MICROSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION OF HYDROGENATED SILICON THIN-FILMS

This paper describes the microstructure evolution of hydrogenated sili con films containing various amounts of hydrogen. Microcrystalline sil icon films were produced when the hydrogen content of the films was ad justed by using the diluted hydrogen and hydrogen atom treatment metho ds, Polycrystalline silicon films having grain sizes in the micrometre range were deposited at low temperatures (250 degrees C) by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapour deposition with the hydrogen dilut ion method. The microcrystalline and polycrystalline films were charac terized by NMR, FTIR, Raman, X-ray and optical spectroscopy and electr ical measurements. The results suggest the possibility of even larger grain silicon films suitable for high-performance solar cells which av oid the fundamental difficulties of amorphous Si:H solar cells.