VISIBLE PHOTOLUMINESCENCE FROM AN ANODIZED POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON THIN-FILM SILICON STRUCTURE

We measured visible photoluminescence and current-voltage from an elec trochemically anodized polycrystalline silicon thin film/silicon struc ture. Room-temperature photoluminescence for the structure increases w ith the increase of the surface area of the interface between the poly crystalline silicon film and silicon substrate. Scaning Electron Micro scopy images from the structures indicate that grain boundaries on the surface of polycrystalline thin film do the roles of passing channels of current during an electrochemical anodization process. With infrar ed data correlated with photoluminescence results, it is concluded tha t the photoluminescence from the polycrystalline silicon thin film/sil icon structure origins from silicon hydrides adsorbed onto the interfa ce between the film and substrate. Current-voltage was measured to und erstand electrical properties on Schottky-barrier devices fabricated w ith anodized polycrystalline silicon films. Current-voltage measuremen ts resulted in a rectification behavior for the devices. The measureme nts suggest that the devices are mainly limited by series resistance d ue to electrochemically anodized layers in the poly-Si/Si Schottky dev ice.