Surface Treatments and Modifications of Si Wafers Produced by Czochralski Method for Solar Cell Applications

The objective of this work is to carry out surface treatments and modification of single-crystal silicon (Si) wafers produced by the Czochralski (Cz) method for solar cell applications. Lapping and polishing processes were performed on Si wafers for removing saw damages which occurred when sliced Si ingot was grown in the Cz system. The appropriate time and speed for the slicing process were determined as a result of parameter studies. The wet texturing process was generated with different durations on the surface of lapped and polished Si wafers to acquire square-based pyramidal structures for preventing losses from incoming sunlight which is necessary for solar cell applications. An x-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, surface profilometer, and UV–Vis spectrophotometer were employed for characterizations of all processes. The results show that single-crystal Si wafers were successfully produced by the Cz method, and after the texturing process, roughness and reflectance values of the wafers significantly decreased. The wafers could be potential candidates for economical mass production.