Study on Er3+ emission from the erbium-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide film

The erbium-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide films containing amorphous silicon clusters were prepared. The samples exhibited photoluminescence peaks at around 750 nm and 1.54 mum, which could be assigned to the electron-hole recombination in amorphous silicon clusters and the intra-4f transition in Er3+, respectively. Correlations between the intensities of these two photoluminescence peaks and oxidation and dehydrogenation of the films during annealing were studied. It was found that the oxidation is triggered by dehydrogenation of the films even at low annealing temperatures, which decisively changes the intensities of the two photoluminescence peaks. On the other hand, the increase of Er content in the erbium-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide film will enhance Er3+ emission at 1.54 mum, while quench amorphous silicon cluster emission at 750 nm, such a competitive relationship, was also observed in the erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 matrix. Moreover, we found that Er3+ emission is not sensitive to whether silicon clusters are crystalline or amorphous. The amorphous silicon clusters can be as sensitizer on Er3+ emission as that of silicon nanocrystals. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.

Microstructure characterization of transition films from amorphous to nanocrocrystalline silicon

Hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) films near the threshold of crystallinity were prepared by very high-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) using a wide range of hydrogen dilution R-H = [H-2]/[SiH4] values of 2-100. The effects of H dilution R-H on the structural properties of the films were investigated using micro-Raman scattering and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy. The obtained Raman spectra show that the H dilution leads to improvements in the short-range order and the medium-range order of the amorphous network and then to the morphological transition from amorphous to crystalline states. The onset of this transition locates between R-H = 30 and 40 in our case, and with further increasing R-H from 40 to 100, the nanocrystalline volume fraction increases from similar to23% to 43%, and correspondingly the crystallite size enlarges from similar to2.8 to 4.4 nm. The FTIR spectra exhibit that with R-H increasing, the relative intensities of both the SiH stretching mode component at 2100 cm(-1) and wagging mode component at 620 cm(-1) increase in the same manner. We assert that these variations in IR spectra should be associated with the formation of paracrystalline structures in the low H dilution films and nanocrystalline structures in the high H dilution films. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Nano-layer structure of silicon-on-insulator materials

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) has been recognized as a promising semiconductor starting material for ICs where high speed and low power consumption are desirable, in addition to its unique applications in radiation-hardened circuits. In the present paper, three novel SOI nano-layer structures have been demonstrated. ULTRA-THIN SOI has been fabricated by separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) technique at low oxygen ion energy of 45 keV and implantation dosage of 1.81017/cm2. The formed SOI layer is uniform with thickness of only 60 nm. This layer is of crystalline quality. and the interface between this layer and the buried oxide layer is very sharp, PATTERNED SOI nanostructure is illustrated by source and drain on insulator (DSOI) MOSFETs. The DSOI structure has been formed by selective oxygen ion implantation in SIMOX process. With the patterned SOI technology, the floating-body effect and self-heating effect, which occur in the conventional SOI devices, are significantly suppressed. In order to improve the total-dose irradiation hardness of SOI devices, SILICON ON INSULATING MULTILAYERS (SOIM) nano-structure is proposed. The buried insulating multilayers, which are composed of SiOx and SiNy layers, have been realized by implantation of nitride and oxygen ions into silicon in turn at different ion energies, followed by two steps of high temperature annealing process, respectively, Electric property investigation shows that the hardness to the total-dose irradiation of SOIM is remarkably superior to those of the conventional SIMOX SOI and the Bond-and-Etch-Back SOI.

Heteroepitaxial growth and annealing of gamma-Al2O3 thin films on silicon

The gamma-Al2O3 films were grown on Si (100) substrates using the sources of TMA (Al (CH3)(3)) and O-2 by very low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (VLP-CVD). It has been found that the gamma-Al2O3 film has a mirror-like surface and the RMS was about 2.5nm. And the orientation relationship was gamma-Al2O3(100)/Si(100). The thickness uniformity of gamma-Al2O3 films for 2-inch epi-wafer was less than 5%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) results show that the crystalline quality of the film was improved after the film was annealed at 1000degreesC in O-2 atmosphere. The high-frequency C-V and leakage current of Al/gamma-Al2O3/Si capacitor were also measured to verify the annealing effect of the film. The results show that the dielectric constant increased from 4 to 7 and the breakdown voltage for 65-nm-thick gamma-Al2O3 film on silicon increases from 17V to 53V.

