Characteristics of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium alloys

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Communications; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.1988.105691· OSTI ID:6990264

Luft, W ^[1]

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1. Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO (USA)

Data in the literature are summarized for hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium (a-SiGe:H and a-SiGe:H:F) alloys that show the relation between germanium content, hydrogen content, deposition methods, feed-gas mixture, and other deposition parameters, and properties such as the optical band gap, dark and photoconductivities, photosensitivity, Urbach parameter, and spin density. Examining RF glow discharge with both a diode and a triode geometry, DC proximity glow discharge, and photochemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD), using various hydrogen-diluted and undiluted gas mixtures, one observes that hydrogen (or inert gas) dilution is essential for obtaining high photosensitivity in SiGe alloys (in contradistinction to a-Si:H). Hydrogen dilution results in about an order of magnitude higher photosensitivity in a-SiGe:H than do undiluted gas mixtures. Aside from hydrogen dilution, neither the gas mixture nor the deposition method (various glow discharges or photo-CVD) appears to affect the photosensitivity of SiGe alloy films with optical band gaps of approximately 1.5 eV.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 6990264
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Communications; (USA), Vol. 9:1-2; ISSN 0277-9374
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GERMANIUM ALLOYS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SILICON ALLOYS
DATA ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROGENATION
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
360000* - Materials
360600 - Other Materials
360603 - Materials- Properties