Repolarization studies in amorphous and polycrystalline silicon

A procedure has been developed to extract qualitative and quantitative information on the muonium fractions, in particular the Mu^* fraction, in polycrystalline and amorphous materials from their longitudinal field repolarization curves. Preliminary results for amorphous silicon suggests that both the Mu^* and Mu^* fractions here are generally lower than in crystalline silicon at temperatures below 200K, but the Mu^* fraction may survive to room temperature in this disordered host.     

A fast method to diagnose phase transition from amorphous to microcrystalline silicon

A series of hydrogenated silicon thin films were prepared by the radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method (RF-PECVD) with various silane concentrations. The influence of silane concentration on structural and electrical characteristics of these films was investigated to study the phase transition region from amorphous to microcrystalline phase. At the same time, optical emission spectra (OES) from the plasma during the deposition process were monitored to get information about the plasma properties, Raman spectra were measured to study the structural characteristics of the deposited films. The combinatorial analysis of OES and Raman spectra results demonstrated that the OES can be used as a fast method to diagnose phase transition from amorphous to microcrystalline silicon. At last the physical mechanism, why both OES and Raman can be used to diagnose the phase transition, was analyzed theoretically.     

Dispersion of nanospheres on large glass substrate by amorphous or polycrystalline silicon deposition for localized surface plasmon resonance

Nanosphere lithography is a cost-effective way to fabricate noble metal nanostructures for plasmonics. However, dispersing nanospheres on a large area of glass substrate is a difficulty encountered when transparent substrate is required in applications such as localized surface plasmon resonance or surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Because poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) on silicon surface introduces a force that can disperse nanospheres on silicon, in this article, we modify the glass surface through amorphous or polycrystalline silicon deposition and thus well disperse polystyrene or silica nanospheres over a glass area of more than 2 cm × 2 cm. Transmission loss of the glass substrate caused by amorphous or polycrystalline silicon deposition is analyzed with good agreement to experimental spectra, and localized surface plasmon resonance signals generated from the gold nanostructures fabricated on these substrates are measured and yield a sensitivity of 317 nm/RIU, which prove the feasibility and effectiveness of our method.     

Photo-chemical vapor deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

A photo-chemical vapor deposition, using ultraviolet light excitation and a mercury photo-sensitization, was investigated for depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon films from SiH₄. The photoelectric and structural properties were examined to characterize the deposited films. Those properties were depended strongly on substrate temperature, and the films which were deposited at a substrate temperature more than 200°C contained dominant SiH configurations. A relatively large single crystalline grain size of about 0.5 m was observed in a 1.0 m thick film, which was obtained at a substrate temperature as low as 200°C. Phosphorus impurity doping into the films and Pt-Schottky diode fabrication were also attempted.     

Fabrication and characterization of polycrystalline silicon nanowires with silver-assistance by electroless deposition

Single crystal silicon wafers are widely used as the precursors to prepare silicon nanowires by employing a silver-assisted chemical etching process. In this work, we prepared polycrystalline silicon nanowire arrays by using solar-grade multicrystalline silicon wafers. The chemical composition and bonding on the surface of silicon nanowire arrays were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The photoluminescence spectra of silicon nanowires show red light emissions centered around 700 nm. Due to the passivation effect of Si dangling bonds by concentrated HNO₃ aqueous solution, the photoluminescence intensities are improved by 2 times. The influences of surface chemical states on the wettability of silicon nanowire arrays were also studied. We obtained a superhydrophobic surface on the as-etched silicon nanowire arrays without surface modification with any organic low-surface-energy materials, and realized the evolution from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity via surface modifications with HNO₃ solutions.     

Crystallization of amorphous silicon beyond the crystallized polycrystalline silicon region induced by metal nickel

Crystallization of amorphous silicon(a-Si) which starts from the middle of the a-Si region separating two adjacent metal-induced crystallization(MIC) polycrystalline silicon(poly-Si) regions is observed. The crystallization is found to be related to the distance between the neighboring nickel-introducing MIC windows. Trace nickel that diffuses from the MIC window into the a-Si matrix during the MIC heat-treatment is experimentally discovered, which is responsible for the crystallization of the a-Si beyond the MIC front. A minimum diffusion coefficient of 1.84×10~(-9)cm~2/s at 550℃ is estimated for the trace nickel diffusion in a-Si.     

