Study on stability of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon （a-Si：H） films with high and same order of magnitude photosensitivity （-10^5） but different stability were prepared by using microwave electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapour deposition system under the different deposition conditions. It was proposed that there was no direct correlation between the photosensitivity and the hydrogen content （CH） as well as H-Si bonding configurations, but for the stability, they were the critical factors. The experimental results indicated that higher substrate temperature, hydrogen dilution ratio and lower deposition rate played an important role in improving the microstructure of a-Si：H films. We used hydrogen elimination model to explain our experimental results.     

Influence of thickness on the optical properties of vacuum-deposited a-Si:H films

The influence of the thickness of the a-Si : H film on its optical properties was studied using spectrophotometric measurements of the film transmittance and reflectance in the wavelength range 200–3000 nm. Both the refractive index and the absorption coefficient were found to increase as the film thickness increased and the absorption edge shifted to lower energies. Both the optical energy gap, E_g, and Urbach parameter values, E₀, decreased with increasing thickness. This decrease in E_g and E₀ was slow for thicknesses above 400 nm.     

Raman characterization of the structural evolution in amorphous and partially nanocrystalline hydrogenated silicon thin films prepared by PECVD

Hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) thin films were obtained by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the structural evolution in phosphor‐doped n‐type amorphous hydrogenated silicon thin films, which were prepared under different substrate temperatures and gas pressures. Meanwhile, the effect of nitrogen doping on the structure of P‐doped thin films was also investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the transition from the amorphous state to the nanocrystalline state of undoped Si:H films deposited through low argon dilution was studied by Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that Raman spectroscopy can sensitively detect the structural evolution in hydrogenated silicon thin films deposited under different conditions in a PECVD system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of atomic hydrogen annealing on the optical properties of vacuum-deposited a-Si:H films

The influence of atomic hydrogen annealing on the optical parameters of a-Si:H films was studied using spectrophotometric measurements of the film transmittance and reflectance in the wavelength range 200-3000 nm. In this annealing, the deposition of a thin layer and treatment with atomic hydrogen were repeated alternately, where the thickness of the thin cyclic layer, d_cyc, and the treatment time of each cycle, t_ca, were kept fixed for each sample. A series of different samples with average thickness of 0.5 μm and different d_cyc and t_ca were prepared. It was found that the refractive index, n, and the optical energy gap, E_g, increase as the treatment time, t_ca, increases from 0 to 60 s, while at t_ca=120 s both n and E_g decrease. Also, both the refractive index and the optical energy gap decrease with increasing the relative diffusion length of hydrogen, √t_ca/d_cyc from 0.39 to 0.77. The widening of E_g is due to the structural relaxation resulting from impingement of atomic hydrogen on the growing surface. Thus, a good-quality a-Si:H with Urbach parameter 65 mev and optical energy gap of 1.78 eV was successfully prepared.     

Correlation between phosphorus concentration and opto-electrical properties of doped a-Si:H films

Phosphorus doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films were prepared by decomposition of silane using RF plasma glow discharge. Both DC dark conductivity measurements, and spectrophotometric optical measurements through the range 200–3000 nm were recorded for the prepared films. The DC conductivity activation energy E_a decreased from 0.8 eV for the undoped sample to 0.34 eV for the highest used doping value. The optical energy gap E_g decreased ranging from 1.66 eV to 1.60 eV. The refractive index n, the density of charge carriers N/m* and the plasma frequency ω_p showed an opposite behavior, i.e. an increase in value with doping. Fitting the dispersion values to Sellmeier equation led to the determination of the material natural frequency of oscillating particles. A correlation between the changes in these parameters with the doping has been attempted.     

