Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/149933

Title

Spectroscopic ellipsometry studies on hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-films deposited using DC saddle field plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system

Author(s)

Saha, Jhantu Kumar;  Bahardoust, Barzin;  Leong, Keith;  Gougam, Adel B.;  Kherani, Nazir P.;  Zukotynski, Stefan

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si H) films deposited on crystalline silicon substrates using the DC saddle field (DCSF) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system have been investigated. We have determined the complex dielectric function, ε(E) = ε1(E) + iε2(E) for hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) in the 1.5–4.5 eV energy range at room temperature. The results indicate that there is a change in the structure of the a-Si:H films as the thickness is increased above 4 nm. This is attributed to either an increase in the bonded hydrogen content and, or a decrease of voids during the growth of a-Si:H films. The film thickness and deposition temperature are two important parameters that lead to both hydrogen content variation and silicon bonding change as well as significant variations in the optical band gap. The influence of substrate temperature during deposition on film and interface properties is also included.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Thin Solid Films, Vol. 519, no. 9 (Feb 2011), pp. 2863-2866

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

0204 Condensed Matter Physics;  0910 Manufacturing Engineering;  0912 Materials Engineering

Keyword(s)

Amorphous silicon;  Chemical vapor deposition;  Ellipsometry;  Thin films

Publisher

Elsevier

ISSN

0040-6090

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2010.12.074

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peer reviewed