Initial steps in the photochemical vapour deposition of amorphous silicon

The overall process of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is divided into reaction steps in the gas phase and on the solid-state surface. Energy input and primary reaction of the gas phase educt molecules constitute the initial steps considered in this paper. Special emphasis is placed on the photochemical vapour deposition (photo-CVD) of amorphous silicon from Sill4 and Si2H6 including uv single photon and ir multiple-photon activation. Experimentally convenient excitation processes and energetically possible primary decomposition pathways are summarized, compared, and discussed with respect to the selectivity of the chemical reactions. Finally the current status of photo-CVD is briefly presented.     

Ion bombardment of amorphous silicon films during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in an rf discharge

The characteristics of ion and electron fluxes to the surface of a growing silicon film are investigated in various rf discharge regimes in silane at frequencies of 13.56 MHz and 58 MHz in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor-deposition (PECVD) apparatus. The energy spectra of the ions and electrons bombarding the growing film are measured. The electronic properties of films grown under various degrees of ion bombardment are studied. The correlation of these properties with the ion parameters in the rf discharge plasma during film growth is discussed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 52–59 (February 1998)     

Properties of amorphous silicon films: Dependence on deposition rate

We have measured the d.c. conductivity at 300 K, the spin density and the optical absorption in amorphous silicon films deposited at rates between 0.4 and 10 Å/sec. It is found that all these quantities reduce sharply as the deposition rate is decreased. The data are compared to the heat treatment behavior reported recently. The possibility of oxygen contamination is discussed.     

First-order phase transition from the vortex liquid to an amorphous solid

We present a systematic study of the topology of the vortex solid phase in superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 samples with low doses of columnar defects. A new state of vortex matter imposed by the presence of geometrical contours associated with the random distribution of columns is found. The results show that the first-order liquid-solid transition in this vortex matter does not require a structural symmetry change.     

Metastability of amorphous silicon from silicon network rebonding

We propose a network rebonding model for light-induced metastability in amorphous silicon, involving bonding rearrangements of silicon and hydrogen atoms. Nonradiative recombination breaks weak silicon bonds and generates dangling bond-floating bond pairs, with very low activation energies. The transient floating bonds annihilate, generating local hydrogen motion. Charged defects are also found. Support for these processes is found with tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations. The model accounts for major experimental features of the Staebler-Wronski effect including electron-spin resonance data, the t(1/3) kinetics of defect formation, two types of metastable dangling bonds, and hysteretic annealing.     

Evolution of surface morphology during the growth of amorphous and polycrystalline silicon films

The evolution of the surface morphology of LPCVD poly-Si films (deposition temperature 620°C), a-Si films (deposition temperature 550°C) and poly-Si films, obtained by the crystallization of a-Si is investigated in the thickness range 40–500 nm. It is found that upon an increase in the thickness from 40 to 500 nm, the surface roughness (parameters S _q , S _z , S _v ) is increased for poly-Si, while in the case of a-Si and poly-Si obtained by crystallization a-Si, on the contrary, decreases. The correlation length (S _al ) increases for all three types of silicon films. Poly-Si films, obtained by the crystallization of a-Si, as compared to LPCVD poly-Si films have a significantly lower surface roughness, respectively, S _q two times less at a thickness of 40 nm and sixteen times less at 500 nm. In contrast to thick films, thin a-Si films (at thicknesses of less than 40 nm) have a granular structure, which is especially pronounced at an average thickness of about 20 nm and there is a maximum on the dependence of the roughness S _q on the thickness.     

Enhancement of the electron-stimulated desorption from amorphous aluminum oxide films on silicon during an increase in the substrate temperature

The effect of high-temperature electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) from 20-nm-thick Al₂O₃ films deposited onto silicon wafers is studied. The ESD effect is found to be significantly enhanced upon heating. The films are found to decompose during ion beam irradiation of a heated substrate resulting in pure Al appearance. This process is accompanied by the formation of islands and almost pure silicon surface regions at a certain critical irradiation dose. Outside the irradiation zone, a 20-nm-thick Al₂O₃ film remains continuous even upon heating to 700°C and holding for 90 min. The effect of the primary electron beam energy on ESD from a 20-nm-thick Al₂O₃ film on silicon is investigated, and the parameters at which ESD takes place or absent are determined.     

