Preparation and characterization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films and thin film solar cells produced by ion plating techniques. Final report, 1 January 1979-31 May 1980
Ion plating techniques for the preparation of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films have been successfully developed. The technique involves essentially the evaporation of elemental silicon through a d.c. produced hydrogen plasma. In this way hydrogen has been successfully incorporated into amorphous silicon films in concentrations as high as 30 atomic percent. Infrared spectroscopy indicates the usual SiH/sub x/ stretching mode at approximately 2000 cm/sup -1/. Further evidence for the bonding of hydrogen was obtained from ESR measurement of hydrogenated and unhydrogenated samples. The measured unpaired spin density was a factor of 25 less in the hydrogenated sample. The optical absorption edges of the hydrogenated films fell in the usual range between 1.7 and 1.9 eV. Electrical conductivity measurements indicated a substantial reduction in the density of defect states in the gap as expected. It was also shown that hydrogenated amorphous silicon prepared by ion-plating could be doped by co-evaporation of the dopant element during film deposition. Both co-evaporated phosphorous and co-evaporated bismuth have been found to substantially increase the dark conductivity of a-Si:H while shifting the Fermi level towards the conduction band edge. An x-ray method for estimating the density and hydrogen content of a-Si:H has been developed. The measurement of strain in a-Si:H thin films is discussed. (WHK)
- Research Organization:
- Duke Univ., Durham, NC (USA). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-79ET23035
- OSTI ID:
- 6626066
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/23035-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SILICON
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
VAPOR PLATING
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
AMORPHOUS STATE
BISMUTH ADDITIONS
CRYSTAL DOPING
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
ENERGY GAP
FERMI LEVEL
FILMS
FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY
GLOW DISCHARGES
HYDROGENATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
PHOSPHORUS ADDITIONS
STRAINS
ALLOYS
BISMUTH ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ENERGY LEVELS
EQUIPMENT
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATING
RESONANCE
SEMIMETALS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture
360603 - Materials- Properties