Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of substrate temperature on growth of a-Si:H films by reactive facing target sputtering deposition

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Physics, Mechanics and Astronomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films were deposited by reactive facing target sputtering (FTS) technique with a mixture of Ar and H2 reaction gas. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption, Raman scattering and ultraviolet-visible optical absorption are used to investigate the microstructure and optical properties of the deposited films. The decrease of the concentration of bonded hydrogen, especially that of (Si-H2) n with increasing substrate temperature (Ts), was observed in FTIR spectra, suggesting the atomic density increases and the concentration of microvoids decrease in a-Si:H films. The increase of both the short range order and the intermediate range order of amorphous network for a-Si:H films were verified by Raman scattering spectra, in which increasing Ts decreasing the band width of TO and the scattering intensity ratio I TA/I TO were obtained. All above results clarify the effect of increasing Ts on the microstructure amelioration for a-Si:H films. The reduction of disordered domains is correlated with the film growing process, where the increased surface diffusion mobility and etching of weak bonds is induced by increasing Ts. Furthermore, analysis of optical absorption indicates that the films with a lower optical band gap and a narrower band edge can be obtained by this FTS technique.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tomonori N, Madoka T, Hiroomi M. Amorphous silicon solar cells deposited at high growth rate. J Non-Cryst Solids, 2002, 299–302: 1116–1122

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hishikawa Y, Tsuda S, Wakisaka K. Principles for controlling the optical and electrical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon deposited from a silane plasma. J Appl Phys, 1993, 73: 4227–4231

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Okamoto S, Hishikawa Y, Tsuge S. High-quality wide-gap hydrogenated amorphous silicon fabricated using hydrogen plasma post-treatment. Jpn J Appl Phys, 1994, 33: 1773–1777

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Baghdad R, Benlakehal D, Portier X, et al. Deposition of nanocrystalline silicon thin films: Effect of total pressure and substrate temperature. Thin Solid Films, 2008, 516: 3965–3970

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Pinarbasi M, Maley N, Myers A M. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films deposited by reactive sputtering: The electronic properties, hydrogen bonding and microstructure. Thin Solid Films, 1989, 171: 217–233

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pinarbasi M, Kushner M J, Abelson J R. Effect of hydrogen content on the light induced defect generation in direct current magnetron reactively sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films. J Appl Phys, 1990, 68: 2255–2264

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Morito M, Yoichi H, Masahiko N. Reactive synthesis of well-oriented zinc-oxide films by the facing targets sputtering method. J Appl Phys, 1988, 63(6): 2098–2103

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Haw-M K, Woo-Pyo H. Preparation of SiOxNy films by facing target sputtering system for thin film passivation layers of OLEDs. J Korean Phys Soc, 2008, 53(3): 1665–1670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Connell G A N, Pawlik J R. Use of hydrogenation in structural and electronic studies of gap states in amorphous germanium. Phys Rev B, 1976, 13: 787–804

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Brodsky G H, Cardona M, Cuomo J J. Infrared and Raman spectra of the silicon-hydrogen bonds in amorphous silicon prepared by glow discharge and sputtering. Phys Rev B, 1977, 16: 3556–3571

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Amrani R, Benlekehal D, Baghdad R. Low-temperature growth of nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering: Structural and optical studies. J Non-Cryst Solids, 2008, 354: 2291–2295

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Han D X, Wang K D, Owens J M. Hydrogen structures and the optoelectronic properties in transition films from amorphous to microcrystalline silicon prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. J Appl Phys, 2003, 93: 3776–3783

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Mahan A H, Raboisson P, Tsu R. Influence of microstructure on the photoconductivity of glow discharge deposited amorphous SiC:H and amorphous SiGe:H alloys. Appl Phys Lett, 1987, 50: 335–337

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mahan A H, Raboisson P, Williamson D L. Evidence for microstructure in glow discharge hydrogenated amorphous Si-C alloys. Sol Cells, 1987, 21: 117–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Mahan A H, Nelson B P, Salamon S. Deposition of device quality, low H content a-Si:H by the hot wire technique. J Non-Cryst Solids, 1991, 137–138: 657–660

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Touir H, Zellama K, Morhange J F. Local Si-H bonding environment in hydrogenated amorphous silicon films in relation to structural inhomogeneities. Phys Rev B, 1999, 59: 10076–10083

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Chehaider A, Jafari-Rouhani M, Zwick A. Localized vibrational states in amorphous silicon. J Non-Cryst Silids, 1995, 192–193: 238–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Yamaguchi M, Morigaki K. The correlation between hydrogen content and electronic properties in a-Si:H. J Non-Cryst Silids, 1991, 137–138: 57–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Biswas R, Bouchard A M, Kamitakahara W A. Vibrational localization in amorphous silicon. Phys Rev Lett, 1988, 60: 2280–2283

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Laird D D, Schober H R. Localized low-frequency vibrational modes in a simple model glass. Phys Rev Lett, 1991, 66: 636–639

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Beeman D, Tsu R, Thorpe M F. Structural information from the Raman spectrum of amorphous silicon. Phys Rev B, 1985, 32: 874–878

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Fortner J, Lannin J S. Radial distribution functions of amorphous silicon. Phys Rev B, 1989, 39: 5527–5530

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Marinov M, Zotov N. Model investigation of the Raman spectra of amorphous silicon. Phys Rev B, 1997, 55: 2938–2944

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Tsu R, Menna P, Mahan A H. Optical absorption and disorder in hydrogenated amorphous Si-Ge and Si-C alloy systems. Sol Cell, 1987, 21: 189–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Cody G D, Wronski C R, Abeles B. Optical characterization of amorphous silicon hydride films. Sol Cells, 1980, 2: 227–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kshirsager S T, Lannin J S. Structural order in anneal-stable amorphous silicon. Phys Rev B, 1982, 25: 2916–2919

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Abelson J R. Properties of Amorphous Silicon. Fritzsche H, ed. 2nd ed. EMIS Data Reviews Series No. 1.: Inspec Publication, 1989. 273

  28. Crandle R S, Liu X, Iwaniczko E. Recent developments in hot wire amorphous silicon. J Non-Cryst Solids, 1998, 227–230: 23–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China

    Wei Yu, LingHai Meng, Jing Yuan, HaiJiang Lu, ShuJie Wu & GuangSheng Fu

Authors
  1. Wei Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. LingHai Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jing Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. HaiJiang Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. ShuJie Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. GuangSheng Fu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Yu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, W., Meng, L., Yuan, J. et al. Influence of substrate temperature on growth of a-Si:H films by reactive facing target sputtering deposition. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 53, 807–811 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-010-0193-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-010-0193-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation