Increasing The Dark Conductivity Activation Energy in Undoped Microcrystalline Silicon by Post-Growth Anneals

2001 ◽  
Vol 664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Hwan Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Oxygen Concentration ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
Constant Rate ◽  
Annealing Effects ◽  
Annealing Cycle ◽  
Type Character

ABSTRACTUndoped µc-Si:H film of the strong n-type character with the dark conductivity activation energy of about 0.28 eV was annealed. Annealing was carried out by slowly increasing the temperature from 25 °C to 450 °C at a constant rate of 12 °C/min (one annealing cycle). Annealing effects were monitored by measuring the changes in dark conductivity, oxygen and hydrogen concentrations, and photoluminescence (PL). Dark conductivity activation energy gradually increases with increasing the number of annealing cycles to a saturation value of about 0.6 eV. There is little or no change in the oxygen concentration, but the hydrogen concentration decreases with increasing the number of annealing cycles. The PL band near 1.2 eV disappears with annealing, while the low energy PL band near 0.85 eV dominates rather as the number of annealing cycles increases. A possible explanation will be discussed.

Intrinsic microcrystalline silicon by postgrowth anneals

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1531-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Hwan Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
High Hydrogen ◽  
Constant Rate ◽  
Annealing Cycle

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) grown by a conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from high hydrogen-diluted silane was annealed by increasing the temperature from 25 to 450 °C at a constant rate of 12 °C/min (one annealing cycle). Dark-conductivity activation energy gradually increases with increasing the number of annealing cycle to a saturation value of about 0.6 eV, observed in truly intrinsic μc-Si:H films. For the saturated state, the dark conductivity of the order of 10−8 S/cm was obtained. Little or no change in the oxygen content was observed after the annealing.

High Temperature n- and p-type Doped Microcrystalline Silicon Layers Grown by VHF PECVD Layer-by-Layer Deposition

2003 ◽  
Vol 762 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gordijn ◽  
J.K. Rath ◽  
R.E.I. Schropp
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Continuous Wave ◽  
Hydrogen Plasma ◽  
Silicon Layer ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
High Deposition Rate ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon

AbstractDue to the high temperatures used for high deposition rate microcrystalline (μc-Si:H) and polycrystalline silicon, there is a need for compact and temperature-stable doped layers. In this study we report on films grown by the layer-by-layer method (LbL) using VHF PECVD. Growth of an amorphous silicon layer is alternated by a hydrogen plasma treatment. In LbL, the surface reactions are separated time-wise from the nucleation in the bulk. We observed that it is possible to incorporate dopant atoms in the layer, without disturbing the nucleation. Even at high substrate temperatures (up to 400°C) doped layers can be made microcrystalline. At these temperatures, in the continuous wave case, crystallinity is hindered, which is generally attributed to the out-diffusion of hydrogen from the surface and the presence of impurities (dopants).We observe that the parameter window for the treatment time for p-layers is smaller compared to n-layers. Moreover we observe that for high temperatures, the nucleation of p-layers is more adversely affected than for n-layers. Thin, doped layers have been structurally, optically and electrically characterized. The best n-layer made at 400°C, with a thickness of only 31 nm, had an activation energy of 0.056 eV and a dark conductivity of 2.7 S/cm, while the best p-layer made at 350°C, with a thickness of 29 nm, had an activation energy of 0.11 V and a dark conductivity of 0.1 S/cm. The suitability of these high temperature n-layers has been demonstrated in an n-i-p microcrystalline silicon solar cell with an unoptimized μc-Si:H i-layer deposited at 250°C and without buffer. The Voc of the cell is 0.48 V and the fill factor is 70 %.

Measurements of Light-Induced Degradation in A-Si, Ge:H, F Alloys,

1986 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kolodzey ◽  
S. Aljishi ◽  
Z E. Smith ◽  
V. Chu ◽  
R. Schwarz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Electronic Properties ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Narrow Gap ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
Optical And Electronic Properties ◽  
Amorphous Si

ABSTRACTThe effects of illumination on the optical and electronic properties of narrow gap hydrogenated and fluorinated amorphous Si-Ge (a-Si1-xGex:H, F) alloys have been evaluated. A series of alloys with optical gaps ranging from 1.30 eV to 1.64 eV has been light soaked at ∼1 sun intensity for 354 hours. Measurements of sub-gap absorption, photo- and dark conductivities and dark conductivity activation energy were made on alloys in the annealed and the light-soaked states. The results indicate that samples with optical gaps ≳ 1.4 eV degrade significantly. The 1.3 eV sample shows no degradation in its optical or electronic properties except for a factor of 5 increase in the dark conductivity.

