Microcrystalline Silicon Growth: Deposition Rate Limiting Factors

1998 ◽  
Vol 507 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Hamma ◽  
D. Colliquet ◽  
P. Rocai Cabarrocas
Keyword(s):  
Deposition Rate ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Glass Substrates ◽  
Hydrogen Dilution ◽  
Corning Glass ◽  
Silicon Growth

ABSTRACTMicrocrystalline silicon films were deposited on corning glass substrates both by the standard hydrogen dilution and the layer-by-layer (LBL) technique. In-situ UV-visible spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were performed to analyze the evolution of the composition of the films.The change of the hydrogen plasma conditions by increasing the pressure in the LBL process leads to a faster kinetic of crystallization and to an increase of the deposition rate by a factor of two. The increase of the pressure and the decrease of the inter-electrode distance allowed to increase the deposition rate from 0.26 to 3 Å/s in the hydrogen dilution technique. Interestingly enough, the crystalline fraction of the films remains higher than 50%. However, as the deposition rate increases the growth process results in a slower kinetic of crystallization with a long range evolution of the film composition (up to 0.5 νm).

High Temperature n- and p-type Doped Microcrystalline Silicon Layers Grown by VHF PECVD Layer-by-Layer Deposition

2003 ◽  
Vol 762 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gordijn ◽  
J.K. Rath ◽  
R.E.I. Schropp
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Continuous Wave ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Silicon Layer ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
High Deposition Rate ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon

AbstractDue to the high temperatures used for high deposition rate microcrystalline (μc-Si:H) and polycrystalline silicon, there is a need for compact and temperature-stable doped layers. In this study we report on films grown by the layer-by-layer method (LbL) using VHF PECVD. Growth of an amorphous silicon layer is alternated by a hydrogen plasma treatment. In LbL, the surface reactions are separated time-wise from the nucleation in the bulk. We observed that it is possible to incorporate dopant atoms in the layer, without disturbing the nucleation. Even at high substrate temperatures (up to 400°C) doped layers can be made microcrystalline. At these temperatures, in the continuous wave case, crystallinity is hindered, which is generally attributed to the out-diffusion of hydrogen from the surface and the presence of impurities (dopants).We observe that the parameter window for the treatment time for p-layers is smaller compared to n-layers. Moreover we observe that for high temperatures, the nucleation of p-layers is more adversely affected than for n-layers. Thin, doped layers have been structurally, optically and electrically characterized. The best n-layer made at 400°C, with a thickness of only 31 nm, had an activation energy of 0.056 eV and a dark conductivity of 2.7 S/cm, while the best p-layer made at 350°C, with a thickness of 29 nm, had an activation energy of 0.11 V and a dark conductivity of 0.1 S/cm. The suitability of these high temperature n-layers has been demonstrated in an n-i-p microcrystalline silicon solar cell with an unoptimized μc-Si:H i-layer deposited at 250°C and without buffer. The Voc of the cell is 0.48 V and the fill factor is 70 %.

scholarly journals Gold nanostructures sputtered on zinc oxide thin film and corning glass substrates

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondrej Szabó ◽  
Soňa Flickyngerová ◽  
Teodora Ignat ◽  
Ivan Novotný ◽  
Vladimír Tvarozek
Keyword(s):  
Power Density ◽  
Deposition Rate ◽  
Transparent Conductive Oxide ◽  
Oxide Thin Film ◽  
Glass Substrates ◽  
Corning Glass ◽  
Sputtering Power ◽  
Surface Enhanced Raman ◽  
Enhanced Raman Scattering ◽  
Imagej Software

Forming of Au nanostructures on Corning glass substrates and transparent conductive oxide ZnO:Al thin films by the RF diode sequential sputtering is presented. The morphology of Au structures was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with the free ImageJ software, the optical properties were evaluated by UV-Vis spectrometry and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The sputtering power density (deposition rate) and nominal Au thickness caused changes in the sizes (10 - 1000 nm2) and nearest neighbour NN distances (4 - 40 nm) of Au nanostructures. The morphology of nanostructures exhibited the LogNormal distribution of the size of nanostructures. The lowest sputtering power density/deposition rate (9 mW/mm2/0.12 nm s-1) was optimal to get both the high optical transparency and a superior activity surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid adsorbed on the Au/ZnO:Al film.

In Situ Diagnostics of Methane/Hydrogen Plasma Interactions with Si(100)

1999 ◽  
Vol 569 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L. Duan ◽  
Stacey F. Bent
Keyword(s):  
Silicon Surface ◽  
Electron Cyclotron Resonance ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Film Deposition ◽  
Diagnostic Study ◽  
Methane Pressure ◽  
Plasma Interactions ◽  
Ecr Plasma ◽  
Hydrogen Dilution

ABSTRACTMethane/hydrogen plasmas have been reported to be sources both for a-C:H film deposition and for compound semiconductor etching. In this work, an in situ diagnostic study of methane/hydrogen plasma interactions with a silicon surface is carried out, focusing on the effect of hydrogen dilution. A remote electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma using a H2/Ar mixture excites methane gas near a Si(l 00) substrate. In situ multiple internal reflection Fourier transform infrared (MIR-FTIR) spectroscopy is used to probe the surface species at different hydrogen dilution ratios. We find that at low methane pressure without hydrogen dilution, a-C:H films are deposited. With H2 dilution, the results suggests that some sputter/etching of the silicon surface occurs. Hence, methyl groups are identified as potential etchants for silicon materials. The data suggest that there is a competition between etching and deposition chemistry which depends strongly upon the methane pressure and hydrogen ratio in the plasma.

