Structural evolution of nanocrystalline silicon thin films synthesized in high-density, low-temperature reactive plasmas

Nucleation of Carbonaceous Nanoparticles in a Low Pressure Ar/C2H2 Plasma with C2H4 Impurity

Computer simulations of one-dimensional multi-fluid equations are used to study the effects of C2H4 addition on the plasma chemistry and formation of nanoparticles in a capacitively coupled Ar/C2H2 plasma. The results indicate that the most important effect is an enhanced production of hydrogen-rich species, especially C4H4. Regarding the effect of C2H4 inlet on different routes of nanoparticles nucleation, it was found that the nucleation via growth of neutral molecules is significantly suppressed, while the radicals and anions remain almost unaffected. As C2H4 participates in many cationic reactions, the concentrations of hydrogen-rich cations are largely enhanced, whereas those of carbon-rich cations are reduced. The numerical results also suggest that the main mechanism behind the production of C6H6 is the insertion of the C2H3 radical into C4H4. The concentrations of the precursors species of C6H6 are increased with an increase in the pressure but are reduced with the applied RF voltage.

Sputtered Non-Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon as Alternative Absorber for Silicon Photovoltaic Technology

Non-hydrogenated amorphous-silicon films were deposited on glass substrates by Radio Frequency magnetron sputtering with the aim of being used as precursor of a low-cost absorber to replace the conventional silicon absorber in solar cells. Two Serie of samples were deposited varying the substrate temperature and the working gas pressure, ranged from 0.7 to 4.5 Pa. The first Serie was deposited at room temperature, and the second one, at 325 °C. Relatively high deposition rates above 10 Å/s were reached by varying both deposition temperature and working Argon gas pressure to ensure high manufacturing rates. After deposition, the precursor films were treated with a continuous-wave diode laser to achieve a crystallized material considered as the alternative light absorber. Firstly, the structural and optical properties of non-hydrogenated amorphous silicon precursor films were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, reflectance, and transmittance, respectively. Structural changes were observed in the as-deposited films at room temperature, suggesting an orderly structure within an amorphous silicon matrix; meanwhile, the films deposited at higher temperature pointed out an amorphous structure. Lastly, the effect of the precursor material’s deposition conditions, and the laser parameters used in the crystallization process on the quality and properties of the subsequent crystallized material was evaluated. The results showed a strong influence of deposition conditions used in the amorphous silicon precursor.

Shaping thin film growth and microstructure pathways via plasma and deposition energy: a detailed theoretical, computational and experimental analysis

Understanding the science and engineering of thin films using plasma assisted deposition methods with controlled growth and microstructure is a key issue in modern nanotechnology, impacting both fundamental research and technological applications. Different plasma parameters like electrons, ions, radical species and neutrals play a critical role in nucleation and growth and the corresponding film microstructure as well as plasma-induced surface chemistry. The film microstructure is also closely associated with deposition energy which is controlled by electrons, ions, radical species and activated neutrals. The integrated studies on the fundamental physical properties that govern the plasmas seek to determine their structure and modification capabilities under specific experimental conditions. There is a requirement for identification, determination, and quantification of the surface activity of the species in the plasma. Here, we report a detailed study of hydrogenated amorphous and crystalline silicon (c-Si:H) processes to investigate the evolution of plasma parameters using a theoretical model. The deposition processes undertaken using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method are characterized by a reactive mixture of hydrogen and silane. Later, various contributions of energy fluxes on the substrate are considered and modeled to investigate their role in the growth of the microstructure of the deposited film. Numerous plasma diagnostic tools are used to compare the experimental data with the theoretical results. The film growth and microstructure are evaluated in light of deposition energy flux under different operating conditions.

An investigation on the effect of high partial pressure of hydrogen on the nanocrystalline structure of silicon carbide thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

The aim of the study reported in this paper is to investigate the role of the high partial pressure of hydrogen introduced during the growth of nanocrystalline silicon carbide thin films (nc-SiC:H). For this purpose, we report the preparation as well as spectroscopic studies of four series of nc-SiC:H obtained by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at high partial pressure of hydrogen by varying the percentage of H2 in the gas mixture from 70% to 100% at common substrate temperature (TS=500°C). The effects of the dilution on the structural changes and the chemical bonding of the different series have been studied using Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. For this range of hydrogen dilution, two groups of films were obtained. The first group is characterized by the dominance of the crystalline phase and the second by a dominance of the amorphous phase. This result confirms the multiphase structure of the grown nc-SiC:H thin films by the coexistence of the SiC network, carbon-like and silicon-like clusters. Furthermore, infrared results show that the SiC bond is the dominant absorption peak and the carbon atom is preferentially bonded to silicon. The maximum value obtained of the crystalline fraction is about 77%, which is relatively important compared to other results obtained by other techniques. In addition, the concentration of CHn bonds was found to be lower than that of SiHn for all series. Raman measurements revealed that the crystallization occurs in all series even at 100% H2 dilution suggesting that high partial pressure of hydrogen favors the formation of silicon nanocrystallites (nc-Si). The absence of both the longitudinal acoustic band and the transverse optical band indicate that the crystalline phase is dominant.

Si quantum dots embedded in an amorphous SiC matrix: nanophase control by non-equilibrium plasma hydrogenation

Nanophase nc-Si/a-SiC films that contain Si quantum dots (QDs) embedded in an amorphous SiC matrix were deposited on single-crystal silicon substrates using inductively coupled plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition from the reactive silane and methane precursor gases diluted with hydrogen at a substrate temperature of 200 degrees C. The effect of the hydrogen dilution ratio X (X is defined as the flow rate ratio of hydrogen-to-silane plus methane gases), ranging from 0 to 10.0, on the morphological, structural, and compositional properties of the deposited films, is extensively and systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effective nanophase segregation at a low hydrogen dilution ratio of 4.0 leads to the formation of highly uniform Si QDs embedded in the amorphous SiC matrix. It is also shown that with the increase of X, the crystallinity degree and the crystallite size increase while the carbon content and the growth rate decrease. The obtained experimental results are explained in terms of the effect of hydrogen dilution on the nucleation and growth processes of the Si QDs in the high-density plasmas. These results are highly relevant to the development of next-generation photovoltaic solar cells, light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, and other applications.