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Preparation and Properties of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Produced by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Decomposition of Silane

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

K. L. Tokuda
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Rm. 7C-108, Whippany Rd., Whippany, NJ 07981
D. Adler
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 Deceased
R. Reif
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Abstract

We have investigated the properties of several hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films prepared by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor decomposition (PECVD) of silane. This reactor is singular because it operates at pressures as low as 10 mTorr and uses infrared lamps to heat the growth environment. Structural characterization showed that all the samples were amorphous. Most films had hydrogen concentrations about 5%, optical gaps near 1.6 eV, and neutral dangling-bond concentrations of the order of 5 × 1016 Cm−3. Electrical activation energies were typically in the range 0.5 – 0.6 eV and the photoconductivity under ∼100 mW/cm2 white light was 10−4 (Ω-cm)−1. The dark conductivity was near 10−8(Ω-cm)−1. No significant change in dark conductivity or photoconductivity occurred after several hours of exposure to light.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1987

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