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A Phase Diagram of Low Temperature Epitaxial Silicon Grown by Hot-wire Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Christine Esber Richardson
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology MC 128-95 Pasadena, CA 91125-9500, USA
Brendan M. Kayes
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology MC 128-95 Pasadena, CA 91125-9500, USA
Matthew J. Dicken
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology MC 128-95 Pasadena, CA 91125-9500, USA
Harry A. Atwater
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology MC 128-95 Pasadena, CA 91125-9500, USA
Thomas J. Watson
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Applied Physics California Institute of Technology MC 128-95 Pasadena, CA 91125-9500, USA
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Abstract

We have investigated the low-temperature epitaxial growth of thin silicon films by hotwire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). Using reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we have found conditions for epitaxial growth at low temperatures achieving twinned epitaxial growth up to 6.8 μm on Si(100) substrates at a substrate temperature of 230°C. This opens the possibility of growing high quality films on low cost substrates. The H2:SiH4 dilution ratio was set to 50:1 for all growths. Consistent with previous results, the epitaxial thickness is found to decrease with an increase in the substrate temperature.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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