CONTROL OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND OPTOELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF SI-H FILMS BY ARGON DILUTION IN PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION FROM SILANE

Structural and optoelectronic properties of thin films of silicon-hydrogen binary alloy (Si:H) deposited from silane and argon mixture in a rf glow discharge plasma have been studied for different argon dilutions and rf powers. It has been observed that with low rf power density (30-10 mW/cm(3)) increase of argon dilution up to 95% reduces the microstructure in the films, as determined from IR absorption spectra. Simultaneously, increase in refractive index and decrease in ESR spin density have been observed. Above 95% argon dilution or with higher rf powers, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies reveal a dominance of the columnar growth mechanism, and the optoelectronic properties of the films deteriorate. At 99% argon dilution, microcrystallites appear to form within columnar regions. Addition of a small amount of hydrogen to the silane-argon plasma improves the network significantly, which is manifested by the changes in the dark conductivities in the different rf power regimes.