ESR measurements of a-Si:H and a-Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5}:H films under solid-phase crystallization
The authors have investigated the solid-phase crystallization of a-Si{sub 1{minus}x}Ge{sub x}:H (x = 0 and 0.5) films by using electron spin resonance and x-ray diffraction. The films were deposited on Corning 1737 glass in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system using SiH{sub 4} and GeH{sub 4} gases. The films were then annealed to be crystallized at 600 C. It was observed that, for the a-Si:H film, both the spin density and the g-value first increased with annealing time, and then rapidly decreased as the film was crystallized. For the a-Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5}:H film, the Ge dangling bond spin density increased from 3 x 10{sup 18} cm{sup {minus}3} to 2 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup {minus}3} for the first stage of annealing and then decreased to 3 x 10{sup 17} cm{sup {minus}3} after being crystallized; the Si dangling bond spin density just increased to about 2 x 10{sup 17} cm{sup {minus}3} and remained nearly constant for further annealing. It is thought that exodiffusion of hydrogen resulted in the increase of spin density in the beginning, and then some portions of amorphous components were converted into the crystalline phase by further annealing. And the keen correlation between the dependence of x-ray peak intensity and the dependence of Ge dangling bond spin density on the annealing time suggests that the Ge dangling bonds rather than Si dangling bonds play an important role in the crystallization of the Si{sub 0.5}Ge{sub 0.5} film.
- Research Organization:
- Chonbuk National Univ., Chonju (KR)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Korea Research Foundation
- OSTI ID:
- 20107904
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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