Estimation of Defect State Densities from Bulk Photoelectronic Properties of a-Si,Ge:H Alloys

1987 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Parsons ◽  
G. Lucovsky
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Incident Light ◽  
Film Surface ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
State Density ◽  
Defect State ◽  
Oxide Interface ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
State Densities

AbstractWe have studied the photoelectronic properities of a- Si(x),Ge(1−x):H alloy films and have concluded that there are depletion layers at the film surface and film/oxide interface that effect the determination of bulk quantum effieciencymobility- lifetime (nuT) products. From changes in dark conductivity activation energy with film thickness and the nuT product with wavelength of incident light we have estimated defeci sta:e lensitles. Our best x=0.5 film has an nuT value of 9×10−8 cm2 V−1 andaj defect state density near the Fermi level of approximately 5×10 cm−3 eV−1.

Carrier Transport Through Grain Boundaries in Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon

1992 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Grebner ◽  
F. Wang ◽  
R. Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Carrier Transport ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Fermi Level Pinning ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Three Phase

ABSTRACTTo analyse the influence of the grain boundaries (gb) on the transport of carriers in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μC-Si:H) the ambipolar diffusion length (LLMB) was measured by SSPG. In addition, the films were characterised by photo-conductivity, dark conductivity activation energy, Urbach energy (determined by CPM), hydrogen effusion, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray scattering and optical transmission.The sample series was prepared by PECVD of SiH4 diluted with increasing H2 content. Taking the structural information by Raman spectra and X-ray into account, we explain our optical and activation energy measurements within a three-phase-model (amorphous phase, crystalline phase, gb) and a Fermi level pinning in μc-Si:H.

Near-Intrinsic Microcrystalline Silicon for Use in Thin Film Transistors

1997 ◽  
Vol 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. W. D. Froggatt ◽  
W. I. Milne ◽  
M. J. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Activation Energy ◽  
Thin Film Transistors ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
Contact Layer ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Dilution Method ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
High Hydrogen ◽  
Channel Region

ABSTRACTInverted-staggered thin film transistors (TFTs) incorporating hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon for both contact and channel regions have been fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) using the high hydrogen-dilution method. The deposition parameters for the channel region were chosen to yield near-intrinsic material with a dark conductivity activation energy of 0.7 eV and a Tauc gap of 1.98 eV, while the doped contact layer was optimised to produce a high dark conductivity of 10 S/cm.These devices exhibit a low off-current but the field effect mobility is found to be lower than that of similar devices incorporating an optimised amorphous silicon channel region. The mobility activation energy in these devices is similar to those incorporating an amorphous channel, but the mobility pre-factor is reduced. We propose that this is due to inhomogeneous conduction through a microcrystalline region with a smaller grain size at the dielectric/channel interface.

Minority Carrier Diffusion Lengths And Photoconductivity In a-Si,N:H Deposited By Remote Pecvd

1994 ◽  
Vol 336 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Williams ◽  
S.M. Cho ◽  
S.S. He ◽  
G. Lucovsky
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Minority Carrier ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Wide Bandgap ◽  
Conductivity Ratio ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
Active Materials ◽  
Atom Source ◽  
Staebler Wronski Effect ◽  
Deposited Films

