Effect of grain size and hydrogen passivation on the electrical properties of nanocrystalline silicon films

Abstract

The properties of mixed-phase (nanocrystalline/amorphous) silicon layers produced by reactive RF-sputtering are described. The chemical composition and nanostructure (i.e., Nanocrystal (NC) size and volume fraction) of the films were studied by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Samples with different fractions of the nanocrystalline phase and NC mean size were produced by changing the deposition parameters, without post-growth annealing. The electrical conductivity of the films, measured as function of temperature, is discussed in relation to their nanostructure.