characteristics and accurately align the electronic band alignment of TiO2:N layer through nanoscale doping level grading, achieved through the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The TiO2:N ETL with a graded doping profile can combine characteristics of both highly doped and lightly doped phases on each side. Furthermore, a nanoscale doping gradation, employing an ultrathin sub-layer structure with graded doping levels, creates a smoothly cascading band-level alignment that bridges the adjacent layers, enhancing the transport of photo-generated carriers. Consequently, this method leads to a substantial increase in the power conversion efficiency (PCE), exceeding 22%, which represents a relative improvement of 11% compared to traditional spray-pyrolyzed TiO2-based PSCs.

TCAD investigation of Compensated LGAD Sensors for extreme fluence

A new gain layer design, whose effective doping profile results from the difference between two overlapping implants of opposite dopant species (e.g. boron and phosphorus), is conceived to extend the operational life of Low-Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGADs) to fluences significantly above the present limit of 2.5⋅10151MeVneq/cm2. Both acceptor and donor atoms will experience doping removal due to irradiation, but their difference will remain fairly constant.The implementation of this ambitious goal necessitates a meticulous process of optimizing the two implants that constitute the gain layer of the Compensated LGADs. To this end, the Synopsys® Sentaurus TCAD toolkit, with the most up-to-date release of the Perugia radiation damage model, was employed, enabling a comprehensive investigation of these new sensors. This level of scrutiny is crucial for understanding the behaviour of the first Compensated LGAD production (2022 by FBK) and designing the subsequent batches of Compensated LGADs.

Suppressing the Memory Effect in Al Doped 3C-SiC Grown Using Chlorinated Chemistry

The memory effect of Al doping in 3C-SiC prevents sharp interfaces between layers of different doping levels and can lead to unintentional doping of subsequent epilayers and even growth runs. Introducing HCl into the growth phase of 3C-SiC reduces the Al incorporation but has a significant impact on Al dopant decay rates and background levels within the chamber, resulting in far sharper doping profiles. The impact of relatively high flow rates of HCl is low within a chlorine-based growth system giving fine control over its influence on the growth process and memory effect.

Device Modeling of 4H-SiC PIN Photodiodes with Shallow Implanted Al Emitters for VUV Sensor Applications

A numerical model is presented for the simulation of ultraviolet ion-implanted 4H-SiC photodiodes with shallow p- emitter doping profiles. An existing model for SiC pin photodiodes, taken from literature, is modified with a dedicated SiO2-SiC interface layer to account for degradation of carrier mobility and lifetime at the interface. Furthermore, aluminum compensation in 4H-SiC is included and its impact on the spectral response and carrier recombination is analyzed. The simulated spectral response in the wavelength range from 200 to 400 nm is compared to experimental data. While the existing model, taken from literature, fails to predict the performance of VUV photodiodes with a shallow p- emitter, the newly designed model successfully achieves high accuracy, even with a basic modeling approach featuring an abrupt material parameter transition.

Phonon-assisted leakage current of InGaN light emitting diode

We report on the leakage current mechanism in a blue GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED). The device structure was grown by the MOCVD technique on a sapphire substrate. The LED was characterized through various measurements including current-voltage, electroluminescence, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Capacitance-voltage measurements were employed to calculate the depletion layer thickness at different bias voltages and to analyze the doping profile in the active layer. The reverse temperature-dependent current-voltage measurements were carried out to study the leakage mechanism. The leakage current was explained by phonon-assisted tunneling of charge carriers through deep trap states. The trap energy and density of states were extracted from the application of the introduced model. Cathodoluminescence measurements were performed to evaluate the density of dislocations, which were then compared to x-ray diffraction measurements. The determined value was close to the density of states obtained from the tunneling model.

(Invited) Breakdown Improvement of Mg-Diffused Current Blocking Layer in Ga2O3

The path towards an all-planar highly efficient vertical Ga2O3 transistor requires the construction of a buried gate barrier junction to circumvent the pre-mature breakdown near the gate often seen in lateral structures. An effective selective doping technique is necessary to achieve this. By taking advantage of the high diffusivity of dopants and defects in Ga2O3, we propose the use of diffusion doping as a rapid and non-invasive technique to explore the possibility of an effective current blocking layer (CBL) in vertical Ga2O3 transistors. Unlike ion implantation, diffusion doping does not require an 1100°C annealing for the repair of crystal damage. Thus, the desired Mg doping profile can be maintained by the end of device fabrication, which is the key to achieving a high blocking voltage with Mg-doped CBL. In addition, diffusion doping can easily form a much deeper dope junction and be very useful for high-voltage and super-junction devices.Recently, we have demonstrated the first Ga2O3 vertical-diffused-barrier field-effect transistor (or VDBFET) utilizing a Mg-diffusion doped CBL with a spin-on-glass source. The transistor exhibited excellent FET behavior with decent saturation, enhancement-mode operation, and an on/off ratio of more than 109. However, the breakdown voltage is measured to be only 72V most likely due to the punch-through of the Mg-diffused CBL. This is likely caused by a lower-than-expected Mg doping rendering an inefficient electron blocking. In addition, SIMS analysis indicated the existence of Mg-H complex that deactivated the Mg. Thus, the effective Mg doping is even lower than its chemical concentration. Here we will discuss a new strategy to resolve this problem and showcase the characteristics of the improved CBL with a higher breakdown. This development paves the way for the development of high-voltage Ga2O3 VDBFETs.