ABSTRACTWe have deposited films of a-Si,N:H by remote PECVD from N2 and SiH4 for N-concentrations, [N], to about 12 atomic percent (at. %). Bonded-H concentrations were ∼7–10 at. %, Mostly in Si-H groups. The films with [N] = 9–12 at. % have εθ4 bandgaps of ∼2.0 to 2.2 eV, which makes them potentially useful as wide bandgap photo-active materials in tandem PV cells. Several properties are of special interest for PV applications. First, like many other a-Si:H-based alloys, the photoconductivity relative to a-Si:H is degraded by alloying, but less than for a-Si,C:H alloys with the same bandgaps. Second, the ambipolar diffusion lengths (Ld) obtained with the Steady State Photocarrier Grating (SSPG) technique for films with [N] = 10 at. % and εθ4 = 2.1eV, are comparable to those of a-Si:H. For lightly-nitrided films to [N] ∼5 at. %, Ld first decreases with respect to a-Si:H and then increases as [N] increases from ∼7 at.% to 10–12 at. %. These trends follow the dark conductivity activation energy, Ea, which initially drops due to doping, and then increases into an alloy regime for [N] > 5 at. %. Films with [N1=10 at. % have dark conductivities and Ea's comparable to those of undoped a-Si:H. Third the magnitude of the Staebler-Wronski effect, as monitored by the photo- to dark conductivity ratio after a 1000 Minute lightsoak, was about the same as in a-Si:H. Finally, we contrast the properties of these films prepared from N2 with a-Si,N:H alloys with the same [N] and E04, but prepared from an ammonia N-atom source gas and attribute differences in their photoelectronic behavior such as a significantly enhanced Staebler-Wronski effect.to the presence of Si-NH bonding arrangements in the films grown from NH3.

The Meyer-Neldel Rule in Conductivity of Microcrystalline Silicon

2002 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjay K. Ram ◽  
Satyendra Kumar ◽  
P. Rocai Cabarrocas
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Fermi Level ◽  
Carrier Transport ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Localized States ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Thermally Activated ◽  
Density Of Localized States

AbstractThe dark conductivity (σd) has been measured from 300 to 440K on undoped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) films having different thicknesses. The carrier transport is found to be thermally activated with single activation energy (Ea) in all the samples. The Ea increases as the film thickness decreases. At the same time logarithmic of dark conductivity prefactor (σo) is found to follow a linear relation with activation energy, known as the Meyer-Neldel rule (MNR). Results are explained in terms of increased degree of disorder in thinner samples. Thus change in Ea with the film thickness is directly related to the density of localized states at the Fermi level in grain boundary (GB). Therefore varying the film thickness and, hence, the exponential density of states induces a statistical shift of Fermi level which gives rise to the observed MNR.

Deposition and Characterization of Near “Intrinsic” μc-Si Films Deposited by Remote Plasma-Enhanced Chemical-Vapor Deposition - RPECVD

1991 ◽  
Vol 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Williams ◽  
C. Wang ◽  
G. Lucovsky
Keyword(s):  
Activation Energy ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Boron Concentration ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Conductivity Activation Energy ◽  
Boron Doped ◽  
Si Films

ABSTRACTUndoped films of μc-Si deposited by RPECVD are n-type with a room temperature dark conductivity of ∼6×10-4 S/cm and an activation energy of ∼0.3 eV. This is due to native donor-like defects. We report on the conductivity and photoconductivity of boron-doped μc-Si, with emphasis on low doping levels that are designed to compensate exactly these native donor-like defects. We describe the dark conductivity and the photoconductivity as functions of dark conductivity activation energy and the average boron concentration, and present a model for the photoconductivity based on band off sets between the crystalline and amorphous regions of the μc-Si.

Transport Path in Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon

2002 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Wyrsch ◽  
C. Droz ◽  
L. Feitknecht ◽  
J. Spitznagel ◽  
A. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Raman Spectroscopy ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Conductivity Measurement ◽  
Dark Conductivity ◽  
Transition Regime ◽  
Conductivity Data ◽  
Crystalline Volume Fraction ◽  
Microcrystalline Silicon ◽  
Crystalline Fraction ◽  
Transport Path

AbstractUndoped microcrystalline silicon samples deposited in the transition regime between amorphous and microcrystalline growth have been investigated by dark conductivity measurement and Raman spectroscopy. From the latter, a semi-quantitative crystalline volume fraction Xc of the sample was deduced and correlated with dark conductivity data in order to reveal possible percolation controlled transport. No threshold was observed around the critical crystalline fraction value Xc of 33%, as reported previously, but a threshold in conductivity data was found at Xc≈50%. This threshold is interpreted here speculatively as being the result of postoxidation, and not constituting an actual percolation threshold.

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