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Growth and Structure of Microcrystalline Silicon Prepared with Glow Discharge at Various Plasma Excitation Frequencies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

F. Finger
Affiliation:
Forschungszentrum Jülich, ISI, 52425 Jülich, Germany
R. Carius
Affiliation:
Forschungszentrum Jülich, ISI, 52425 Jülich, Germany
P. Hapke
Affiliation:
Forschungszentrum Jülich, ISI, 52425 Jülich, Germany
L. Houben
Affiliation:
Forschungszentrum Jülich, ISI, 52425 Jülich, Germany
M. Luysberg
Affiliation:
University of California - Berkeley, Dept. MS &ME, Berkeley, CA
M. Tzolov
Affiliation:
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Solar Energy &New Energy Sources, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Abstract

Microcrystalline silicon was prepared with glow discharge deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at plasma excitation frequencies in the range 13.56 MHz - 116 MHz. The influence of the plasma excitation frequency on the growth and the structural properties of the material is investigated. At high excitation frequencies, higher growth and etching rates, larger grain sizes with less disorder within the grains, higher crystalline volume fractions, a reduced amorphous but more porous interface layer on glass and quartz substrates, and faster nucleation on amorphous silicon substrates are obtained. The results are discussed within a schematical growth model.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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