Electron beam-induced current

Summary

Electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) is a semiconductor analysis technique performed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). It is most commonly used to identify buried junctions or defects in semiconductors, or to examine minority carrier properties. EBIC is similar to cathodoluminescence in that it depends on the creation of electron–hole pairs in the semiconductor sample by the microscope's electron beam. This technique is used in semiconductor failure analysis and solid-state physics. Physics of the technique If the semiconductor sample contains an internal electric field, as will be present in the depletion region at a p-n junction or Schottky junction, the electron–hole pairs will be separated by drift due to the electric field. If the p- and n-sides (or semiconductor and Schottky contact, in the case of a Schottky device) are connected through a picoammeter, a current will flow. EBIC is best understood by analog

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The origin of the low densities of electrically active defects in Pb halide perovskite (HaP), a crucial factor for their use in photovoltaics, light emission, and radiation detection, remains a matter of discussion, in part because of the difficulty in determining these densities. Here, we present a powerful approach to assess the defect densities, based on electric field mapping in working HaP-based solar cells. The minority carrier diffusion lengths were deduced from the electric field profile, measured by electron beam-induced current (EBIC). The EBIC method was used earlier to get the first direct evidence for the n-i-p junction structure, at the heart of efficient HaP-based PV cells, and later by us and others for further HaP studies. This manuscript includes EBIC results on illuminated cell cross sections (in operando) at several light intensities to compare optoelectronic characteristics of different cells made by different groups in several laboratories. We then apply a simple, effective single-level defect model that allows deriving the densities (N-r) of the defect acting as recombination center. We find N-r approximate to 1 x 10(13) cm(-3) for mixed A cation lead bromide-based HaP films and similar to 1 x 10(14) cm(-3) for MAPbBr(3)(Cl). As EBIC photocurrents are similar at the grain bulk and boundaries, we suggest that the defects are at the interfaces with selective contacts rather than in the HaP film. These results are relevant for photovoltaic devices as the EBIC responses distinguish clearly between high- and low-efficiency devices. The most efficient devices have n-i-p structures with a close-to-intrinsic HaP film, and the selective contacts then dictate the electric field strength throughout the HaP absorber.

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2022

Microchannel plates (MCPs) fabricated out of hydrogenated amorphous silicon offer a promising alternative to conventional lead glass ones. Progress in the fabrication process has allowed for detectors with higher aspect ratios, which significantly increases the multiplication factor with respect to previous generations. The current work focuses on the characterization procedure where multiplication factor and general detector performance were examined. For this, a specifically designed photoelectron source was used that allows measuring the gain value in the quasi steady-state regime. The current generation of amorphous silicon MCPs showed for the first time gain values in excess of 100. Using an electron beam induced current technique the electrical properties of the sample detectors were analyzed and localized charging effects were be observed. The effect of the tilt angle between the electron source and the detector surface was also be investigated.

IEEE2019

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In few years, perovskite solar devices have reached high efficiency on lab scale cells. Upscaling to module size, effective perovskite recipe and posttreatment are of paramount importance to the breakthrough of the technology. Herein this work, the development of a low-temperature planar n-i-p perovskite module (11 cm(2) aperture area, 91% geometrical fill factor) is reported on, exploiting the defect passivation strategy to achieve an efficiency of 19.1% (2% losses stabilized) with near-zero hysteresis, that is the most unsolved issue in the perovskite photovoltaic technology. The I/Br (iodine/bromide) halide ion ratio of the triple-cation perovskite formulation and deposition procedure are optimized to move from small area to module device and to avoid the detrimental effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent. The organic halide salt phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) is adopted as surface passivation material on module size to suppress perovskite defects. Finally, homogeneous and defect-free layers from cell to module with only 8% relative efficiency losses, high reproducibility, and optimized interconnections are scaled by laser ablation methods. The homogeneity of the perovskite layers and of the full stack was assessed by optical, morphological, and light beam-induced current (LBIC) mapping characterizations.

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2022