LOW-TEMPERATURE (LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-600-DEGREES-C) SEMIINSULATING OXYGEN-DOPED SILICON FILMS BY THE PECVD TECHNIQUE FOR LARGE-AREA POWERAPPLICATIONS

This work describes the annealing and characterisation of semi-insulat ing oxygen-doped silicon films deposited by the Plasma Enhanced Chemic al Vapour Deposition (PECVD) technique from silane (SiH4), nitrous oxi de (N2O) and helium (He) gas mixtures. The maximum process temperature is chosen to be compatible with large area polycrystalline silicon (p oly-Si) circuitry on glass. The most important deposition variable is shown to be the N2O/SiH4 gas ratio. Helium dilution results in improve d film uniformity and reproducibility. Raman analysis shows the 'as-de posited' and annealed films to be completely amorphous. A model for th e microstructure of these Semi-Insulating Amorphous Oxygen-doped Silic on (SLAGS) films is proposed to explain the observed physical and elec trical properties.