Heavy-doping effects in silicon: The role of Auger processes

✍ Scribed by David Redfield

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1981
• Weight: 860 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-6787(81)90022-3

✦ Synopsis

A review is presented of heavy-doping effects in silicon, of the important role of Auger recombination in silicon solar cells and of the competing band-gap-narrowing model of heavy-doping effects. It is shown that previous analyses of these effects in silicon solar cells failed to include properly the consequences of Auger processes. By the use of a new method of calculating the saturation current of a p-n junction that incorporates Auger effects, it is found that this current is rather insensitive to doping density in the regime of heavy dopings.

A wide variety of experiments are described that have led to interpretation by band gap narrowing. A critique of several of these interpretations is presented that disputes most quantitative estimates of such narrowing. A brief discussion of theories of band gap narrowing is also concluded with similar doubt about past estimates.