Stress sensitivity coefficient in polycrystalline and amorphous ferromagnetic materials below room temperature

Summary The piezomagnetic coupling coefficient (the ?stress sensitivity?) is quantitatively investigated below room temperature and a comparison is made among polycrystalline samples and amorphous ones. The technique used is an original one. It experimentally consists in the measurement of the amplitude of magnetoelastic waves, their resonance frequency and differential susceptibility; theoretically, it consists in coupling Newton’s law of force with the piezomagnetic state equations. The results clearly show different responses of polycrystalline samples with respect to the amorphous ones; in particular the nonmonotonic behaviour of the ?stress sensitivity? for metallic glasses is interesting for establishing their actual magnetic states at low temperature.     

Excimer-laser-assisted RF glow-discharge deposition of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon thin films

We combine the deposition of Hydrogenated amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) by rf glow discharge with XeCl-excimer laser irradiation of the growing surface in order to obtain different kinds of silicon films in the same deposition system. In-situ UV-visible ellipsometry allows us to measure the optical properties of the films as the laser fluence is increased from 0 up to 180 mJ/cm² in separate depositions. For fixed glow-discharge conditions and a substrate temperature of 250° C we observe dramatic changes in the film structure as the laser fluence is increased. With respect to a reference a-Si:H film (no laser irradiation) we observe at low laser fluences (15–60 mJ/cm²) that the film remains amorphous but demonstrates enchanced surface roughness and bulk porosity. At intermediate fluences (80–165 m/Jcm²), we obtain an amorphous film with an enhanced density with respect to the reference film. Finally, at high fluences (165–180 mJ/cm²), we obtain microcrystalline films. The in-situ ellipsometry measurements are complemented by ex-situ measurements of the dark conductivity, X-ray diffraction, and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA). Simulation of the temperature profiles for different film thicknesses and for three laser fluences indicates that crystallization occurs if the surface temperature reaches the melting point of a-Si:H ( 1420 K). The effects of laser treatment on the film properties are discussed by taking into account the photonic and thermal effects of laser irradiation.Presented at LASERION 93, Munich, June 21–23, 1993     

Propagation of waves in an earth-ionosphere waveguide with an abrupt change of the lower-wall impedance

We study the propagation of a normal wave in an Earth-ionosphere waveguide with an abrupt change of the lower-wall impedance. The bending of the interface is assumed to be gradual on the wavelength scale. An analytical expression for the electromagnetic field in the waveguide is found. Radiophysical Research Institute, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 567–580, May, 1998.     

Temperature and thickness dependence of low temperature transport in amorphous silicon thin films: A comparison to amorphous germanium

The temperature and thickness dependence of the low temperature electrical transport of amorphous silicon thin films measured in-situ in ultra-high vacuum are presented. As for a-Ge there is an extended range of $\text{ln ? ∝ T}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>4</mtext>}}$ for thick films with $\text{ln ? ∝ S}{}_2\text{T}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}$ for thin films with $\text{S}{}_2\text{∝ d}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}$ as expected from a variable range tunneling mechanism.     

Thickness dependence of kink temperature and band bending in amorphous silicon

This paper reports the thickness and temperature dependence of the conductivity for dc glow-discharge amorphous silicon (a-Si : H) films. It is found that the kink temperature, at which an abrupt change of activation energy occurs, rapidly increases for the samples thinner than 0.24 μm and that this phenomenon can be used to determine the depth of surface band bending.     

Improvement of transport properties for polycrystalline silicon prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The carrier transport property of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si:H:F) thin films was studied in relation to film microstructure, impurity, in situ or post-annealing treatments to obtain better carrier transport properties. Poly-Si:H:F films were prepared from SiF₄ and H₂ gas mixtures at temperatures <300 °C. Dark conductivity of the films prepared at high SiF₄/H₂ gas flow ratio (e.g., 60/3 sccm) exhibits a high value for intrinsic silicon and its Fermi level is located near the conduction band edge. The carrier incorporation is suppressed well, either by in situ hydrogen plasma treatment or by post-annealing with high-pressure hot-H₂O vapor. It is confirmed that weak-bonded hydrogen atoms are removed by the hot-H₂O vapor annealing. In addition, evident correlation between impurity concentrations and dark conductivity is not found for these films. It is thought that the carrier incorporation in the films prepared at high SiF₄/H₂ gas flow ratios is related to grain-boundary defects such as weak-bonded hydrogen. By applying hot-H₂O vapor annealing at 310 °C to a 1-μm-thick p-doped (400)-oriented poly-Si:H:F film, Hall mobility was improved from 10 cm²/Vs to 17 cm²/Vs. Received: 7 August 2000 / Accepted: 2 March 2001 / Published online: 20 June 2001