Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
An extensive study is reported here on plasma enhanced crystallization of a-Si:H films on glass. Both electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) helium plasma exposures and ECR oxygen plasma exposures were investigated to obtain enhanced crystallization of a-Si:H films. We have found that the ECR helium plasma exposure can render more crystallization enhancement than the ECR oxygen plasma exposure. This is because ECR helium plasma exposures can produce more dangling Si bonds, voids, and “interstitial” Si atoms in a-Si:H films than ECR oxygen plasma exposures. These dangling Si bonds, voids, and “interstitial” Si atoms are believed to be the cause of the observed reduced incubation time as well as enhanced grain growth of the plasma exposed a-Si:H films in subsequent crystallization processes. This model is supported by the effects of plasma exposure time on the enhanced crystallization process of a-Si:H films.