Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of UV-ozone Cleaned Silicon Surfaces for Application in High Efficiency Photovoltaics

The focus of this work is on the characterization of passivated crystalline Si (c-Si) surfaces subjected to various cleaning sequences involving UV ozone (UVo) treatment and HF-dip. A combination of photoconductance decay (PCD) measurements and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies were used to obtain a deeper insight into passivation mechanisms of UVo and its origin at the nano-scale.