Epitaxial silicon thin films by low-temperature aluminum induced crystallization of amorphous silicon for solar cell applications

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2006

OSTI ID:931462

Sharif, Khalil ^[1]; Abu-Safe, Husam H ^[1]; Naseem, Hameed ^[1]; Brown, William D ^[1]; Al-Jassim, Mowafak ^[1]; Meyer, III, Harry M ^[2]

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1. University of Arkansas
2. ORNL

Aluminum-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon was used to fabricate epitaxial silicon films through solid phase epitaxy. Silicon wafers of (100) orientation were used as the starting crystalline structure for the epitaxial thin film growth. A configuration of c-Si/Al/a-Si:H was used to produce these films through the phenomenon of layer inversion. A thin layer of aluminum (300 nm) was deposited on a silicon wafer by sputtering. On top of this layer, a 300 nm amorphous silicon film was deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. After annealing the samples at 475 C for 40minutes, a continuous film of crystalline silicon was formed on the silicon substrate. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and cross- sectional transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the films. Auger depth profiling indicated the formation of a Si/Al mixed phase within the first few minutes of annealing.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Temperature Materials Laboratory
• Sponsoring Organization: EE USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 931462
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTALLIZATION
ENERGY CONVERSION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON
SOLAR CELLS
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION