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On the Role of Surface Diffusion and Its Relation to the Hydrogen Incorporation During Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

A.H.M. Smets
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
W.M.M. Kessels
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
M.C.M. van de Sanden
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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Abstract

The incorporation of hydrogen in vacancies and at void surfaces during hydrogenated amorphous silicon growth from a remote expanding thermal plasma (ETP) is systematically studied by variation of the mass growth flux Γa-Si:H and substrate temperature Tsub. An evident relation between the void incorporation and the growth parameters Γa-Si:H and Tsub has been observed. We speculate on a possible relation with the surface diffusion processes during deposition. An activation energy for surface diffusion during a-Si:H growth of 0.8-1.1 eV is obtained using this assertion, similar to the activation energy deduced from surface roughness evolution studies. For compact films hydrogen is predominantly present at vacancies, and a possible relation with the hydrogen removal mechanism during deposition is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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