Nanocrystalline cubic Silicon Carbide thin films for the window layer of solar cells deposited by Hot Wire CVD

Nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (nc-3C-SiC) films are deposited using hot wire chemical vapour deposition technique at ~350 °C on glass substrates using SiH 4 /CH 4 /H 2 as precursor gases. We investigated the influence of total gas pressure on the structural, optical and transport properties of nc-3C-SiC films. Raman scattering spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the film prepared below 2 mbar is nanocrustalline silicon (nc-Si), while at ≥ 2 mbar films are nc-3C-SiC. We achieved high deposition rate (≥ 14-20 nm/min), high optical band gap (3.2-3.4 eV) and high conductivity (~ 10 -4 -10 -2 Ω -1 cm -1 ) suitable for window layer for Solar cells.