Analysis of oxygen incorporation in unidirectionally solidified multicrystalline silicon for solar cells

We studied the process of oxygen transfer from a quartz crucible to a multicrystalline silicon during unidirectional solidification process. We investigated the boundary layer thickness of oxygen concentration near a crucible wall region using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) measurement. The results suggest that oxygen concentration was increased near a crucible wall, and the boundary layer thickness of oxygen concentration was estimated to be 2–6 mm. The estimated value of boundary layer thickness of oxygen concentrations is similar to those estimated by analytical and numerical calculation. These results suggest that the oxygen was dissolved from a crucible wall through the liner made of Si 3N 4 to the melt during growth process.