Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T02:03:12.703Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Comprehensive Study of Plasma Enhanced Crystallization of a-Si:H Films on Glass

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Aiguo Yin
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Processing Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Stephen J. Fonash
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Processing Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
D. M. Reber
Affiliation:
Electronic Materials and Processing Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.
Y. M. Li
Affiliation:
Solarax Corporation, Thin-Film Division, Newtown, PA 18940
M. Bennett
Affiliation:
Solarax Corporation, Thin-Film Division, Newtown, PA 18940
Get access

Abstract

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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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. Aoyama, T., Konishi, N., Suzuki, T., and Miyata, K., MRS Symp. Proc. vol. 106, PP 347352, (1988).Google Scholar
2. Hatalis, M. and Greve, D., J. Appl. Phys. 63, 2260 (1988).Google Scholar
3. Kakkad, R., Smith, J., Lau, W. S., and Fonash, S. J., J. Appl. Phys. 65(5), 2069(1988)Google Scholar
4. Gang, Liu and Fonash, S. J., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 30(2B), L269(1991)Google Scholar
5. Gang, Liu and Fonash, S. J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 62(20), 2554(1993)Google Scholar
6. Aiguo, Yin and Fonash, S. J., to be published on JVST, Jul-Aug(1994)Google Scholar
7. Aiguo, Yin and Fonash, S. J., Technical Digest, IEDM, pp397–400(1993)Google Scholar
8. Harbeke, C., Polycrystalline Semiconductors. Physical Properties and Applications. (Spinger, Berlin,1985)Google Scholar
9. Day, M. E., Delfino, M., and Tsai, W., J. Appl. Phys. 74(8), 15, pp 52175224(1993).Google Scholar
10. Collins, R. W. and Tuckerman, C. J., J. Vac. Sci. Technol.A 4(5), pp 23432349(1986).Google Scholar
11. Tompson, C. V., MRS Symp. Proc. vol.106, pp 115125(1988)Google Scholar