Highly conducting phosphorous doped Nc-Si:H thin films deposited at high deposition rate by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition method

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2012 Nov;12(11):8459-66. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2012.6685.

Abstract

In this paper, we report the synthesis of highly conducting phosphorous doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films at substantially low substrate temperature (200 degrees C) by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HW-CVD) method using pure silane (SiH4) and phosphine (PH3) gas mixture without hydrogen dilution. Structural, optical and electrical properties of these films were investigated as a function of PH3 gas-phase ratio. The characterization of these films by low-angle X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed that, the incorporation of phosphorous in nc-Si:H induces an amorphization in the nc-Si:H film structure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicates that hydrogen predominately incorporated in phosphorous doped n-type nc-Si:H films mainly in di-hydrogen species (Si-H2) and poly-hydrogen (Si-H2)n bonded species signifying that the films become porous, and micro-void rich. We have observed high band gap (1.97-2.37 eV) in the films, though the hydrogen content is low (< 1.4 at.%) over the entire range of PH3 gas-phase ratio studied. Under the optimum deposition conditions, phosphorous doped nc-Si:H films with high dark conductivity (sigma Dark -5.3 S/cm), low charge-carrier activation energy (E(act) - 132 meV) and high band gap (- 2.01 eV), low hydrogen content (- 0.74 at.%) were obtained at high deposition rate (12.9 angstroms/s).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Gases / chemistry*
  • Hot Temperature
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Materials Testing
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Particle Size
  • Phosphorus / chemistry*
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Gases
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Phosphorus
  • Silicon