Analysis of diffusion profiles of phosphorus in gallium-doped germanium using method of coordinate-dependent diffusion

The phosphorus concentration profiles in germanium in In0,01Ga0,99As/In0,56Ga0,44P/Ge heterostructures with gallium co-diffusion, that were obtained during first cascade of a multicascade solar cell formation were analyzed. The diffusion of phosphorus took place from the layer In0,56Ga0,44P together with the diffusion of gallium in a strongly gallium-doped germanium substrate, which determined the features of the diffusion process. First of all, co-diffusion of gallium and phosphorus leads to formation of two p—n junctions. Fick’s laws cannot be used for diffusion description. Distribution of the P diffusivity (DP) in the depth of the sample was determined by two methods —Boltzmann—Matano (version of Sauer—Freise) and the coordinate-dependent diffusion method. It is shown that when we have used the coordinate-dependent diffusion method, the DP values are more consistent with the known literature data due to taking into account the drift component of diffusion. The tendency of DP to increase at the heterostructure boundary and to decrease at approaching to the main p—n junction is observed for both calculation methods. DP increase in the near-surface region of the p—n-junction, whose field is directed to the interface of the heterostructure, and the decrease in the region of the main p-n junction, whose field is directed in the opposite direction, as well as the observed growth of DP with the electron concentration, leads to the conclusion that diffusion in this case takes place as the part of negatively charged VGeP complexes, as in the case of P diffusion alone.

diffisivity of phosphorus and gallium in germany, coordinate-dependent diffusion, vacancy diffusion mode

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