Investigations of Silicon Nitride Films for Silicon Solar Cells

1996 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Elmiger ◽  
M. Kunst
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Crystalline Silicon ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
Deposition Process ◽  
Transient Signal ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Film Composition ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films ◽  
On Line

AbstractSilicon nitride films on crystalline silicon were deposited in a low-temperature (< 400 °C ) Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition process. The deposition process is monitored with in situ Time Resolved Microwave Conductivity measurements leading to an on-line quality control of the deposited films. It is shown that at the start of the deposition there is a strong decrease of the lifetime of the measured transient signal due to plasma induced damage at the silicon surface. Afterwards an increase of the lifetime is observed due to passivation of the interface. For thin films (< 30 nm), the lifetime and the film composition depend on the film thickness. Furthermore, the film composition has a strong impact on the passivation of thick (100 nm ) silicon nitride films. The best passivation is obtained for almost stoichiometric films characterized by a refractive index of 1.95.

Quasi-Stoichiometric Silicon Nitride Thin Films Deposited by Remote Plasma-Enhanced Chemical-Vapor Deposition

1992 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Lucovsky ◽  
Y. Ma ◽  
S. S. He ◽  
T. Yasuda ◽  
D. J. Stephens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Electron Spectroscopy ◽  
Auger Electron ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
Remote Plasma ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films ◽  
On Line

ABSTRACTConditions for depositing quasi-stoichiometric silicon nitride films by low-temperature, remote plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, RPECVD, have been identified using on-line Auger electron spectroscopy, AES, and off-line optical and infrared, IR, spectroscopies. Quasi-stoichiometric films, by the definition propose in this paper, do not display spectroscopic evidence for Si-Si bonds, but contain bonded-H in Si-H and Si-NH arrangements. Incorporation of RPECVD nitrides into transistor devices has demonstrated that electrical performance is optimized when the films are quasi-stoichiometric with relatively low Si-NH concentrations.

Substrate Temperature Effects on Properties of Silicon Nitride Films Deposited by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

1990 ◽  
Vol 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. P. Donovan ◽  
C. A. Carosella ◽  
K. S. Grabowski ◽  
W. D. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Refractive Index ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Substrate Temperature ◽  
Crystalline Silicon ◽  
Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Flux Ratio ◽  
Film Structure ◽  
Atom Fraction ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films

AbstractSilicon nitride films (Si1−x,.Nx) have been deposited on silicon by simultaneous evaporation of silicon and bombardment of nitrogen ions. Films approximately 1 μm thick were deposited in an ambient nitrogen pressure of 50 μTorr. The substrate temperature (TSUB) ranged from nominally room temperature to 950° C for films with X between 0 and 0.6. Nitrogen atom fraction, X, was measured with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). Refractive index was measured with near-IR reflection spectroscopy. Differences in film structure were measured by FT1R on the Si-N bond bending absorption mode, and by x-ray diffraction (XRD). X was found to depend upon the incident flux ratio of energetic nitrogen atoms to vapor silicon, and upon TSUB. Refractive index depends upon X and TSUB. XRD found evidence of the presence of amorphous structure, poly-crystalline silicon and (101) oriented β-Si3N4 depending on X and TSUB. The Si-N absorption signal increases with X and shows some structure at high TSUB.

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