Hydrogenated amorphous silicon with substrate-dependent structure

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films grown at 250°C on (1 0 0) crystalline substrate using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with SiH₄/H₂ gas flow ratio equal to 5/1 (sccm) are investigated by transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the thin film is totally amorphous when grown on a glass substrate. But when the substrate is changed to crystalline silicon, some crystalline grains are found embedded in the amorphous structure in certain regions even if the thickness of the film reaches 600 nm. It is suggested that the amorphous silicon film grown on a crystalline silicon substrate at a temperature of 250°C without heavy H₂ dilution is a mixed network of a small amount of crystalline silicon and the major portion of amorphous silicon.