X-ray Based in Situ Investigation of Silicon Growth Mechanism Dynamics—Application to Grain and Defect Formation

To control the final grain structure and the density of structural crystalline defects in silicon (Si) ingots is still a main issue for Si used in photovoltaic solar cells. It concerns both innovative and conventional fabrication processes. Due to the dynamic essence of the phenomena and to the coupling of mechanisms at different scales, the post-mortem study of the solidified ingots gives limited results. In the past years, we developed an original system named GaTSBI for Growth at high Temperature observed by Synchrotron Beam Imaging, to investigate in situ the mechanisms involved during solidification. X-ray radiography and X-ray Bragg diffraction imaging (topography) are combined and implemented together with the running of a high temperature (up to 2073 K) solidification furnace. The experiments are conducted at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Both imaging techniques provide in situ and real time information during growth on the morphology and kinetics of the solid/liquid (S/L) interface, as well as on the deformation of the crystal structure and on the dynamics of structural defects including dislocations. Essential features of twinning, grain nucleation, competition, strain building, and dislocations during Si solidification are characterized and allow a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of its growth. View Full-Text

Keywords: silicon; growth; grains; defects; twins; strain; dislocations; X-ray radiography; X-ray topography; Bragg diffraction imaging

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Ouaddah, H.; Becker, M.; Riberi-Béridot, T.; Tsoutsouva, M.; Stamelou, V.; Regula, G.; Reinhart, G.; Périchaud, I.; Guittonneau, F.; Barrallier, L.; Valade, J.-P.; Rack, A.; Boller, E.; Baruchel, J.; Mangelinck-Noël, N. X-ray Based in Situ Investigation of Silicon Growth Mechanism Dynamics—Application to Grain and Defect Formation. Crystals 2020, 10, 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070555

AMA Style

Ouaddah H, Becker M, Riberi-Béridot T, Tsoutsouva M, Stamelou V, Regula G, Reinhart G, Périchaud I, Guittonneau F, Barrallier L, Valade J-P, Rack A, Boller E, Baruchel J, Mangelinck-Noël N. X-ray Based in Situ Investigation of Silicon Growth Mechanism Dynamics—Application to Grain and Defect Formation. Crystals. 2020; 10(7):555. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070555

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ouaddah, Hadjer, Maike Becker, Thècle Riberi-Béridot, Maria Tsoutsouva, Vasiliki Stamelou, Gabrielle Regula, Guillaume Reinhart, Isabelle Périchaud, Fabrice Guittonneau, Laurent Barrallier, Jean-Paul Valade, Alexander Rack, Elodie Boller, José Baruchel, and Nathalie Mangelinck-Noël. 2020. "X-ray Based in Situ Investigation of Silicon Growth Mechanism Dynamics—Application to Grain and Defect Formation" Crystals 10, no. 7: 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070555

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X-ray Based in Situ Investigation of Silicon Growth Mechanism Dynamics—Application to Grain and Defect Formation

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