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Effect of Gas Phase Hydrogen-Dilution on the Nucleation, Growth, and Interfaces of a-Si1-xCx:H

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Abstract

The microstructural evolution of a-Si1−xCx:H with an optical gap of 1.95 eV, prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), has been studied versus gas phase H2-dilution by real time spectroscopic ellipsometry. As the H2(CH4+SiH4) flow ratio is increased to 24, the monolayer-scale features of the growth process suggest an enhancement in precursor diffusion on substrate and film surfaces. Such features include a reduction in nucleation density, extensive surface smoothening during coalescence, and an increase the structural stability and density of the final film. We suggest a causal connection between these characteristics, and the photoelectronic properties of the film, which also improve with H2-dilution. Potentially detrimental effects of H2-dilution when a-Si1−xCx:H is deposited on TCO’s, including metal contamination at interfaces with SnO2 and H-diffusion into ZnO, are also characterized.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by NREL under Subcontract No. XG-1-10063-10. Partial support was also provided by the NSF under Grant No. DMR-8957159. We also thank S. Guha and R. D’Aiello, who kindly supplied the TCO’s used in this study.

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Author notes

  1. M. Wakagi

    Present address: Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, 319-12, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Yiwei Lu, Ilsin An, M. Gunes, M. Wakagi, C.R. Wronski & R.W. Collins

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USA

    M. Gunes, M. Wakagi & C.R. Wronski

Authors
  1. Yiwei Lu
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  2. Ilsin An
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  3. M. Gunes
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  4. M. Wakagi
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  5. C.R. Wronski
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  6. R.W. Collins
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Lu, Y., An, I., Gunes, M. et al. Effect of Gas Phase Hydrogen-Dilution on the Nucleation, Growth, and Interfaces of a-Si1-xCx:H. MRS Online Proceedings Library 297, 31–36 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-297-31

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