On the role of stacking faults on dislocation generation and dislocation cluster formation in multicrystalline silicon

The microstructure of highly dislocated stacking fault regions (dislocation density > 10 ⁶cm^-2) in industrial cast multicrystalline silicon has been investigated by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Our observations indicate that stacking faults form strong barriers to lattice dislocation movement and to the formation of sub grain boundaries. Stepped and curved stacking fault edges appear to generate dislocations. The observations suggest that stacking faults play an important role in the plasticity as well as in the formation of the microstructure of dislocations in multicrystalline silicon.