A Particular Structure of B-doped μc-Si/a-Si:H Layers on Insulator

Abstract

ABSTRACTMicrocrystalline films of thicknesses ranging from 0.3 to 1.1 μm have been deposited on oxidized silicon wafers by PECVD in a 50KHz capacitive discharge reactor at 450°C. Two series of films have been elaborated over a wide range of boron concentrations at the same H2:SiH4 ratio of 9:1. Cross section TEM micrographs showed the films to consist of two sublayers of distinct crystalline nature, whose relative thickness depends on the preparation conditions. With a strongly <220> textured microcrystalline structure, the overlayer snowed a columnar morphology, while the amorphous underlayer reached thicknesses of 350nm. Two additional striking features were observed by TEM: - The grains took two symmetrical orientations relative to the preferential [220] growth axis;- The interface between the amorphous and crystalline regions had a sawtooth pattern with a period around 300nm. In contrast to these microstructural results, the B-profile as measured by SIMS was found to be fiat accross the whole thickness. These local measurements are compared to the results of grazing X ray diffraction and Raman measurements. We observe and discuss a discrepancy between the X ray coherence length and the dimensions of the columns as observed by TEM. While optimized conditions lead to a vanishing amorphous sublayer, the more original features described above are tentatively interpreted taking into account the high compressive strains in the layers deposited at low plasma frequencies.