Excellent surface passivation by silicon dioxide grown with a electrochemical method

A novel method to grow silicon dioxide layers for passivating the silicon surface is given more attention. SiO2 was grown by applying a positive voltage across silicon wafers in a nitric acid solution at low temperature. After annealing in N-2 media at 900 degrees C for 20min, excellent surface passivation was achieved. The maximum effective lifetime of the silicon arrived at 29.8 mu s and 29.75 mu s, which was three times the value of silicon without passivation. The effective lifetime of other types of silicon could be ten times the initial value without the silicon dioxide. A comparison study of the effect of the FGA, annealing at low temperature and annealing in N-2 or O-2 containing medium at high temperature were investigated.