Microstructure and initial growth characteristics of nanocrystalline silicon films fabricated by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition with highly H{sub 2} dilution of SiH{sub 4}

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3445876· OSTI ID:21476328

Xiang, Wang; Rui, Huang; Jie, Song; Yanqing, Guo; Honglin, Ding ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou 521041 (China)

Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) film deposited on silicon oxide in a very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition with highly H{sub 2} dilution of SiH{sub 4} has been investigated by Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that at early growth stage the initial amorphous incubation layer in nc-Si:H growth on silicon oxide can be almost eliminated and crystallites with diameter of about 6 to 10 nm are directly formed on the silicon oxide. Nearly parallel columnar structures with complex microstructure are found from cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images of the film. It is considered that highly H{sub 2} dilution and higher excitation frequency are the main reason for eliminating the initial amorphous incubation layer in nc-Si:H growth on silicon oxide.

• OSTI ID: 21476328
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3445876; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DILUTION
HYDROGEN
LAYERS
MHZ RANGE
MICROSTRUCTURE
NANOSTRUCTURES
PLASMA
RAMAN SPECTRA
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON OXIDES
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FILMS
FREQUENCY RANGE
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LASER SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SILICON COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING