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Dual-Chamber Plasma Co-Deposition of Nanoparticles in Amorphous Silicon Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

C. Blackwell
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Minnesota, Physics and Astronomy, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
J. Deneen
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Minnesota, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
C. B. Carter
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Minnesota, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
James Kakalios
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Minnesota, Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, 55455, United States
U. Kortshagen
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Minnesota, Mechanical Engineering, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
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Abstract

The production of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films containing silicon nanocrystal-line inclusions (a/nc-Si:H) is demonstrated using a new deposition process. Crystalline Si nanoparticles around 5 nm in diameter are generated in a flow-through plasma reactor, and are introduced into a downstream capacitively-coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor where the particles are “co-deposited” with the amorphous phase of the film. Transmis-sion electron microscopy confirms the presence of crystalline inclusions in these films, as well as providing confirmation that the crystalline particles are indeed produced in the flow-through re-actor and not in the capacitive plasma. Electrical measurements indicate an improvement in the dark conductivity of the intrinsic a/nc-Si:H films as the particle concentration is increased, sug-gesting that the particles have a doping effect on the films charge transport properties.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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