Effects of high hydrogen dilution ratio on optical properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films were prepared by plasma enhanced vapor deposition technique. In our experiment, hydrogen dilution ratio R_H was changed mainly, while the other parameters, such as the radio frequency power, the direct current bias value, the chamber pressure, the total gas flow and the substrate temperature were kept constant. The film's surface topography was gained by AFM. The chemical bond was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra. The optical properties were characterized by transmission spectra. To consider absorption peak of stretching vibration mode of SiH₃ at 2140 cm⁻¹ and to reduce the calculation error, a hydrogen content calculation method was proposed. Effects of hydrogen dilution ratio on the deposition rate v and hydrogen content C_H were investigated. The bonding mode and the force constants k of chemical bond, the structural factor f in films were changed by high hydrogen dilution ratio, which gave rise to the shift of absorption peak of infrared stretching mode and the decrease of optical band gap E_g.     

退火处理对掺铒氢化非晶硅悬挂键密度和光致荧光的影响

采用磁控溅射技术制备了铒掺杂的氢化非晶硅(a-Si∶H(Er))样品.进一步通过200—500℃温度递增的后退火处理，获得了不同的Si悬挂键(Si-DBs)密度，并在此基础上研究了Si-DBs密度改变对其Er光荧光(Er-PL)的影响.退火温度低于350℃时，Er-PL强度持续增加，但Si-DBs密度的变化显得较复杂；350℃以上时，Er-PL强度随Si-DBs密度的增加而减小.在200—250℃的退火温度范围内，Si-DBs是由于结构弛豫而减少；在250—500℃的退火温度范围内，可能由于Si—H键的断 关键词： 氢化非晶硅 铒掺杂 Si悬挂键 光荧光     

On the optical properties of amorphous Ge-Ga-Se-KBr films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Amorphous thin films (1 − x)(4GeSe₂-Ga₂Se₃)-xKBr (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The optical parameters were calculated using the Swanepoel method from the optical transmission spectra. The optical band gap () of the studied films increased while the index of refraction decreased when increased the content of KBr. The Tauc slopes were discussed as an indicator of the degree of structural randomness of amorphous semiconductors. The index of refraction decreased and increased after annealing of as-deposited films below the glass transition temperature. The thermal-bleaching and thermal- contraction effects were observed, which are discussed in relation to the reduction in the density of homopolar bonds confirmed by the Raman spectra analysis and the decreased amount of fragments of the as-deposited films, respectively.     

Infrared-transmission spectra and hydrogen content of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

The hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film has excellent optical char-acteristics, such as broad optical energy gap (about 1.67 eV), high photosensitivity (the ratio of photoconductivity to dark conductivity s p/s d is about 105—106 in order) andcheapness. It is a suitable material for the solar energy cell. Because the hydrogen con-tent and silicon-hydrogen bonding configurations in a-Si:H significantly affect its optical and electrical characteristics[1,2], the determination of…     

Study of structural and electronic environments of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN:H) films deposited by hot wire chemical vapor deposition

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon nitride (a-SiCN:H) thin films were deposited by hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) using SiH₄, CH₄, NH₃ and H₂ as precursors. The effects of the H₂ dilution on structural and chemical bonding of a-SiCN:H has been investigated by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Increasing the H₂ flow rate in the precursor gas more carbon is introduced into the a-SiCN:H network resulting in decrease of silicon content in the film from 41 at.% to 28.8 at.% and sp² carbon cluster increases when H₂ flow rate is increased from 0 to 20 sccm.     

Specificities of light-induced relaxation of metastable defects in amorphous hydrogenated silicon

The thermal relaxation kinetics of light-induced metastable defects in a-Si:H was studied prior to and after partial relaxation in the dark and in a dim light. The film lighting was found to change the relaxation rate of the defects and their distribution in relaxation time. This was demonstrated to be due to the concurrent light-induced relaxation and formation of the defects.     

