Minority carrier conductive channel formed at a direct silicon-bonded interfacial grain boundary

We have demonstrated that a direct silicon-bonded interfacial grain boundary (GB) acts as an electrically conductive channel for minority carriers. This conductive channel is attributed to the formation of an inversion layer, resulting in an anomalous bright electron-beam-induced current contrast of the GB observed outside the collection diode. The charging at GB states related to interfacial dislocations and oxygen precipitates is found to cause a large potential barrier, which is responsible for the formation of an inversion layer.