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Optical absorption in PECVD deposited thin hydrogenated silicon in light of ordering effects

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Central European Journal of Physics

Abstract

We report results obtained from measurements of optical transmittance spectra carried out on a series of silicon thin films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) from silane diluted with hydrogen. Hydrogen dilution of silane results in an inhomogeneous growth during which the material evolves from amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) to microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon (µc-Si:H). Spectral refractive indices and absorption coefficients were determined from transmittance spectra. The spectral absorption coefficients were used to determine the Tauc optical band gap energy, the B factor of the Tauc plots, E 04 (energy at which the absorption coefficient is equal to 104 cm−1), and the Urbach energy as a function of the hydrogen dilution. The results were correlated with microstructure, namely volume fractions of the amorphous and crystalline phase with voids, and with the grain size.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering Fundamentals, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Žilina, ul. kpt. J. Nálepku 1390, 031 01, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia

    Jarmila Müllerová

  2. Department of Materials and Technology, New Technology Research Center, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 306 14, Plzeň, Czech Republic

    Veronika Vavruňková & Pavel Å utta

Authors
  1. Jarmila Müllerová
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  2. Veronika Vavruňková
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  3. Pavel Å utta
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Correspondence to Jarmila Müllerová.

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Müllerová, J., Vavruňková, V. & Å utta, P. Optical absorption in PECVD deposited thin hydrogenated silicon in light of ordering effects. centr.eur.j.phys. 7, 315–320 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11534-009-0023-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11534-009-0023-y

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