“N-type amorphous silicon-germanium thin films with embedded nanocrystals as a novel thermoelectric material of elevated ZT”

Amorphous Silicon-germanium films were prepared by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) on glass substrates. The structural characteristics, deposition rate, photosensitivity, and optical band gap of the silicon-germanium thin films were investigated with plasma power varying from 15W to 45W. The deposition rate increased within a certain range of plasma power. With the plasma power increasing, the photosensitivity of the thin films decreased. It is evident that varying the plasma power changes the deposition rate, photosensitivity, which was fundamentally crucial for the fabrication of a-Si/a-SiGe/a-SiGe stacked solar cells. For our deposition system, the most optimization value was 30-35W.

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Thin Films of Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Alloys Prepared by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Journal of The Electrochemical Society ◽

10.1149/1.1393201 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 147 (1) ◽

pp. 363 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Toshiro Maruyama ◽

Hajime Fujii

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Radio Frequency ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Radio Frequency Magnetron ◽

Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium ◽

Silicon Germanium Alloys

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Hydrogenated amorphous silicon–germanium thin films with a narrow band gap for silicon-based solar cells

Current Applied Physics ◽

10.1016/j.cap.2010.11.003 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. S50-S53 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Chao-Chun Wang ◽

Chueh-Yang Liu ◽

Shui-Yang Lien ◽

Ko-Wei Weng ◽

Jung-Jie Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Band Gap ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Narrow Band ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽

Silicon Based ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

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Effect of Ge Incorporation on Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Germanium Thin Films Prepared by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.569.27 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 569 ◽

pp. 27-30

Author(s):

Bao Jun Yan ◽

Lei Zhao ◽

Ben Ding Zhao ◽

Jing Wei Chen ◽

Hong Wei Diao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Vapor Deposition ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Dark Conductivity ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium ◽

Hydrogenated Amorphous

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium thin films (a-SiGe:H) were prepared via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). By adjusting the flow rate of GeH4, a-SiGe:H thin films with narrow bandgap (Eg) were fabricated with high Ge incorporation. It was found that although narrow Eg was obtained, high Ge incorporation resulted in a great reduction of the thin film photosensitivity. This degradation was attributed to the increase of polysilane-(SiH2)n, which indicated a loose and disordered microstructure, in the films by systematically investigating the optical, optoelectronic and microstructure properties of the prepared a-SiGe:H thin films via transmission, photo/dark conductivity, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. Such investigation provided a helpful guide for further preparing narrow Eg a-SiGe:H materials with good optoelectronic properties.

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Fine particles in amorphous silicon germanium thin films

physica status solidi (c) ◽

10.1002/pssc.200982673 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. NA-NA

Author(s):

Ayana Bhaduri ◽

Partha Chaudhuri

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium

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Deposition of high quality amorphous silicon, germanium and silicon-germanium thin films by a hollow cathode reactive sputtering system

Surface and Coatings Technology ◽

10.1016/j.surfcoat.2003.08.006 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 177-178 ◽

pp. 676-681 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

R.J. Soukup ◽

N.J. Ianno ◽

G. Pribil ◽

Z. Hubicka

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Hollow Cathode ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Reactive Sputtering ◽

High Quality ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium ◽

Sputtering System

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Effects of Hydrogen Radicals on the Composition and Hydrogen Bonding of Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Thin Films

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-149-521 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 149 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D. E. Albright ◽

C. M. Fortmann ◽

T. W. F. Russell

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Hydrogen Bonding ◽

Amorphous Silicon ◽

Silicon Germanium ◽

Germanium Content ◽

Hydrogen Radical ◽

Hydrogen Radicals ◽

Amorphous Silicon Germanium ◽

Photochemical Vapor Deposition

ABSTRACTA reaction engineering model of the mercury sensitized photochemical vapor deposition of amorphous silicon-germanium thin films is used in conjunction with experimental results to describe the role of hydrogen radical reactions in determining film composition, hydrogen bonding and microcrystallinity. Selective removal of silicon from the film by hydrogen radicals is shown to increase with decreasing temperature, raising the germanium content of films in hydrogen diluted depositions below 2 torr. Etching of a-Ge:H by hydrogen radicals is determined to be nearly two orders of magnitude slower than that of a-Si:H. Hydrogen radicals are also shown to promote microcrystallinity by selectively removing amorphous phase silicon and bonded hydrogen.

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