Micro-Raman study on hydrogenated protocrystalline silicon films

Good quality hydrogenated protocrystalline silicon films were successfully prepared by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with various hydrogen dilution ratios (R = ([H-2]/[SiH4]) from 10 to 100). The photosensitivity of the films is up to 10(6) under the light intensity of 50mW.cm(-2). The microstructure of the films was studied by micro-region Raman scattering spectra at room temperature. The deconvolution of the Raman spectra by Gaussion functions shows that the films deposited under low hydrogen dilution ratios (R < 33) exhibit typical amorphous properties, while the films deposited under high hydrogen dilution ratios (R > 50) possess a diphasic structure, with increasing crystalline volume fraction with R. The size of the crystallites in the diphasic films is about 2.4 mm, which was deduced from the phonon confinement model. The intermediate range order of the silicon film increases with increasing hydrogen dilution ratio.

Structural characterization of stable amorphous silicon films

A kind of hydrogenated diphasic, silicon films has been prepared by a new regime of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in the region adjacent to the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state. The photoelectronic and microstructural properties of the films have been investigated by the constant photocurrent method (CPM), Raman scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Our experimental results and corresponding analyses showed that the diphasic films, incorporated with a subtle boron compensation, could gain both the fine photosensitivity and high stability, provided the crystalline fraction (f) was controlled in the range of 0 < f < 0.3. When compared with the conventional hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), the diphasic films are more ordered and robust in the microstructure, and have a less clustered phase in the Si-H bond configurations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Very low-pressure VLP-CVD growth of high quality gamma-Al2O3 films on silicon by multi-step process

gamma-Al2O3 films were grown on Si (10 0) substrates using the sources of TMA (AI(CH3)(3)) and O-2 by very low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. The effects of temperature control on the crystalline quality, surface morphology, uniformity and dielectricity were investigated. It has been found that the,gamma-Al2O3 film prepared at a temperature of 1000degreesC has a good crystalline quality, but the surface morphology, uniformity and dielectricity were poor due to the etching reaction between 0, and Si substrate in the initial growth stage. However, under a temperature-varied multi-step process the properties Of gamma-Al2O3 film were improved. The films have a mirror-like surface and the dielectricity was superior to that grown under a single-step process. The uniformity of gamma-Al2O3 films for 2-in epi-wafer was <5%, it is better than that disclosed elsewhere. In order to improve the crystalline quality, the gamma-Al2O3 films were annealed for I h in O-2 atmosphere. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural evaluation of polycrystalline silicon thin films by hot-wire-assisted PECVD

Tungsten wires were introduced into a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system as a catalyzer: we name this technique 'hot-wire-assisted PECVD' (HW-PECVD). Under constant deposition pressure (p(g)), gas flow ratio and catalyzer position, the effects of the hot wire temperature (T-f) on the structural properties of the poly-Si films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Compared with conventional PECVD, the grain size, crystalline volume fraction (X-e) and deposition rate were all enhanced when a high T-f was used. The best poly-Si film exhibits a preferential (220) orientation, with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 0.2 degrees. The Si-Si TO peak of the Raman scattering spectrum is located at 519.8 cm(-1) with a FWHM of 7.1 cm(-1). The X-c is 0.93. These improvements are mainly the result of promotion of the dissociation of SiH4 and an increase in the atomic H concentration in the gas phase. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Improvement of thin silicon on sapphire (SOS) film materials and device performances by solid phase epitaxy

The increased emphasis on sub-micron CMOS/SOS devices has placed a demand for high quality thin silicon on sapphire (SOS) films with thickness of the order 100-200 nm. It is demonstrated that the crystalline quality of as-grown thin SOS films by the CVD method can be greatly improved by solid phase epitaxy (SPE) process: implantation of self-silicon ions and subsequent thermal annealing. Subsequent regrowth of this amorphous layer leads to a greater improvement in silicon layer crystallinity and channel carrier mobility, evidenced, respectively, by double crystal X-ray diffraction and electrical measurements. We concluded that the thin SPE SOS films are suitable for application to high-performance CMOS circuitry. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Nanostructure in the p-layer and its impacts on amorphous silicon solar cells

