Abstract
BF3 has been used as a p-type dopant in thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The films were deposited in a capacitively coupled radio frequency (13.56 MHz) glow discharge system in which silane (SiH4) was the principal gaseous component. The boron content in the films was measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) using a calibrated boron-implanted silicon standard. The optical and transport properties of these films were measured and compared with films of similar boron film content deposited using B2H6 BF3-doped films showed less sub-band gap absorption (as determined by photothermal deflection spectroscopy), no band gap narrowing, and higher conductivity prefactors σo for low doping levels compared to B2H6-doped films. The possible utility of lightly BF3-doped a-Si:H as the i-layer in a p/i/n photovoltaic device is suggested.
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Mahan, A.H., Kernsa, R.C. & Devaud, G. BF3-doped amorphous silicon thin films. J. Electron. Mater. 12, 1033–1049 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02654973
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02654973