Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of dehydrogenation step on the nickel-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This work investigates the nickel-induced crystallization (NIC) method for crystallizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si: H) thin films on glass substrates. The a-Si: H samples are prepared using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a temperature of 250 °C. Subsequently, thin layers of nickel are deposited on the a-Si: H films using DC magnetron sputtering. The resulting structures (Ni/a-Si: H/glass) are then subjected to annealing at 570 °C under an N2 atmosphere. Two annealing processes are compared: one involving a prior dehydrogenation step and the other without dehydrogenation. The impact of the annealing process on the crystallization of the amorphous films is investigated using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The crystallinity of the samples is confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The results suggest that the dehydrogenation step may not be essential for achieving crystallization in hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and material

My manuscript and associated personal data.

References

  1. J. Jang, S.Y. Yoon, Metal induced crystallization of amorphous silicon. Int. J. High Speed Electron Syst. 10, 13–23 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. C.-M. Hu, C. Yu-Cheng, C.S.W. Yew, ECS, Improving the electrical properties of NILC poly-Si films using gettering α-Si film through contact holes. Trans. ECS Trans. 16, 207–210 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. J.-D. Hwang, J.-Y. Chang, G.J. Chen, Two-step annealing for nickel-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon films. J. Electrochem. Soc. 152, 487–490 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J.A. Schmidt, N. Budini, R.D. Arce et al., Polycrystalline silicon thin films on glass obtained by nickel-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon. Phys. Status Solidi 7, 600–603 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. H. Li, M. Matsumoto, Effects of hydrogen concentration and cooling speed on fabrication of hydrogenated amorphous silicon: quantum simulation. Int. J. Theoret. Appl. Nanotechnol. 9, 1–7 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  6. N. Budini, P.A. Rinaldi, R.D. Arce et al., Vacuum-enhanced nickel-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon. J. Appl. Phys. 112, 073506 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. V.A. Volondin, A. et Kachko, S, Crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films by exposure to femtosecond pulsed laser radiation. Semiconductors 45, 265–270 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Z. Jin, G.A. Bhat, M. Yeung et al., Nickel induced crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films. J. Appl. Phys. 84, 194–200 (1998)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. M. Zouini, R. Ouertani, M. Amlouk et al., Annealing temperature effect on bismuth induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films. SILICON 14, 1–11 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  10. C.F. Cheng, T.C. Leung, W.Y. Chan et al., the effect of nickel thickness in nickel-induced-lateral-crystallization of amorphous Si. Proc. IEEE Region 10 Int. Conf. Electric. Electron. Technol. TENCON 2, 838–840 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. I. Pelant, P. Fojtrik, K. Luterova et al., Electric-field-enhanced metal-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon at room temperature. Appl. Phys. A 74, 557–560 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. J.A. Schmidt, N. Budini, P. Rinaldi, R.D. Arce, R. Buitrago, H, Nickel-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 167, 012046 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. L. Pereira, R.M.S. Martins, N. Schell, E. Fortunato, R. Martins, Nickel-assisted metal-induced crystallization of silicon: effect of native silicon oxide layer. Thin Solid Films 511, 275–279 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. S. BenSlama, M. Hajji, H. Et Ezzouia, Crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films deposited by PECVD on nickel-metalized porous silicon. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 7, 1–6 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  15. N. Budini, P.A. Rinaldi, J.A. Schmidt, R.D. Arce, R.H. Buitrago, Influence of microstructure and hydrogen concentration on amorphous silicon crystallization. Thin Solid Films 518, 5349–5354 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. F. Kezzoula, A. Hammouda, M. Kechouane, P. Simon, S.E.H. Abaidia, A. Keffous, A. Et Manseri, Aluminium-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on glasses. Appl. Surface Sci. 257, 9689–9693 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. T. Sain, C.K. Singh, S. Ilango, T. Mathews, Crystallization kinetics and role of stress in Al induced layer exchange crystallization process of amorphous SiGe thin film on glass. J. Appl. Phys. 126, 125303 (2019)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. D. Dimova-Malinovska, Polycrystalline Si films prepared by Al-and Ni-induced crystallisation. J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater. 7, 99–106 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  19. J. Binner, Y. Zhang, Characterization of silicon carbide and silicon powders by XPS and zeta potential measurement. J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 20, 123–126 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank G. A. Risso for the preparation of the a-Si: H samples.

Funding

There are currently no Funding Sources on the list. The study was funded by USTHB.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Material Physics, Department of Materials, Faculty of Physics, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB), B.P. 32, El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, DZ-16111, Algiers, Algeria

    Ouafa Benazouz & Mohamed Kechouane

  2. Semiconductor Technology Research Center for Energetics-Division-DDCS, 02 Bd Dr. Frantz Fanon BP, 140, les 07 merveilles, 16038, Algiers, Algeria

    Faouzi Kezzoula

  3. IFIS-Litoral and FIQ, CONICET and UNL, Güemes 3450, S3000GLN, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Javier Schmidt

  4. Nuclear Research Center of Algiers (CRNA), 02, Boulevard Frantz Fanon, B.P. 399, 16000, Algiers, Algeria

    Youssef Larbah

Authors
  1. Ouafa Benazouz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Faouzi Kezzoula
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Javier Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Youssef Larbah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohamed Kechouane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

OB: experimental investigations, writing—original draft, formal analysis and. FK: characterization, data curation, validation. JS: experimental investigations, characterization. YL: characterizations, investigations. MK: supervisor, validation, project administration.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ouafa Benazouz.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

The manuscript has not been published.

Consent to participate

The authors consent to participate.

Consent for publication

The author’s consent for publication.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

Not applicable' for that section.

Informed consent

Not applicable for that section.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Benazouz, O., Kezzoula, F., Schmidt, J. et al. The effect of dehydrogenation step on the nickel-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Appl. Phys. A 129, 707 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-06980-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-06980-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation