Structural and Electrical Characterization of Polycrystalline Semiconductor Materials

Secondary electron imaging, electron channeling and electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) are used alternately in a scanning electron microscope to characterize and correlate the morphology, crystallographic orientation, and electronic quality (types and spatial distribution of defects) of individual grains in polycrystalline semiconductor samples. The technique is discussed in some detail, and anumber of applications and results in the study of edge-supported-pulling (ESP) silicon sheet and low-angle silicon sheet (LASS) materials are reported.