Comparison of Structural and Optoelectronic Properties of N-Type Microcrystalline Silicon and Silicon Oxide Films with Lowering of Thickness
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We have compared the structural and optoelectronic properties of n-type microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon oxide (n-µc-SiO:H) and n-type microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon (n-µc-Si:H) films with lowering of thickness, prepared by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD, 13.56 MHz) method. At thickness ≤ 300 Å, the n-µc-SiO:H film has higher optical gap (E05) and lower optical absorption while retaining the photoconductivity (σph) and activation energy (Ea) similar to those for n-µc-Si:H film. Due to these advantages of n-µc-SiO:H film over that of n-µc-Si:H at low thickness this material has potential for use in improving the performance of single and double junction amorphous silicon solar cells.Keywords:
Microcrystalline silicon
Microcrystalline
Silicon oxide
We investigated the structural, electrical, and optical properties as well as light-induced degradation characteristics of silicon films prepared by photochemical vapor deposition at various hydrogen dilution ratios. The protocrystalline silicon deposited before the onset of the microcrystalline regime was most stable against light soaking. However, the films deposited at the onset of the microcrystalline regime, known to have the most competent device quality and stability, were observed to be less stable. Such instability at the onset of the microcrystalline regime is correlated with the existence of the clustered phase hydrogen that indicates microvoids in the films.
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Microcrystalline silicon
Deposition
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Microcrystalline silicon
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Thermal decomposition of silicon oxide layers (5–20 nm in thickness) on silicon substrates has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The obtained microscopic images reveal that silicon atoms necessary for the oxide decomposition are supplied to the thick oxide layer at the sidewall of voids, which are formed by inhomogeneous oxide decomposition. We also show that the shape of the voids depends on the surface orientation of the silicon substrates, and silicon nanostructures are formed inside the voids owing to annealing/cooling cycles. The detailed observation of the silicon nanostructures indicates that one of the triggers of initial void formation is the difference in thermal expansion of silicon and silicon oxide.
Silicon oxide
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Nanocrystalline silicon
Oxide thin-film transistor
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The equilibrium structures and the reactivities of medium sized silicon oxide clusters have been studied by using quantum mechanical calculations and frontier orbital theory. Further explorations on growth mechanism of silicon oxide assisted synthesis of silicon nanowire have been made. It is concluded that silicon oxide clusters containing more silicon atoms and silicon oxide clusters having stoichiometry similar to SiO play important roles in necleation and in silicon nanowire growth.
Silicon oxide
Silicon nanowires
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Nanocrystalline silicon
Stoichiometry
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Abstract We developed high performance as‐deposited microcrystalline TFT. The microcrystalline silicon was deposited by novel MSEP (Metal Surface microwave Excitation Plasma)‐CVD with high deposition rate of over 20 nm/min and its crystalline ratio was over 70 %. TFT showed high mobility of 1.3 cm 2 /Vs.
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The phototransport properties of plasma deposited highly crystalline undoped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon films were studied by measuring the steady state photoconductivity (SSPC) as a function of temperature and light intensity. The films possessing different thicknesses and microstructures had been well characterized by various microstructural probes. Microcrystalline Si films possessing dissimilar microstructural attributes were found to exhibit different phototransport behaviors. We have employed numerical modeling of SSPC to corroborate and further elucidate the experimental results. Our study indicates that the different phototransport behaviors are linked to different features of the proposed density of states maps of the material which are different for microcrystalline Si films having different types of microstructure.
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The most important features of microcrystalline silicon (/spl mu/c-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon based p-i-n solar cells (specially those deposited by VHF-glow discharge) are reviewed. Since such material has been recognized to be a photovoltaically active material, stabilized cell efficiencies have steadily risen and have now reached 12% in the so called "micromorph" (microcrystalline/amorphous) tandem cell configuration.
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Tandem
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The objective of the research under this subcontract is to explore, identify, evaluate, and develop non-conventional photovoltaic technologies capable of making a breakthrough in the production of low-cost electricity from sunlight. The specific objectives are to (1) develop microwave glow-discharge parameters for the deposition of high-quality microcrystalline silicon (mc-Si:H) thin films at high rate, (2) characterize this microcrystalline material, and (3) fabricate high-efficiency microcrystalline nip solar cells.
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Light-induced dark- and photoconductivity changes (so-called SWE) have been investigated on GD undoped microcrystalline Si:H(μc-Si:H). The SWE decreases and reaches vanishing as the grain size increases. An interpretation for the two-phase structure and the contribution of grain boundary defects is given.
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Microcrystalline silicon
Photoconductivity
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