Mass spectrometric studies of impurities in silane and their effects on the electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.332577· OSTI ID:5993098

Corderman, R R; Vanier, P E

The concentration of volatile impurities in silane (SiH/sub 4/) and disilane (Si/sub 2/H/sub 6/) used to prepare hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films by glow-discharge deposition has been measured by modulated molecular beam mass spectrometry with a sensitivity of 1 ppm. From dark conductivity measurements on these films the location of the Fermi energy E/sub F/ was determined. The Fermi levels of a-Si:H films were progressively lower with increasing concentrations of chlorine-containing molecules (mostly HCl and SiH/sub 3/Cl) in the silane, indicating that these species can act as weak p-type dopants in a-Si:H. Oxygen-containing species (mostly SiH/sub 3/OSiH/sub 3/) were also detected in silane. It is clear from these results that large variations in electronic properties of glow discharge a-Si:H can be attributed to differences in purity of silane used in the deposition.

• Research Organization: Division of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
• OSTI ID: 5993098
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:7; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603* -- Materials-- Properties
AMORPHOUS STATE
BEAMS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEPOSITION
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
FERMI LEVEL
FILMS
GLOW DISCHARGES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGENATION
IMPURITIES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MOLECULAR BEAMS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUANTITY RATIO
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SENSITIVITY
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
THICKNESS