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Title: Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma using tailored voltage waveforms

Abstract

The use of Tailored Voltage Waveforms is a technique wherein one uses non-sinusoidal waveforms with a period equivalent to RF frequencies to excite a plasma. It has been shown to be an effective technique to decouple maximum Ion Bombardment Energy (IBE) from the ion flux at the surface of the electrodes. In this paper, we use it for the first time as a way to scan through the IBE in order to study the growth mechanism of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon using a SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} chemistry. We find that at critical energies, a stepwise increase in the amorphous to microcrystalline transition thickness is observed, as detected by Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. The same energy thresholds (30 eV and 70 eV) are found to be very influential on the final surface morphology of the samples, as observed by Atomic Force Microscopy. These thresholds correspond to SiH{sub x}{sup +} bulk displacement (30 eV) and H{sub x}{sup +} (70 eV) surface displacement energies. A model is therefore proposed to account for the impact of these ions on the morphology of μc-Si:H growth.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau (France)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22278020
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 115; Journal Issue: 8; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; AMORPHOUS STATE; ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY; CRYSTALS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; ELLIPSOMETRY; HYDROGEN; HYDROGENATION; ION BEAMS; MORPHOLOGY; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; PLASMA; SILANES; SILICON; SURFACES; WAVE FORMS

Citation Formats

Bruneau, B., E-mail: bastien.bruneau@polytechnique.edu, Johnson, E. V., Wang, J., ICARE China-Europe Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, 430074 Wuhan, Dornstetter, J. -C., and TOTAL New Energies, 24 cours Michelet, 92069 Paris La Défense Cedex. Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma using tailored voltage waveforms. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4866693.
Bruneau, B., E-mail: bastien.bruneau@polytechnique.edu, Johnson, E. V., Wang, J., ICARE China-Europe Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, 430074 Wuhan, Dornstetter, J. -C., & TOTAL New Energies, 24 cours Michelet, 92069 Paris La Défense Cedex. Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma using tailored voltage waveforms. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4866693
Bruneau, B., E-mail: bastien.bruneau@polytechnique.edu, Johnson, E. V., Wang, J., ICARE China-Europe Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, 430074 Wuhan, Dornstetter, J. -C., and TOTAL New Energies, 24 cours Michelet, 92069 Paris La Défense Cedex. 2014. "Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma using tailored voltage waveforms". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4866693.
@article{osti_22278020,
title = {Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma using tailored voltage waveforms},
author = {Bruneau, B., E-mail: bastien.bruneau@polytechnique.edu and Johnson, E. V. and Wang, J. and ICARE China-Europe Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, 430074 Wuhan and Dornstetter, J. -C. and TOTAL New Energies, 24 cours Michelet, 92069 Paris La Défense Cedex},
abstractNote = {The use of Tailored Voltage Waveforms is a technique wherein one uses non-sinusoidal waveforms with a period equivalent to RF frequencies to excite a plasma. It has been shown to be an effective technique to decouple maximum Ion Bombardment Energy (IBE) from the ion flux at the surface of the electrodes. In this paper, we use it for the first time as a way to scan through the IBE in order to study the growth mechanism of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon using a SiH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} chemistry. We find that at critical energies, a stepwise increase in the amorphous to microcrystalline transition thickness is observed, as detected by Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. The same energy thresholds (30 eV and 70 eV) are found to be very influential on the final surface morphology of the samples, as observed by Atomic Force Microscopy. These thresholds correspond to SiH{sub x}{sup +} bulk displacement (30 eV) and H{sub x}{sup +} (70 eV) surface displacement energies. A model is therefore proposed to account for the impact of these ions on the morphology of μc-Si:H growth.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4866693},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22278020}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 8,
volume = 115,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Fri Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}