Effect of passivating oxides on surface recombination velocity in silicon

The results obtained by direct measurements of recombination velocity on p-type and n-type silicon surfaces are reported. Particular attention has been payed to the influence of the presence of differently grown oxide layers, and to the dependence on substrate dopant concentrations. A beneficial effect of oxides is observed for an oxide thickness < 450 A in all the used p-type silicon substrates, while in the n-type substrates a more marked influence of doping is present.