Structural and Phase States of Rhodium Doped Silicon Monocrystals
Abstract
In this paper, the structural and phase states of silicon (Si) monocrystals doped with rhodium (Rh) atoms were investigated. For the study, n-type silicon samples doped with rhodium, grown by the Chokralsky method, were selected. Rhodium atoms were introduced via thermal diffusion at 1300°C, and the samples were cooled under both slow and rapid cooling regimes. The resulting data were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. In the control samples, heat treatment resulted in the formation of secondary phases such as SiP2 and SiO2, which were shown to be associated with background impurities, particularly oxygen atoms. In the rhodium-alloyed and slow-cooled sample, the SiRh3 phase formed, and the crystal lattice remained relatively stable. This indicates that the rhodium atoms have the ability to reduce internal stresses and relax the lattice. In the rapid cooling regime, the RhO2 oxide phase appeared, and an increase in micro-stresses and crystal defects was observed. The results indicate that rhodium doping is an effective method for controlling the structure, phase composition, and electrical properties of silicon monocrystals. This research is of significant importance for semiconductor materials, microelectronics, and solar cells.
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