Piezoresistive Properties of Boron-Doped PECVD Micro- and Polycrystalline Silicon films

1994 ◽  
Vol 343 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Le Berre ◽  
M. Lemiti ◽  
D. Barbier ◽  
P. Pinard ◽  
J. Cali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Grazing Angle ◽  
Amorphous State ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
Gauge Factor ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Boron Doped ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films ◽  
Oriented Material

ABSTRACTThe electrical and piezoresistive properties of in-situ doped PECVD silicon films deposited on oxided silicon wafers have been investigated. One series of films was deposited in the so-called microcrystalline state at 450°C. The other set of samples was deposited in the amorphous state at 320°C and subjected to rapid thermal annealing. Structural properties (grain size, texture, residual stress) were evaluated experimentally through TEM and grazing angle X ray diffraction and related to the measured gauge factor. A maximum longitudinal gauge factor of 28 is measured in the case of advantageously textured microcrystalline material, the magnitude of the gauge factor decreasing sharply for randomly oriented material. For the amorphous deposited and subsequently annealed material, the longitudinal gauge factor is in the range 22–27 depending on dopant concentration. These experimental features are compared to the results of a theoretical approach of piezoresistance in polysilicon. We derive various expressions of the gauge factor according to the assumptions of either constant stress or constant strain within the aggregate. In the case of untextured films, analytical Voigt-Reuss-Hill averages for the elements of piezoresistive and elastoresistive tensors lead to greatly simplified expressions. Theoretical estimates are shown to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements. This confirms the great potential of PECVD microcrystalline and polycrystalline silicon for strain gauges.

Properties of in Situ Doped Polycrystalline Silicon Films Deposited from Phosphine and Disilane

1990 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynnetie D. Madsen ◽  
Louise Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Silicon Oxide ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
Thickness Variation ◽  
Capping Layer ◽  
Temperature Ranges ◽  
Free Films ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films ◽  
20 Nm

AbstractThe deposition of in situ phosphorus doped silicon films was performed using disilane (Si2H6) instead of monosilane (SiH4) as the silicon source gas. The negative aspects of in situ doping with phosphine, namely low deposition rates and poor across wafer uniformity, were to a large extent eliminated. Haze-free polycrystalline films were deposited at ∼60 Å-min1 with less than 5% radial thickness variation over a 100 mm wafer. However, the temperature suitable for depositing films using Si2H6 was shifted downward from that used for SiH4 and similarly, the conditions for good quality (haze-free)films were adjusted. Within specific temperature ranges, varying the gas pressure, flow,and Si2H6 to PH3 ratio resulted in the formation of oneof three types of haze. The films produced had unusually low resistivities of ∼770 μohm-cm after furnace annealing at 850ºC for 1800s. A 20 nm thick surface layer of amorphous silicon oxide was revealed during transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination of annealed films. Although this oxide layer was undoped, the phosphorus gradient, measured by energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), increased towards the surface of the polycrystalline film, suggesting that dopant was diffusing to the surface. A matrix involving different annealing and capping layers was conducted to investigate this phenomenon further. Extremely large grains resulted when a capping layer of SiO2 was deposited prior to rapid thermalannealing (RTA). An autodoping effect was observed when another capping layer, such as undoped polycrystalline silicon, was used.

Polycrystalline Silicon Films for Microelectromechanical Devices

1995 ◽  
Vol 403 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kahn ◽  
S. Stemmer ◽  
R. L. Mullen ◽  
M. A. Huff ◽  
A. H. Heuer
Keyword(s):  
Residual Stress ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Microelectromechanical Systems ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Process Equipment ◽  
Boron Doped ◽  
Microelectromechanical Devices ◽  
Polysilicon Films ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films

AbstractPolycrystalline silicon is the most widely used structural material for surface micromachined microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). There are many advantages to using thick polysilicon films; however, due to process equipment limitations, these devices are typically fabricated from polysilicon films less than 3 μm thick. In this work, microelectromechanical test structures were designed and processed from thick (up to 10 μm) in situ boron-doped polysilicon films. The elastic modulus of these films was about 150 GPa, independent of film thickness. The thermal oxidation of the polysilicon induced a compressive stress into the top surface of the films, which was detected as a residual stress in the polysilicon after the device fabrication was complete.

