Dislocation-related luminescence from small-angle grain boundaries in multicrystalline Si was investigated by cathodoluminescence. D3 and D4 emissions were detected at small-angle grain boundaries with a misorientation angle of 1 to 1.5°, and D1 and D2 at small-angle grain boundaries with a misorientation angle of around 2 to 2.5°. Electron beam-induced current investigations indicated that the former small-angle grain boundaries possess only shallow energy levels, while the latter possess both deep and shallow levels. The origins of D-line luminescence at small-angle grain boundaries were explained in terms of dislocation structures.

Cathodoluminescence Study of Dislocation-Related Luminescence from Small-Angle Grain Boundaries in Multicrystalline Silicon. W.Lee, J.Chen, B.Chen, J.Chang, T.Sekiguchi: Applied Physics Letters, 2009, 94[11], 112103