• Energy Research

The wet-chemical treatment of silicon wafers is an important production step in photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. Solutions containing hydrofluoric acid, ammonium peroxodisulfate, and hydrochloric acid were investigated as novel acidic, NOx-free etching mixtures for texturization and polishing of monocrystalline silicon wafers. Etching rates as well as generated surface morphologies and properties are discussed in terms of the composition of the etching mixture. The solutions were analyzed with Raman and UV/vis spectroscopy as well as ion chromatography (IC). The silicon surfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), diffuse reflection infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surprisingly, pyramidal surface structures were found after etching SiC-slurry as well as diamond wire-sawn monocrystalline Si(100) wafers with hydrochloric acid-rich HF-(NH4)2S2O8-HCl mixtures. Acidic etching solutions are generally not known for anisotropic etching. Thus, the HNO3-free mixtures might allow to replace KOH/i-propanol and similar alkaline solutions for texturization of monosilicon wafers at room temperature with less surface contamination. Besides, common HNO3-based etching mixtures may be replaced by the nitrate-free system, leading to significant economic and ecological advantages.

The wet-chemical treatment of silicon wafers is an important production step in photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. Solutions containing hydrofluoric acid, ammonium peroxodisulfate, and hydrochloric acid were investigated as novel acidic, NOx-free etching mixtures for texturization and polishing of monocrystalline silicon wafers. Etching rates as well as generated surface morphologies and properties are discussed in terms of the composition of the etching mixture. The solutions were analyzed with Raman and UV/vis spectroscopy as well as ion chromatography (IC). The silicon surfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), diffuse reflection infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Surprisingly, pyramidal surface structures were found after etching SiC-slurry as well as diamond wire-sawn monocrystalline Si(100) wafers with hydrochloric acid-rich HF-(NH4)2S2O8-HCl mixtures. Acidic etching solutions are generally not known for anisotropic etching. Thus, the HNO3-free mixtures might allow to replace KOH/i-propanol and similar alkaline solutions for texturization of monosilicon wafers at room temperature with less surface contamination. Besides, common HNO3-based etching mixtures may be replaced by the nitrate-free system, leading to significant economic and ecological advantages.

Abstract Solutions containing hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated as novel acidic, NOx-free etching mixtures for texturing of monocrystalline silicon wafers. High etch rates of up to 13.3 nm s−1 were observed at room temperature, which are comparable to the etch rates of KOH-IPA solutions. The silicon surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), indicating pyramidal textures for diamond wire and SiC-slurry sawn as well as saw-damage etched (polished) wafers. Non-stirred baths generate random pyramidal structures while constantly stirred solutions generate novel random inverted pyramidal surface structures. The light trapping efficiency of wafers etched by the HF-HCl-H2O2 solutions was compared by UV/vis-reflectivity measurements to KOH/i-propanol specimens indicating lower reflectivities for the HF-HCl-H2O2-treated samples. Using the ‘wafer ray tracer’ (pvlighthouse.com) the light absorption properties of monomodal and random inverted pyramid structures were simulated and compared to well-known random and monomodal textures for PERC solar cells, clearly indicating the best performance for random inverted pyramids. Besides, simulation of a PERC solar cell on a roof top at our university was performed, indicating improved performance, especially for random inverted pyramid textures.

Abstract Solutions containing hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated as novel acidic, NOx-free etching mixtures for texturing of monocrystalline silicon wafers. High etch rates of up to 13.3 nm s−1 were observed at room temperature, which are comparable to the etch rates of KOH-IPA solutions. The silicon surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), indicating pyramidal textures for diamond wire and SiC-slurry sawn as well as saw-damage etched (polished) wafers. Non-stirred baths generate random pyramidal structures while constantly stirred solutions generate novel random inverted pyramidal surface structures. The light trapping efficiency of wafers etched by the HF-HCl-H2O2 solutions was compared by UV/vis-reflectivity measurements to KOH/i-propanol specimens indicating lower reflectivities for the HF-HCl-H2O2-treated samples. Using the ‘wafer ray tracer’ (pvlighthouse.com) the light absorption properties of monomodal and random inverted pyramid structures were simulated and compared to well-known random and monomodal textures for PERC solar cells, clearly indicating the best performance for random inverted pyramids. Besides, simulation of a PERC solar cell on a roof top at our university was performed, indicating improved performance, especially for random inverted pyramid textures.