Electronic Properties and Device Applications of Hot-Wire CVD Polycrystalline Silicon Films

1997 ◽  
Vol 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Middya ◽  
J. Guillet ◽  
R. Brenot ◽  
J. Perrin ◽  
J. E. Bouree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
Crystallographic Structure ◽  
Hydrogen Treatment ◽  
Textured Surface ◽  
Hot Wire ◽  
Glass Substrates ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films

ABSTRACTPolycrystalline silicon films (5 to 30 μm thick) have been deposited on glass substrates at low temperatures (400–550 °C) with a rate of 15 Å/s by hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD). The homogeneity of the deposited layer is ±5% on a 8 cm diameter substrate. The films have columnar microstructure and a textured surface. The undoped films (carrier concentration, 1011 cm−3) have a resistivity of 105-106 Ω-cm, activation energy of 0.50 ± 0.05 eV and Hall mobility of 14 ± 4 cm2 /V.s. By in situ gas phase doping, resistivity can be varied by six to seven orders of magnitude. Incorporation of dopant atoms such as boron into the film, strongly influences its morphological and crystallographic structure. The mobility lifetime product of undoped films is low (10−8 cm2/V), possibly due to the presence of a high density of dangling bonds defects and broad band-tails. This product can be improved by a factor of 5 to 10 by using in-situ hydrogen passivation in the same reactor at lower temperature (350–400 °C) within one hour. The results of many complementary experiments suggest that hydrogen treatment mainly improves carrier mobility by a factor of 3 to 4 by passivating extended defects. Preliminary results on application of these types of materials in unoptimized P-I-N solar cells on c-Si and glass substrates are presented.

Deposition and Characterization of In-Situ Boron Doped Polycrystalline Silicon Films for Microelectromechanical Systems Applications

1999 ◽  
Vol 605 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. McMahon ◽  
J. J. McMahon ◽  
J. M. Melzak ◽  
C. A. Zorman ◽  
J. Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Microelectromechanical Systems ◽  
Single Step ◽  
Boron Doped ◽  
Polysilicon Films ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films ◽  
P Type ◽  
Deposition Conditions

AbstractIn an effort to develop thick, p-type polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, in-situ boron-doped polysilicon films were deposited by a single-step APCVD process at susceptor temperatures ranging from 700°C to 955°C. The process produces boron-doped films at a deposition rate of 73 nm/min at 955°C. Spreading resistance measurements show that the boron doping level is constant at 2 × 1019 /cm3 throughout the thickness of the films. Doped films deposited at the low temperatures exhibit compressive stress as high as 666 Mpa; however films deposited at 955°C exhibited stress as low as 130 MPa. TEM and XRD show that the microstructure strongly depends on the deposition conditions. Surface micromachined, singly clamped cantilevers and strain gauges were successfully fabricated and used to characterize the residual stress of 5.0 µm-thick doped films deposited at a susceptor temperature of 955°C.

Photoconductive Polycrystalline Silicon Films on Glass Obtained by Hot-Wire CVD

1996 ◽  
Vol 420 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Middya ◽  
J. Guillet ◽  
J. Perrin ◽  
J. E. Bouree
Keyword(s):  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
Columnar Structure ◽  
Silicon Films ◽  
High Deposition Rate ◽  
Hot Wire ◽  
Si Films ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon Films ◽  
Deposited Films

AbstractTextured polycrystalline silicon films with columnar structure have been deposited on glass at low temperature (400–550°C) and high deposition rate (10 to 15 Å/s) by hot-wire chemical vapour deposition using SiH4-H2 gases. The homogeneity of the deposited layer is ± 5% on a 8 cm diameter. As deposited films have a poor photoconductivity. However hydrogen confinement in the films during the deposition or after the deposition is found to be the key for obtaining g.tc/poly-Si with a significant diffusion length. Eventually reasonable values of the mobility lifetime product (> 10−7 cm2/V) are obtained by in situ hydrogen passivation of poly-Si films after deposition. Efficient shifting of the Fermi level is achieved by in situ B or P doping. The incorporation of boron in poly-Si network strongly influences the morphology and the crystalline structure. Undoped films have a Hall mobility of 14 ± 5 cm2/V.s which decreases versus the carrier concentration.

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