Role of the hydrogen plasma treatment in layer-by-layer deposition of microcrystalline silicon

1997 ◽  
Vol 71 (23) ◽  
pp. 3403-3405 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Saitoh ◽  
M. Kondo ◽  
M. Fukawa ◽  
T. Nishimiya ◽  
A. Matsuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Treatment ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Layer Deposition

In-Situ Mass Spectroscopy of ECR Silane Plasmas for Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Growth

2000 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young J. Song ◽  
Elena Guliants ◽  
Hak-Gyu Lee ◽  
Wayne A. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectroscopy ◽  
Atomic Hydrogen ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Input Power ◽  
Chamber Pressure ◽  
Film Properties ◽  
Hydrogen Dilution ◽  
Silicon Growth ◽  
Si Films

ABSTRACTECR silane plasmas for the deposition of a-Si:H and μc-Si films were investigated by in-situ mass spectroscopy (MS) using a quadrupole residual gas analyzer. The results showed that the intensities of ionic and neutral species (H, H2, He, Ar, Si and SiHx) in the 2 % SiH4/He plasma are strongly dependent on the deposition conditions such as chamber pressure, input power and hydrogen dilution. In all cases, the prevalence of Si ions was observed over SiH, SiH2 and SiH3 ions, suggesting a high decomposition rate of the silane in the plasma. In particular, the population of atomic hydrogen in the plasma seems to play a key role in the properties of both a-Si:H and μc-Si films. For example, the increased intensity of atomic hydrogen, compared to that of molecular hydrogen, resulted in the better quality a-Si:H film, showing a higher photo and dark conductivity ratio of ~105. The intensity of the hydrogen species was especially sensitive to the chamber pressure. The correlation between MS spectra and film properties is presented.

Highly Textured Microcrystalline Si-Thin film Fabricated by Layer-by-Layer Technique

1992 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun-Ichi Ishihara ◽  
Deyan He ◽  
Tetsuya Akasaka ◽  
Yuzoh Arak ◽  
Masami Nakata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Atomic Hydrogen ◽  
Marked Improvement ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Ordered Structure ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Layer Technique ◽  
Layer By Layer Technique ◽  
Si Thin Film

ABSTRACTMicrocrystalline silicon with high crystallinity was fabricated on a glass substrate at a rather low temperature (320 C) by alternately repeating the deposition of Si thin layer 10 nm thick from fluorinated precursors and the treatment with atomic hydrogen. Hydrogen content was reduced to 0.5 at% or less. According to the in situ ellipsometric observation, the sticking of precursors followed the reactions for the construction of the ordered structure with the aid of atomic hydrogen. In addition, the defects were passivated efficiently with the treatment down to 4×1016 spins/cm3. A marked improvement was simultaneously verified in the efficiency of the substitutional P-doping in the films fabricated by this layer-by-layer technique.

Amorphous-to-Microcrystalline Silicon Transition in Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition

1995 ◽  
Vol 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Brogueira ◽  
V. Chu ◽  
J. P. Conde
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Hot Wire ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Crystalline Fraction ◽  
Hydrogen Dilution ◽  
Process Pressure ◽  
Silicon Growth

ABSTRACTThe conductivity and the structural properties of thin films deposited by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition (HW-CVD) from silane and hydrogen at a substrate temperature of 220 °C are shown to be strongly dependent on the filament temperature, Tfil, and process pressure, p. Amorphous silicon films are obtained at low pressures, p < 3 × 10−2Torr, for Tfil ∼ 1900 °C and FH2 = FSiH4. At this TfilJU, high deposition rates are observed, both with and without hydrogen dilution, and no silicon was deposited on the filaments. At Tfil ∼ 1500 °C, a transition from a-Si:H for p > 0.3 Torr to microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) for p < 0.1 Torr occurs. In this temperature regime, silicon growth on the filaments is observed. /ic-Si:H growth both without hydrogen dilution and also in very thin films (∼ 0.05 μm) is achieved. Raman and X-Ray spectra give typical grain sizes of 10 – 20 nm, with a crystalline fraction higher than 50%. For both, Tju ∼ 1500 °C, p > 0.3 Torr and Tfil ∼ 1900 °C and p ∼ 2.7 × 10−2Torr, an increase of the crystalline fraction from 0 to ∼ 30% is observed when the hydrogen dilution, FH2/FSiH4, increases from 1 to > 4.

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