Abstract
Concerning horizontally direct growth technology, graphite material with excellent thermal and chemical resistance is frequently used as both the crucible and the substrate in equipment operated at high temperatures. However, this can cause a major problem, namely, contamination due to the carbon and metallic impurities derived from graphite components. This study presents the experimental findings on a method of preventing the incorporation of unintended impurities into the silicon wafer by modifying the surface of the graphite. Coating the crucible and substrate with silicon carbide (SiC) could significantly reduce carbon (1.5 × 1017 atom/cm3) and metallic (undetected under analysis resolution) contamination by suppressing physical contact between the silicon melt and the graphite. It is expected that the purity of the silicon wafer will be improved to meet the demand for next-generation solar cell production with the optimum growth conditions required for obtaining the desired property of the silicon wafer.
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Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the New & Renewable Energy Technology Development Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea Government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 20103020010060)
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Lee, JS., Jang, BY., Kim, JS. et al. Polycrystalline silicon wafer with columnar grain structure grown directly on silicon carbide coated graphite substrate. J Electroceram 30, 51–54 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-012-9712-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-012-9712-9