STRUCTURE AND HYDROGEN CONTENT OF STABLE HOT-WIRE-DEPOSITED AMORPHOUS-SILICON

Thin-film transistors incorporating a hot-wire chemical-vapor-deposite d silicon layer have been shown to exhibit superior electronic stabili ty as compared to glow-discharge-deposited amorphous silicon devices. Hot-wire-deposited silicon films of various thicknesses (37-370 nm) on silicon dioxide were investigated. The films are structurally inhomog eneous. Raman measurements and transmission electron microscopy show t hat isolated cone-shaped crystals grow within a primarily amorphous la yer. The amorphous interface region has a low hydrogen content of 2.0 +/- 0.2 at. %, while the films exhibit an enhanced hydrogen concentrat ion in the surface region. The bond-angle distribution in the amorphou s phase is comparable to that of device-quality glow-discharge-deposit ed amorphous silicon. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6 951(98)01848-8].