How do Impurities Affect the Growth of μc-Si:H?

Abstract

ABSTRACTUltra clean plasma CVD process opens the doorway to clarify the role of impurities in the growth process of μc-Si:H. A reduction of impurity levels during the growth extends the temperature range for crystalline formation to lower side, i.e., high-crystallinity μc-Si:H formation even at room temperature, substantially reduces midgap defect density at 200°C, and enlarges crystalline grain size at 350°C. These results imply that impurities disrupt crystalline formation even on hydrogen covered surface. The crystalline-to-amorphous transition is induced by a loss of surface hydrogen coverage due to thermal hydrogen desorption at higher temperature of ∼450°C irrespective of the effect of oxygen impurity. Light-soaking experiments for the series of the films from a-Si:H to μc-Si:H films with different crystalline volume fraction indicate that the presence of small volume fraction of crystallite significantly suppresses light induced defect creation under the present light soaking condition of 3SUN 60°C 6hr. These results are explained in terms of preferential recombination of photo-excited carriers in the crystallite.