Optimization of a CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>SnI<sub>3</sub> based lead-free organic perovskite solar cell using SCAPS-1D simulator

In this study, a CH3NH3SnI3-based perovskite PV cell with the structure (FTO/TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/Cu2O) was made and optimized by changing the layer thickness, defect density, and doping profile using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) 1D simulator. To better understand how the device interface affects carrier dynamics, a synergic optimization of the device is done by altering the electron-transport layer (ETL) and hole-transport layer (HTL) materials. The light glows through the window layer of Sn2O: F, which serves as the transparent conducting oxide layer in our suggested cell construction and then travels over TiO2 as an n-type ETL. Due to its unique features, the p-type perovskite (CH3NH3SnI3) is chosen as the primary absorber layer. Lastly, Cu2O is added as an HTL before the back contact because it has a higher hole conductivity and the proper offsets for spreading the valance and conduction bands. Additionally, Cu2O-based devices outperform frequently utilized spiro-OMeTAD-based devices in terms of efficiency. According to the findings of these simulations, the optimized structure has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 41%, an open-circuit voltage of 1.32 V, a short-circuit current density of 34.31 mA/cm2 and a fill factor (FF) of 90.5%. Additionally, the optimized structure has a short-circuit current density of 34.31 mA/cm2.

Modeling Gate Leakage Current for p-GaN Gate HEMTs With Engineered Doping Profile

Modeling Gate Leakage Current for p-GaN Gate HEMTs With Engineered Doping Profile

Influence of Doping Engineering in 1 μm Drift Layer Quasi‐Vertical Fin Field‐Effect Transistor for Achieving >139 V Breakdown Voltage

A quasi‐vertical gallium nitride (GaN) fin field effect transistor (FinFET) is designed and analyzed to assess the performance of electrical parameters. The device is deployed on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate and analyzed using technology computer‐aided design (TCAD). The donor concentration in the critical regions is identified as a significant limiting factor for FinFET electrical properties. Hence, the influence of channel and drift layer doping concentrations (Nd) on performance characteristics is investigated in this work. The electrical characteristics such as threshold voltage, ION/IOFF ratio, subthreshold swing (SS), specific ON‐resistance, and breakdown voltage (VBV) are evaluated for various doping profiles. The doping profile with channel and drift layer concentration of 4 × 1015 cm−3 for a 300 nm fin width and 1 μm thick drift layer exhibits normally OFF behavior with a threshold voltage (Vt) of 1.5 V. It also demonstrates a VBV of 139 V. The corresponding doping profile reveals a low SS of 61 mV dec−1, which is comparable to other similar power devices. This demonstrates the significant potential of the device for medium‐power switching applications.

Ambipolar current suppression in drain elevated TFET using a novel extended drain structure with a moderate doping profile

In this paper, a simple and compact silicon-based Elevated and Extended Drain with Hetero-Dielectric Gate Oxide TFET (EED HDGO TFET) is proposed to suppress the ambipolar current in Elevated Drain TFET (ED TFET). The proposed device structure uses a moderately doped drain with a doping concentration of ∼1018 cm−3 and a high drain length of ∼50–100 nm. The combination of the moderate drain doping profile and the extended drain length reduced the impact of the electrostatic potential from the positive voltage of the drain electrode on the channel–drain junction. This structural technique widens the tunneling width at the channel–drain region causing the tunneling current to decrease significantly. The tunneling width is further increased by structurally isolating the channel–drain junction region from the gate electrode. Thus, distancing the channel–drain junction from both the gate electric field and the static drain potential of the drain electrode causes full suppression of the ambipolar (Iamb) current. The proposed structure yields Iamb and Ioff as low as ∼10−18 A/μm and ∼10−17 A/μm respectively, while maintaining the Ion as ∼0.3 mA. The device is optimized for low power and high-speed digital circuits through intensive parametric analysis on gate–drain Cgd and the gate–source Cgs capacitances for various device parameters.