Abstract
The effect of hydrogen dilution during plasma deposition on hydrogen incorporation and the optical and electrical properties of a-SiHx films were studied. The films were grown in capacitive low-frequency (f = 10 and 110 kHz) discharge in SiH4 diluted with H2, varying the ratio RH of the gases H2/SiH4 from RH = 0 to 40. The optical absorption coefficient and optical bandgap were changed with RH. Si–H bonding, studied by infrared spectroscopy, depended on RH. Hydrogen concentration in the films estimated from infrared spectra was in the range 20–30%. We observed the significant effect of RH on the temperature dependence of conductivity σ(T) and on the subgap absorption spectra measured by the constant photocurrent method. The reduction of subgap absorption up to 1.5 order of magnitude was observed with increasing RH.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R. Platz, D. Fisher, S. Dubail, and A. Shah, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 46, 157 (1997).
Y. Nakata, H. Sannomijya, S. Morigaki, Y. Inove, K. Nomoto, A. Yokota, M. Itoh, and T. Tsuji, Optoelectronics Devices and Technology 5, 209 (1990).
L. Sansonnes, A.A. Howling, J. Ballutaud, and Ch. Hollenstein, in 27th EPS Conf. On Contr. Fusion and Plasma Phys. (ECA Vol. 24B), pp. 1268–1271.
B.A. Korevaar, G.J. Andriaenssens, A.H.M. Smets, V.M.M. Kessels, H-Z. Song, M.C.M. Van de Sanden, and D.C. Schram, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 266, 380 (2000).
B.A. Budagyan, A.A. Aivazov, A.Yu. Sazonov, A.A. Popov, and A.E. Berdnikov, in Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology, 1997, edited by S. Wagner, M. Hack, E.A. Schiff, R. Schrapp, and I. Shimizu (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 467, Pittsburgh, PA, 1997), p. 585.
R. Swanepoel, J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum. 16, 1214 (1983).
R. Swanepoel, J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum. 17, 896 (1984).
M.H. Brodsky, M. Cardona, and J.C. Cuomo, Phys. Rev. B 16, 3556 (1977).
C.J. Fang, K.L. Gruntz, L. Ley, M. Cardona, F.J. Demond, G. Muller, and S. Kalbitzer, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 35–36, 255 (1980).
H. Shanks, C.J. Fang, L. Ley, M. Cardona, F.J. Demond, and S. Kalbitzer, Phys. Status Solidi (b) 43, 100 (1980).
M. Vanecek, J. Kocka, J. Stuchlik, Z. Kozisek, O. Stika, and A. Triska, Sol. Energy Mater. 8, 411 (1983).
M. Cardona, Phys. Status Solidi (b) 118, 463 (1983).
H. Wagner, R. Butz, U. Backes, and D. Bruchmann, Solid State Commun. 38, 1155 (1981).
M. Cardona, Phys. Status Solidi (b) 118, 463 (1983).
P. Roca i Cabarrocas, S. Hamma, S.N. Sharma, G. Viera, E. Bertran, and J. Costa, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 227–230, 871 (1998).
W. Beyer, in Tetrahedrally Bonded Amorphous Semiconductors, edited by D. Adler and H. Fritsche (NY, 1985), p. 129.
N.F. Mott and E.A. Davis, Electronic Processes in Non-Crystalline Materials (Clarendon Press, U.K. 1979).
S. Guha, K.L. Narasimhan, and S.M. Petruszko, J. Appl. Phys. 52, 859 (1981).
E. Vallat-Sauvain, U. Kroll, J. Meier, N. Wyrsch, and A. Shah, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 266–269, 125 (2000).
R. Platz, C. Hof, S. Wieder, B. Rech, D. Fischer, A. Shah, A. Payne, and S. Wagner, in Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology–1988, edited by S. Wagner, M. Hack, H.M. Branz, R. Schrapp, and I. Shimizu (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 507, Warrendale, PA, 1998), p. 565.
B.G. Budagian, A.A. Popov, A.Y. Sazonov, M.N. Bosyakov, D.M. Grunsky, and D.W. Zhuk, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 227–230, 39 (1998).
B.G. Budagian, A.A. Sherchenkov, D.A. Stryahilev, A.Y. Sazonov, A.G. Radosel’sky, V.D. Chernomordic, A.A. Popov, and J.W. Metselaar, J. Electrochem. Soc. 145(7), 2508 (1998).
B.G. Budagian and A.A. Aivazov, in Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology–1988, edited by S. Wagner, M. Hack, H.M. Branz, R. Schrapp, and I. Shimizu (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 507, Warrendale, PA, 1998), p. 493.
J.P.M. Schmitt, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 59–60, 649 (1983).
A. Matsuda, K. Nomoto, Y. Takeuchi, A. Suzuki, A. Yuuki, and J. Perrin, Surf. Sci. 227, 50 (1990).
J.R. Doyle, D.A. Doughty, and A. Callagher, J. Appl. Phys. 71, 4771 (1992).
S. Veprek, Thin Solid Films 175, 129 (1989).
J. Perrin, Ch. Bohm, R. Etemadi, and L. Loret, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 3, 252 (1994).
R. Alben, Phys. Rev. B 11, 2271 (1975).
P. Roca i Cabarrocas, in Amorphous and Microcrystalline Silicon Technology–1998, edited by S. Wagner, M. Hack, H.M. Branz, R. Schrapp, and I. Shimizu (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 507, Warrendale, PA, 1998), p. 855.
C.R. J.M. Pearce, R.J. Koval, X. Niu, A.S. Ferlauto, J. Koh, and R.W. Collins, in Amorphous and Heterogenous Silicon-Based Films–2002, edited by J.R. Abelson, J.B. Boyce, J.D. Cohen, H. Matsumura, and J. Robertson (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 715, Warrendale, PA, 2002), p. A13.4.1.
E.A.G. Hamers, A. Fontcuberta i Morral, C. Niikura, R. Brenot, and P. Roca i Cabarrocas, J. Appl. Phys. 88, 3674 (2000).
A.I. Kosarev, A.S. Smirnov, A.S. Abramov, A.J. Vinogradov, A. Yu, Ustavchikov, M.V. Shutov, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 15(2), 298 (1997).
M.A. Liberman and A.J. Lichtenberg, Principles of Plasma Discharges and Material Processing (J. Wiley and Sons, NY, 1994), p. 333.
A. Matsuda, T. Kaga, H. Tanaka, and K. Tanaka, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 23(8), L567 (1984).
M. Shinozuma, G. Tochitani, H. Ohno, H. Tagashirs, and J. Nakahara, J. Appl. Phys. 66(1), 447 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kosarev, A.I., Torres, A.J., Zuniga, C. et al. Effect of hydrogen dilution on electronic properties of a-SiHx films deposited by low-frequency plasma. Journal of Materials Research 18, 1918–1925 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2003.0268
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2003.0268