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Amorphous to Microcrystalline Transition in Thickness-graded Hot-Wire CVD Silicon Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Qi Wang ,
John Perkins ,
Helio Moutinho ,
Bobby To  and
Howard M. Branz
Qi Wang
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Device Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO 80401 U.S.A.
John Perkins
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Device Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO 80401 U.S.A.
Helio Moutinho
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Device Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO 80401 U.S.A.
Bobby To
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Device Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO 80401 U.S.A.
Howard M. Branz
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Device Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, CO 80401 U.S.A.
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Abstract

We study the amorphous to microcrystalline silicon phase transition in hot-wire chemical vapor deposition thin-film silicon by depositing a series of unique, thickness-graded, samples on a glass substrate at 200°C. By inserting or withdrawing a motor-driven shutter during growth, we make samples that vary from 200 to about 2000 Å thick across each 5-cm along stripe. Each stripe is grown at a different dilution ratio of hydrogen to silane in the source gas. The phase composition at various locations was determined by Raman and ultraviolet-reflectivity measurements. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of topology reveal that the surface changes from a rather smooth a-Si phase to more granular microcrystalline-Si (rms roughness increases from 10 to 47 Å).

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 715: Symposium A – Amorphous and Heterogeneous Silicon-Based Films-2002 , 2002 , A17.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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