Fe掺杂氢化非晶碳薄膜制备及其热稳定性能

 以H₂、反式-2-丁烯（T₂B）和二茂铁混合气体为工作气体,用金属有机等离子体增强化学气相沉积法（PECVD）制备了Fe掺杂氢化非晶碳（a-C:H:Fe）薄膜。使用X射线光电子能谱（XPS）对a-C:H:Fe薄膜成分进行了分析。使用台阶仪、场发射扫描电镜（FESEM）、热重分析和紫外可见分光光度计（UV-VIS）,对比分析了a-C:H薄膜和a-C:H:Fe薄膜的沉积速率、表面形貌、热稳定性和光学带隙变化。研究表明：相同制备条件下,相比a-C:H薄膜,a-C:H:Fe薄膜的沉积速率高,表面颗粒小,容易碳化,光学带隙变窄。     

Influence of radiofrequency power on compositional, structural and optical properties of amorphous silicon carbonitride films

The silicon carbonitride (SiCN) films were deposited on n-type Si (1 0 0) and glass substrates by the radiofrequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering of polycrystalline silicon target under mixed reactive gases of acetylene and nitrogen. The films have been characterized by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer (UVS). The influence of RF power on the compositional, morphological, structural and optical properties of the SiCN films was investigated. The SiCN films deposited at room temperature are amorphous, and the C, Si and O compositions except N in the films are sensitive to the RF power. The surface roughness and optical band gap decrease as the RF power increases. The main bonds in the SiCN films are C-N, N-H_n, C-H_n, C-C, CN, Si-H and Si-C, and the intensities of the CN, Si-H and C-H_n bonds increase with increment of the RF power. The mechanisms of the influence of RF power on the characteristics of the films are discussed in detail.     

Structural and optical properties of La-doped BaSnO3 thin films grown by PLD

In this study the structural and optical properties of lanthanum-doped BaSnO₃ powder samples and thin films deposited on fused silica were investigaed using laser ablation. Under an oxygen pressure of 5×10⁻⁴ mbar, phase pure BaSnO₃ films with a lattice constant of 0.417 nm and grain size of 21 nm were prepared at 630 °C. The band gap of BaSnO3 powder sample and thin films was calculated to be 3.36 eV and 3.67 eV, respectively. There was a progressive increase in conductivity for thin films of BaSnO₃ doped with 0~7 at% of La. The highest conductivity, 9 Scm⁻¹, was obtained for 7 at% La-doped BaSnO₃. Carrier concentration, obtained from Burstein-Moss (B-M) shift, nearly matches the measured values except for 3 at% and 10 at% La-doped BaSnO₃ thin films.     

Modulating microstructure and optical properties of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon photovoltaic materials prepared under hydrogen diluted silane PECVD by various DC bias

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin films were fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition under the various negative substrate bias voltages with hydrogen as a diluent of silane. The microstructure and optical properties of nc-Si:H thin films were studied by Raman scattering spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and optical transmission spectroscopy. Raman spectra and XRD pattern reveal that applying negative bias voltages at the moderate level favors the enhancement of crystalline volume fraction, increase of crystallite sizes and decrease of residual stress. We also demonstrated that the negative direct current bias can be used to modulate the volume fraction of voids, refractive index, absorption coefficient, compactness and ordered degree of nc-Si:H films. It is found that the film deposited at −80 V shows not only high crystallinity, size of crystallite, and static index n₀ but also low residual stress and volume fraction of voids. Furthermore, the microstructural evolution mechanism of nc-Si:H thin films prepared at different bias voltages is tentatively explored.     

Structural, optical and electrical properties of amorphous silicon thin films prepared by sputtering with different targets

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) films were prepared by sputtering method with polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon targets. Structural, optical and electrical properties of the a-Si films have been systematically studied. The deposition power is from 100 to 200 W. Compared with the a-Si films deposited by using monocrystalline silicon target, the a-Si films prepared with polycrystalline silicon target exhibit better growth property, similar optical band gap, and own the highest mobility of 1.658 cm²/Vs, which make a good match with the optimal window of optical band gap for a-Si solar cells. The results indicated that the polycrystalline silicon target is superior to the monocrystalline silicon target when used to prepare a-Si films as the intrinsic layer in a-Si solar cells.     

