Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-wxhwt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T07:35:45.013Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Real Time Monitoring of the Crystallization of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Paul Stradins ,
David Young ,
Howard M. Branz ,
Matthew Page  and
Qi Wang
Paul Stradins
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
David Young
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Howard M. Branz
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Matthew Page
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Qi Wang
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Get access

Abstract

In-situ real-time optical reflectance spectroscopy is applied to investigate structural changes as hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) loses H and crystallizes at elevated temperature. The interference fringe spectrum (cutoff energy and amplitude) mainly characterize changes in the bulk, while the the crystal Si (c-Si) direct-transition ultra-violet reflectance signatures reveal the presence of any crystalline phase at the surface. Effusion of atomic hydrogen is monitored by a decrease of the interference fringe cutoff energy and is thermally activated with about 1.7 eV. In a-Si:H on glass, optical reflectance spectra are consistent with 2.8 eV activated homogeneous nucleation and growth of a small grain (˜ 100 nm) polycrystalline phase. In contrast, a-Si:H on c-Si crystallizes by solid phase epitaxy with very different spectral kinetics. Our measurements reveal the temperature-time window for thermal crystallization of a-Si:H for photovoltaic device applications, and highlight the versatility of the in-situ spectral reflectance monitoring.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 862: Symposium A – Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Silicon Science and Technology–2005 , 2005 , A16.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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

1 Fuhs, W., Gall, S., Rau, B., Schmidt, M. and Schneider, J., Sol. Energy 77 (2004) 961.10.1016/j.solener.2004.05.002Google Scholar
2 Aberle, A. G., Straub, A., Widenborg, P. I., proul, A. B. S, Huang, Y. and Campbell, P., Prog. Photovoltaics 13 (2005) 37.10.1002/pip.577Google Scholar
3 Basore, P. A., 31st IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2005)Google Scholar
4 In: Semiconductors - Basic Data, ed. by Madelung, O. (Springer, 1996).10.1007/978-3-642-97675-9Google Scholar
5 Reinelt, M., Kablitzer, S. and Moller, G., J. Non-Cryst. Sol. 59-60 (1983) 169.10.1016/0022-3093(83)90548-3Google Scholar
6 Zellama, K., Germain, P., Squelard, S., Bourgoin, J. C. and Thomas, P. A., J. Appl. Phys. 50 (1979) 6995.10.1063/1.325856Google Scholar
7 Blum, N. A. and Feldman, C., Bull. Amer. Phys. Soc. 21 (1976) 334.Google Scholar
8 Iverson, R. B. and Reif, R., J. Appl. Phys. 62 (1987) 1679.10.1063/1.339591Google Scholar
9 Young, D. L., Stradins, P., Roy, B., Iwaniczko, E., To, B., Reedy, B., Ginley, D., Branz, H. M. and Wang, Q., this volume (2005)Google Scholar
10 Bauer, M., Oehme, M., Sauter, M., Eifler, G. and Kasper, E., Thin Solid Films 364 (2000) 238.10.1016/S0040-6090(99)00934-7Google Scholar
11 Kokorowski, S. A., Olson, G. L. and Hess, L. D., J. Appl. Phys. 53 (1982) 921.10.1063/1.330561Google Scholar