Comparative Study on the Quality of Microcrystalline and Epitaxial Silicon Films Produced by PECVD Using Identical SiF<sub>4</sub> Based Process Conditions
Mario Moreno,
Arturo Ponce,
Arturo Galindo,
Eduardo Ortega,
Alfredo Morales,
Javier Flores,
Roberto Ambrosio,
Alfonso Torres,
Luis Hernandez,
Hector Vazquez-Leal,
Gilles Patriarche,
Pere Roca i Cabarrocas
Affiliations
Mario Moreno
Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico
Arturo Ponce
Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico
Arturo Galindo
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
Eduardo Ortega
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
Alfredo Morales
Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico
Javier Flores
Electronics Department, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72590, Mexico
Roberto Ambrosio
Electronics Department, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72590, Mexico
Alfonso Torres
Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico
Luis Hernandez
Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico
Hector Vazquez-Leal
Facultad de Instrumentación Electrónica, Universidad Veracruzana, Cto. Gonzalo Aguirre Beltran S/N, Xalapa 91000, Mexico
Gilles Patriarche
Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies (C2N), CNRS UMR 9001, Université Paris-Saclay, 911128 Palaiseau, France
Pere Roca i Cabarrocas
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 911128 Palaiseau, France
Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) and epitaxial silicon (epi-Si) films have been produced from SiF4, H2 and Ar mixtures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 200 °C. Here, both films were produced using identical deposition conditions, to determine if the conditions for producing µc-Si with the largest crystalline fraction (XC), will also result in epi-Si films that encompass the best quality and largest crystalline silicon (c-Si) fraction. Both characteristics are of importance for the development of thin film transistors (TFTs), thin film solar cells and novel 3D devices since epi-Si films can be grown or etched in a selective manner. Therefore, we have distinguished that the H2/SiF4 ratio affects the XC of µc-Si, the c-Si fraction in epi-Si films, and the structure of the epi-Si/c-Si interface. Raman and UV-Vis ellipsometry were used to evaluate the crystalline volume fraction (Xc) and composition of the deposited layers, while the structure of the films were inspected by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Notably, the conditions for producing µc-Si with the largest XC are different in comparison to the fabrication conditions of epi-Si films with the best quality and largest c-Si fraction.
