Characterization Of Amorphous Silicon Research Articles

Deposition and characterization of amorphous silicon with embedded nanocrystals and microcrystalline silicon for thin film solar cells

Amorphous silicon thin films with embedded nanocrystals and microcrystalline silicon were deposited by the standard Radio Frequency (RF) Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique, from SiH4, H2, Ar gas mixture at substrate temperature of 200°C. Two series of films were produced varying deposition parameters as chamber pressure and RF power density. The chemical bonding in the films was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, where it was observed a correlation between the hydrogen content and the morphological and electrical properties in the films. Electrical and optical parameters were extracted in both series of films, as room temperature conductivity (σRT), activation energy (Ea), and optical band gap (Eg). As well, structural analysis in the films was performed by Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), which gives an indication of the films crystallinity. The photoconductivity changed in a range of 2 and 6 orders of magnitude from dark to AM 1.5 illumination conditions, which is of interest for thin film solar cells applications.

Characterization of Amorphous Silicon by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

AbstractBased on various implanted standards, we have used SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry) to characterize amorphous Si thin films with high hydrogen content. SIMS and HFS (Hydrogen Forward Scattering) showed good agreement on the measured total H doses for H-implanted Si samples and the a-Si thin films. For the H-implanted Si samples, in the dose range of 2e15 atoms/cm2 to 2e17 atoms/cm2 (corresponding to peak H concentration from 0.32 at.% to 32 at.%), SIMS results showed that the calibration curve is a straight line. In other words, no correction for SIMS quantification is needed when moving from low to high hydrogen content samples. Analysis of P (Phosphorus) in a-Si thin films requires the use of high mass resolution magnetic sector SIMS to separate P and a mass interference from (30Si+H). Using a magnetic sector SIMS instrument, P-doped a-Si thin layers (˜ 50nm thick) were analyzed using 3keV O2 beam with oxygen leak for better depth resolution and improved detection limits. For the analysis of C, N, O in a-Si thin films (again approximately 50nm thick) the profiling energy typically needs to be lowered down to 3keV and the material needs to be sputtered at a high rate in order to reach real background levels. In this work, a-Si thin films were also analyzed using a 3keV Cs+ primary ion beam with (Cs2M)+ (M= C, N, O) detection for good depth resolution and detection limits.

Microstructure Characterization of Amorphous Silicon Based Alloys by Inert Gas Effusion Studies

ABSTRACTIt is shown that inert gas effusion employing implanted neon and argon atoms is a useful tool for microstructure characterization of a-Si based alloys. The method measures sensitively interconnected voids and gives information about sizes of microstructure. Limitations of the method are discussed. The results show network reconstruction effects in a-Si:O:H and a-Si:C:H alloys as a function of annealing.

Characterization of Amorphous Silicon Deposited at high rate by Helium Dilution PECVD and used for Applications in Radiation Detection

ABSTRACTPECVD hydrogenated Amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers have been deposited at high rates using helium dilution of the reacting precursors. This allows the fabrication of very thick layers (a few tens of microns) within reasonable processing times. This technique can be applied to the fabrication of thick p-i-n detector devices to be used for direct X-ray detection. Several p-i-n devices have been processed at deposition rates as high as 15 A/sec without significant changes in the optoelectronic properties of the a-Si:H films. Capacitance-Voltage measurements have been performed in order to measure the residual space charge density in the intrinsic region of the devices. The results demonstrate a moderate increase of the N*DoS concentration with the deposition rate. DC bias photoconductivity measurements have also been performed. The experimental data have been fitted with a multiple trapping transport model for holes. The model parameters have been studied and related to the electronic properties of the films.

Using Hyperfine Interaction for the Structural Characterization of Amorphous Silicon

AbstractThe hyperfine interaction between electronic and nuclear spins in hydrogenated amorphous silicon has been observed for the various paramagnetic defects in this material by electron spin resonance (ESR) and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). The large hyperfine interaction between dangling bonds and 29Si as well as between donor electrons and 31p or 75 As nuclei can be resolved in ESR and provides direct information about the structure of the underlying electronic states. The smaller dipolar coupling of all paramagnetic states to more distant nuclei leads to an ENDOR response near the free nuclear resonance frequencies, which can be used to study the coupling of the electronic and nuclear spin system to the lattice phonons and to each other.