Controlling P and B diffusion during polysilicon formation

High quality passivating contacts can be realized by using the combination of a thin interfacial oxide (SiO_x) and doped polysilicon (polySi). Recombination losses are minimized by providing very good passivation between the thin hydrogenated oxide and the cSi, a high field effect by the highly doped polySi [1-2], combined with the low level penetration of dopants in the wafer [2-3]. To realize this low level in-diffusion of dopants, several interacting options are evaluated in this work: the quality of the thin oxide layer (growth method), combined with a diffusion blocking method (nitridation), doping concentration levels in the polySi and temperature of diffusion. It is shown that for Phosphorus (P)-doped polySi, in-diffusion can be reduced by adding an i-layer in between the oxide and the highly doped polySi, lowering the overall doping level in the system slightly. For Boron (B)-doped polySi, in-diffusion can be blocked by nitridation of the SiO2 layer.