The open circuit voltage (V-oc) of n-i-p type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells has been examined by means of experimental and numerical modeling. The i- and p-layer limitations on V-oc are separated and the emphasis is to identify the impact of different kinds of p-layers. Hydrogenated protocrystalline, nanocrystalline and microcrystalline silicon p-layers were prepared and characterized using Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), optical transmittance and activation energy of dark-conductivity. The n-i-p a-Si:H solar cells incorporated with these p-layers were comparatively investigated, which demonstrated a wide variation of V-oc from 1.042 V to 0.369 V, under identical i- and n-layer conditions. It is found that the nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) p-layer with a certain nanocrystalline volume fraction leads to a higher V-oc. The optimum p-layer material for n-i-p type a-Si:H solar cells is not found at the onset of the transition between the amorphous to mixed phases, nor is it associated with a microcrystalline material with a large grain size and a high volume fraction of crystalline phase. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogenated p-type nanocrystalline silicon in amorphous silicon solar cells

A wide bandgap and highly conductive p-type hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) window layer was prepared with a conventional RF-PECVD system under large H dilution condition, moderate power density, high pressure and low substrate temperature. The optoelectrical and structural properties of this novel material have been investigated by Raman and UV-VIS transmission spectroscopy measurements indicating that these films are composed of nanocrystallites embedded in amorphous SiHx matrix and with a widened bandgap. The observed downshift of the optical phonon Raman spectra (514.4 cm(-1)) from crystalline Si peak (521 cm(-1)) and the widening of the bandgap indicate a quantum confinement effect from the Si nanocrystallites. By using this kind of p-layer, a-Si:H solar cells on bare stainless steel foil in nip sequence have been successfully prepared with a V c of 0.90 V, a fill factor of 0.70 and an efficiency of 9.0%, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Light-induced changes in diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells

A series of diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells was prepared using different hydrogen dilution ratios of silane by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD). It was observed that after light soaking the open circuit voltage (V-oc) of the diphasic solar cells increased, while that of amorphous silicon solar cells decreased. Raman scattering spectroscopy was performed on the series of diphasic silicon films before and after light soaking. It was found that after light soaking the nanostruclures in the diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films were changed. Both the grain sizes and grain volume fraction reduced, while the grain boundary components increased. These results provide experimental evidence for the conjecture that the light-induced increase in V-oc of the diphasic nanocrystalline solar cells might be induced by the changes in the nanostructure of the intrinsic layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A V-shaped module technique for promoting generation photocurrent density of silicon solar cells

A V-shaped solar cell module consists of two tilted mono-crystalline cells [J. Li, China Patent No. 200410007708.6 (March, 2004)]. The angle included between the two tilted cells is 90 degrees. The two cells were fabricated by using polished silicon wafers. The scheme of both-side polished wafers has been proposed to reduce optical loss. Compared to solar cells in a planar way, the V-shaped structure enhances external quantum efficiency and leads to an increase of 15% in generation photocurrent density. The following three kinds of trapped photons are suggested to contribute to the increase: (1) infrared photons converted from visible photons due to a transformation mechanism, (2) photons reflected from top contact metal, and (3) a residual reflection which can not be eliminated by an antireflection coating.

Hetero-epitaxial growth of ZnO films on silicon by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Quality ZnO films were successfully grown on Si(100) substrate by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition method in temperature range of 300-500 degrees C using DEZn and N2O as precursor and oxygen source respectively. The crystal structure, optical properties and surface morphology of ZnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical refection and atomic force microscopy technologies. It was demonstrated that the crystalline structure and surface morphology of ZnO films strongly depend on the growth temperature.

Blue Luminescent Properties of Silicon Nanowires Grown by a Solid-Liquid-Solid Method

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were grown directly from n-(111) single-crystal silicon (c-Si) substrate based on a solid-liquid-solid mechanism, and Au film was used as a metallic catalyst. The room temperature photoluminescence properties of SiNWs were observed by an Xe lamp with an exciting wavelength of 350 nm. The results show that the SiNWs exhibit a strongly blue luminescent band in the wavelength range 400-480 nm at an emission peak position of 420 nm. The luminescent mechanism of SiNWs indicates that the blue luminescence is attributed to the oxygen-related defects, which are in SiOx amorphous oxide shells around the crystalline core of SiNWs.