Amorphous/porous heterojunction on thin microcrystalline silicon

In this work we present a study of the fabrication of the junction between amorphous and porous silicon. Porous silicon was obtained by electrochemica l etching of a 2 mu m thick crystalline n-doped layer obtained by thermal r ecrystallisation of amorphous silicon deposited using chemical vapour depos ition (CVD). A thin amorphous silicon emitter and an intrinsic buffer layer was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) to for m the heterojunction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements on porous him bef ore and after heterojunction formation were performed and analysed with a m odel to determine the porous film properties. Current as a function of volt age was measured on the device which rectified for this kind of heterojunct ion. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.