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Recrystallization of Amorphous Silicon Deposited on Ultra Thin Microcrystalline Silicon Layers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

F. Wang ,
D. Wolfe  and
G. Lucovsky
F. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, [email protected]
D. Wolfe
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, [email protected]
G. Lucovsky
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, [email protected] Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, [email protected] Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, P.O. Box 8202, Raleigh, NC 27695, [email protected]
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Abstract

This study reports on a method to reduce the thermal crystallization time and temperature of amorphous silicon films by initially depositing an ultra thin μc-Si:H seed layer. After rapid thermal annealing (RTA), films were characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, reflection high energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and dark and photocurrent. The results show that the microcrystalline particles in the seed layer act as nucleation centers, promoting crystallization of a-Si:H at lower temperatures and at shorter times, compared to a-Si:H films deposited without any seed layer. Additionally, it was found that the seed layer affects the orientation of the crystallized films. The dark current increases abruptly over 4 orders of magnitude in the first 15 second anneal, then decreases as the time increases, and tends to saturate. The photocurrent has an opposite behavior. These transport results can be understood in terms of a change in defect density and band gap shrinkage.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 467: Symposium A – Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology - 1997 , 1997 , 433
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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