Iron distribution in silicon after solar cell processing: Synchrotron analysis and predictive modelling

The evolution during silicon solar cell processing of performance-limiting iron impurities isinvestigated with synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence microscopy. We find that during industrialphosphorus diffusion, bulk precipitate dissolution is incomplete in wafers with high metal content,specifically ingot border material. Postdiffusion low-temperature annealing is not found to alterappreciably the size or spatial distribution of FeSi2precipitates, although cell efficiency improvesdue to a decrease in iron interstitial concentration. Gettering simulations successfully modelexperiment results and suggest the efficacy of high- and low-temperature processing to reduce bothprecipitated and interstitial iron concentrations, respectively.