Electrical activity of grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon – influences of grain boundary structure, chemistry and temperature

Polycrystalline silicon is extensively used in modern technology like solar-cells and thin film transistors. Towards the development of high performance devices based on polycrystalline materials, it is essential to design and control grain boundary microstructures. This article gives an overview of our recent experimental studies on electrical properties of grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon. Particular attention is paid to the influences of the grain boundary character/structure, chemistry (hydrogenation and oxidation) and temperature on the electrical activity of individual grain boundaries. The electron beam induced current (EBIC) technique was used to observe electrical activity of grain boundaries. The observed results are discussed based on the Shockley-Read-Hall statistic.