Silicon-wafer-surface damage revealed by surface photovoltage measurements

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Abstract
Anomalous results of surface photovoltage (SPV) measurements on Si wafers are shown to be associated with a damaged region beneath the illuminated surface of the wafer being measured. The anomaly is a concave-upward curvature of the I0(α−1) plot with an r2 value, derived from linear regression analysis, less than the normally observed minimum value (∼0.98). Removal of the damaged region by an appropriate etching procedure allows subsequent SPV measurements whose results are substantially free of the previously observed anomaly. The qualitative character of the anomaly can be reproduced by a simple theoretical model in which only one effect of the damage is considered; this effect is a diminished quantum efficiency for hole-electron pair generation by photon absorption in the damaged region. The results suggest the use of SPV measurements as a test procedure for revealing the presence of surface damage in Si wafers.

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