Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T16:20:40.720Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Recrystallization of Amorphous Silicon Deposited on Ultra Thin Microcrystalline Silicon Layers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

F. Wang ,
D. Wolfe  and
G. Lucovsky
F. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, fcwang@unity.ncsu.edu
D. Wolfe
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, dmwolfe@eos.ncsu.edu
G. Lucovsky
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, fcwang@unity.ncsu.edu Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, dmwolfe@eos.ncsu.edu Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, gerry_lucovsky@ncsu.edu
Get access

Abstract

This study reports on a method to reduce the thermal crystallization time and temperature of amorphous silicon films by initially depositing an ultra thin μc-Si:H seed layer. After rapid thermal annealing (RTA), films were characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, reflection high energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and dark and photocurrent. The results show that the microcrystalline particles in the seed layer act as nucleation centers, promoting crystallization of a-Si:H at lower temperatures and at shorter times, compared to a-Si:H films deposited without any seed layer. Additionally, it was found that the seed layer affects the orientation of the crystallized films. The dark current increases abruptly over 4 orders of magnitude in the first 15 second anneal, then decreases as the time increases, and tends to saturate. The photocurrent has an opposite behavior. These transport results can be understood in terms of a change in defect density and band gap shrinkage.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 467: Symposium A – Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology - 1997 , 1997 , 433
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Keppner, H., Kroll, U., Meier, J., and Shah, A., Sol. St. Phen. 44/46, 97 (1995).Google Scholar
2. Koynov, S., Schwarz, R., Fischer, T., Grebner, S., Muender, H., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 33, 4534 (1994).Google Scholar
3. Yang, Y.H. and Abelson, J.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 3623 (1995).Google Scholar
4. Wolfe, D., Wang, F., and Lucovsky, G., J. Vac. Sci. and Techn. A, (1997), in press.Google Scholar
5. Dyer, T.E., Marshall, J. M., Pickin, W., Hepburn, A.R., and Davies, J.F., J. Non-Cryst. Sol. 164/166, 1001 (1993).Google Scholar
6. Kuo, Y. and Kozlowski, P.M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1092 (1996).Google Scholar
7. Liu, G. and Fonash, S. J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 2554 (1993).Google Scholar
8. Matsuyama, T., Terada, N., Baba, T.,, Sawada, T., Tsuge, S., Wakisaka, K., Tsuda, S., J. Non-Cryst. Sol. 198/200, 940 (1996).Google Scholar
9. Holgado, S., Martinez, J., Garrido, J., Morant, C. and Piqueras, J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 1873 (1996).Google Scholar
10. Toet, D., Koopmann, B., Santos, P.V., Bergman, R.B., and Richards, B., Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 3719 (1996).Google Scholar