Nanomorph Silicon Thin Films Prepared by Using an HW-MWECR CVD System

We have prepared hydrogenated nano-amorph silicon (na-Si:H) films by using a hot-wire-assisted microwave electron-cyclotron-resonance (HW-MWECR) chemical vapour deposition (CVD) system. The films are deposited in two steps: in the first 9min, a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is deposited by using hydrogen-diluted silane with a concentration of SiH₄/(SiH₄+H₂)=20%, and then a nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) layer is deposited by using various highly hydrogen-diluted silane. The Raman TO-like mode peak of the films was found in the range 497-508cm^-1. When the silane concentration used for preparation of the nc-Si layer is 14.3%, the film has a large crystalline volume fraction of 65.4%, a wide optical band gap of 1.89eV and a low hydrogen content of 9.5at.%. Moreover, the na-Si:H films rather than nc-Si possess high photosensitivity of about 10⁵.