Optical properties of amorphous silicon thin films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films have been prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effects of hydrogen pressure, substrate temperature and sputtering power on deposition rate of a-Si:H thin films and optical characteristics have been investigated. The films are studied by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer and NKD7000w thin film analysis system. The results show that the hydrogen pressure, substrate temperature and sputtering power will affect the deposition rate respectively; The refractive index, extinctive index and optical bandgap of hydrogenated silicon thin films vary regularly with the change of one of the deposition parameters. The optical bandgap, absorption coefficient and extinctive index of the films are evaluated. The absorption coefficient values range from 1.1×10⁴cm^-1 to 8.3×10⁴cm^-1 and the corresponding extinctive index vary from 0.23 to 0.35 at the wavelength of 400nm, and the optical bandgap of a-Si:H vary from 1.77 to 1.89eV.