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1H NMR Study Of Hydrogenated Nanocrystalline Silicon Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Kristin G. Kiriluk
Affiliation:
kkiriluk@mines.edu, Colorado School of Mines, Physics, Golden, Colorado, United States
David C. Bobela
Affiliation:
David_Bobela@nrel.gov, NREL, Golden, Colorado, United States
Tining Su
Affiliation:
tsu@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
byan@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, R&D, Troy, Michigan, United States
Jeff Yang
Affiliation:
jyang@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
sguha@uni-solar.com, United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Arneyl Reyes
Affiliation:
reyes@magnet.fsu.edu, NHMFL, Tallahasse, Florida, United States
Philip Kuhns
Affiliation:
kuhns@magnet.fsu.edu, United States
Craig Taylor
Affiliation:
pctaylor@mines.edu, Colorado School of Mines, Physics, Golden, Colorado, United States
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Abstract

Hydrogenated nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) is a promising material for multi-junction solar cells. We investigated the local hydrogen environments in nano-crystalline silicon thin films by nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR). At room temperature, 1H NMR spectra have broader components than those observed in standard device grade hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). As the temperature decreases, the 1H NMR exhibits a broadening of the line shape attributed to hydrogen atoms at the interfaces between the amorphous silicon (a-Si) and the crystalline silicon (c-Si) regions. These results suggest that the local hydrogen structure in nc-Si:H is very different from that in a-Si:H. In particular, the hydrogen clusters contributing to broadened spectra may exist on the surfaces of the a-Si/c-Si interfaces which do not exist in the more dense matrix of a-Si:H and may contribute to certain unique optoelectronic properties of these nc-Si:H thin films. The dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) on temperature, however, is very similar to that in a-Si:H, which indicates the spin-lattice relaxation mechanism, i.e via spin diffusion through molecular hydrogen, is common to both systems.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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