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Phosphorus and Boron Doping Effect on Nanocrystalline Formation in Hydrogenated Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Mixed-phase Silicon Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Chunsheng Jiang ,
Yanfa Yan ,
Helio R. Moutinho ,
Mowafak Al-Jassim ,
Baojie Yan ,
Laura Sivec ,
Jeff Yang  and
Subhendu Guha
Chunsheng Jiang
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States
Yanfa Yan
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States
Helio R. Moutinho
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States
Mowafak Al-Jassim
Affiliation:
[email protected], National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States
Baojie Yan
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Laura Sivec
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Jeff Yang
Affiliation:
[email protected], United Solar Ovonic LLC, Troy, Michigan, United States
Subhendu Guha
Affiliation:
[email protected], United States
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Abstract

Phosphorus and Boron doping effects on the microstructure of nanocrystallites in hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline mixed-phase silicon films were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and conductive atomic force microscopy. The characterizations revealed the following observations. First, the mixed-phase Si:H films can be heavily doped in ˜1021/cm3 by adding PH3 and BF3 in the precursor gases. Second, the intrinsic and doped films can be made in a similar crystalline volume fraction by adjusting hydrogen dilution ratio. The hydrogen dilution ratio is much higher for P-doped films than for the intrinsic film with the similar crystallinity. Third, the doping impacts the nanostructures in the films significantly. Nanograins aggregate to form cone-shaped clusters in the intrinsic and B-doped films but isolate and randomly distribute in amorphous tissues in the P-doped films. The cones in the intrinsic and B-doped films are also different. The cone-angle is smaller and the nanograin density is lower in the B-doped films than in the intrinsic films. These P- and B-doping effects on the nanocrystalline formation are interpreted in terms of diffusions of Si-related radicals during the film growth.

Keywords

BSinucleation & growth
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1153: Symposium A – Amorphous and Polycrystalline Thin Film Silicon Science and Technology–2009 , 2009 , 1153-A17-07
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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