Effects of the oxygen partial pressure and annealing atmospheres on the microstructures and optical properties of Cu-doped ZnO films

Cu-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cu) films were deposited on p-Si (1 0 0) substrates at 200 °C under various oxygen partial pressures by using radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering. The properties of the films were characterized by the X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fluorescence spectrophotometer with the emphasis on the evolution of microstructures, element composition, valence state of Cu, optical properties. The results indicated that the properties of ZnO:Cu films were significantly affected by oxygen partial pressures. XRD measurements revealed that the sample prepared at the ratio of O₂:Ar of 15:10 sccm had the best crystal quality among all ZnO:Cu films. XPS analysis results suggested that the valence of Cu in the ZnO films was a mixed state of +1 and +2, and the integrated intensity ratio of Cu²⁺ to Cu⁺ increased with the increment of oxygen partial pressure. The photoluminescence measurements at room temperature revealed a violet, two blue and a green emission. We considered that the origin of green emission came from various oxygen defects when the ZnO:Cu films grew in oxygen poor and enriched environment. Furthermore, the influence of annealing atmosphere on the microstructures and optical properties of ZnO:Cu films were discussed.     

不同退火温度下晶化硅薄膜的电学输运性质

采用等离子体化学气相沉积技术制备氢化非晶硅薄膜,经过不同温度下的热退火处理,使薄膜由非晶结构向晶化结构转变,得到含有纳米晶粒的晶化硅薄膜.在晶化过程中,采用Raman技术对样品的结构进行表征.通过变温电导率的测试,对薄膜的电学输运性质进行了分析.研究结果表明：退火温度为700 ℃时,样品中开始有纳米晶形成,随着退火温度的增加,样品的晶化比增大,在1000 ℃时,薄膜的晶化比达到90%以上.在700 ℃退火时,薄膜中晶化成分较低,载流子的传输特性主要受到与硅悬挂键有关的缺陷态影响,表现为带尾定域态的跳跃电导 关键词： 氢化非晶硅 退火 纳米硅 电输运     

Structural, chemical and optical features of nanocrystalline Si films prepared by PECVD techniques

The nanostructural and chemical features of nanocrystalline Si (nc-Si) films, which were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), were investigated in terms of various deposition conditions such as reaction gas fractions and substrate temperature. Such features were related with the photoluminescence (PL) phenomena of the nc-Si films. The phase of the nc-Si films prepared at room temperature is somewhere between amorphous and crystalline states, containing about 2 nm size nanocrystallites, which are well passivated by hydrogen. These films exhibit significant PL intensities near blue light region; the PL peaks shift to lower wavelength with decreasing nanocrystallite size.     

Effect of substrate temperature on the growth and properties of boron-doped microcrystalline silicon films

Highly conductive boron-doped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (\mu c-Si:H) films are prepared by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (VHF PECVD) at the substrate temperatures $T_{\rm S})$ ranging from 90$^\circ$C to 270$^\circ$C. The effects of $T_{\rm S}$ on the growth and properties of the films are investigated. Results indicate that the growth rate, the electrical (dark conductivity, carrier concentration and Hall mobility) and structural (crystallinity and grain size) properties are all strongly dependent on $T_{\rm S}$. As $T_{\rm S}$ increases, it is observed that 1) the growth rate initially increases and then arrives at a maximum value of 13.3 nm/min at $T_{\rm S}$=210$^\circ$C, 2) the crystalline volume fraction ($X_{\rm c})$ and the grain size increase initially, then reach their maximum values at $T_{\rm S}$=140$^\circ$C, and finally decrease, 3) the dark conductivity ($\sigma _{\rm d})$, carrier concentration and Hall mobility have a similar dependence on $T_{\rm S}$ and arrive at their maximum values at $T_{\rm S}$=190$^\circ$C. In addition, it is also observed that at a lower substrate temperature $T_{\rm S}$, a higher dopant concentration is required in order to obtain a maximum $\sigma _{\rm d}$.