Effects of the substrate temperature on the growth and properties of hydrogenated nanostructured silicon thin films

Citation
A. Hadjadj et al., Effects of the substrate temperature on the growth and properties of hydrogenated nanostructured silicon thin films, J PHYS D, 34(5), 2001, pp. 690-699
Citations number
57
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
ISSN journal
00223727 → ACNP
Volume
34
Issue
5
Year of publication
2001
Pages
690 - 699
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-3727(20010307)34:5<690:EOTSTO>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
Nanostructured silicon thin films were deposited by a pulsed plasma enhance d chemical vapour deposition process using an argon-silane mixture. For eac h deposition temperature (T-S), the plasma modulation was chosen in such a way that the discharge was switched off just before the onset of powder for mation. The optical and electrical properties of the films were investigate d as a function of T-S and compared to those of films deposited under the s ame plasma conditions but with a continuous wave (CW) plasma. While the CW films show a gradual improvement in their properties with increasing T-S, a drastic change appears in the optical and electrical properties of hydroge nated nanostructured silicon (ns-Si:H) films for T-S > 50 degreesC. In part icular, for a deposition temperature of 150 degreesC a more compact materia l with a small surface roughness and a high conductivity was obtained. This improvement is correlated to the discharge conditions and particularly to the small size of the clusters embedded in the deposited film.