Thermal annealing of SiC thin films with varying stoichiometry

Kuenle, Matthias; Janz, S.; Eibl, O.; Berthold, Christoph; Presser, Volker; Nickel, Klaus-Georg

doi:10.1016/j.mseb.2008.10.056

Cited by 34 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Samples from experiment B were not annealed. Si NCs form during thermal annealing from the excess Si in the deposited layer [10], as was shown previously by Transmission Electron Microscope studies in [11] (see Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Si and SiC nanocrystals in an amorphous SiC matrix: Formation and electrical properties

Gradmann

Loeper

Künle

et al. 2010

Phys. Status Solidi (c)

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Layers of Si nanocrystals in a dielectric matrix have promising properties to be implemented as the absorber layer in a top cell of a Si‐based tandem solar cell. Si nanocrystals in SiC are produced by plasma deposition of Si rich a‐SiC:H and subsequent solid phase crystallization by thermal annealing at temperatures between 800°C and 1000°C. The Si rich a‐SiC:H films were doped with boron by addition of diluted diborane (B2H6 in H2) to the plasma process. The microstructure was investigated for different gas fluxes and annealing procedures and the films were found to consist of amorphous or polycrystalline SiC with embedded Si nanocrystals. The microstructural results are then correlated with the electrical and optoelectronic properties. By choosing appropriate deposition parameters, the films micro‐structure could be modified such that the crystallization of both Si and SiC nanocrystals is favoured and the conductivity is enhanced. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show the formation of both Si and SiC nanocrystals after annealing at 900 °C, if the hydrogen flux in the plasma is large enough. The formation of SiC nanocrystals is confirmed by Fourier Transformed IR (FTIR) spectra where a transition from a Gaussian shaped peak of the amorphous SiC‐phase to a blueshifted Lorentzian peak of nanocrystalline SiC is observed. Dark dc IV measurements reveal the increase of conductivity with diluted diborane flux from 9.32 10–6 Ω–1cm–1 to 1.98 10–2 Ω–1cm–1 for a 1000 °C anneal. Increase of annealing temperature at constant doping also increases conductivity by about two orders of magnitude. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Si and SiC nanocrystals in an amorphous SiC matrix: Formation and electrical properties

Gradmann

Loeper

Künle

et al. 2010

Phys. Status Solidi (c)

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“…From approximately 900°C on, solid phase separation in the SRC layers and the formation of Si NC begins. This Si crystallization occurs together with the formation of c-SiC in the whole sample [28].…”

Section: Page 7 Of 27mentioning

confidence: 93%

Structural and optical properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon carbide: Comparison of single layers and multilayer structures

Weiss

Schnabel

Reichert

et al. 2015

Applied Surface Science

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The outstanding demonstration of quantum confinement in Si nanocrystals (Si NC) in a SiC matrix requires the fabrication of Si NC with a narrow size distribution. It is understood without controversy that this fabrication is a difficult exercise and that a multilayer (ML) structure is suitable for such fabrication only in a narrow parameter range. This parameter range is sought by varying both the stoichiometric SiC barrier thickness and the Si-rich SiC well thickness between 3 and 9 nm and comparing them to single layers (SL). The samples processed for this investigation were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and subsequently subjected to thermal annealing at 1000-1100 degrees C for crystal formation. Bulk information about the entire sample area and depth were obtained by structural and optical characterization methods: information about the mean Si NC size was determined from grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) measurements. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was applied to gain insight into the structure of the Si-C network, and spectrophotometry measurements were performed to investigate the absorption coefficient and to estimate the bandgap E-04. All measurements showed that the influence of the ML structure on the Si NC size, on the Si-C network and on the absorption properties is subordinate to the influence of the overall Si content in the samples, which we identified as the key parameter for the structural and optical properties. We attribute this behavior to interdiffusion of the barrier and well layers. Because the produced Si NC are within the target size range of 2-4 nm for all layer thickness variations, we propose to use the Si content to adjust the Si NC size in future experiments

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“…The Si-C stretching vibration mode is expected to be the main contribution at 790 cm −1 [13]. However, a peak of Si-C stretching bond is clearly observed at 740 cm -1 [14][15][16][17][18][19][20], which is witnessing of an amorphous SiC structure [21,22]. A closer examination of the deposited sample spectrum reveals the presences of many absorption vibration modes, we resume in Table 03.…”

Section: Ftir Analysismentioning

confidence: 90%

SIMS and auger investigation of thin a-SiC and a-SiC:H films by Up-Down sputtering DC magnetron, impact on optical properties

Ouadfel

Keffous

Cheriet

et al. 2014

2014 North African Workshop on Dielectic Materials for Photovoltaic Systems (NAWDMPV)

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This article deals with an early growth study of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide thin films (a-SiC:H, a-SiC). Sample have been elaborated at room temperature by a new configuration (Up-down) sputtering d.c. magnetron technique, using a 6H-SiC polycrystalline target onto p-Si(100) and glass substrates. The infrared spectra reveal the existence of a band located at 740 cm -1 , which corresponds to Si-C stretching mode of amorphous silicon carbide. The SIMS and AES profiles show a c-face for both a-SiC:H and a-SiC. Films elaborated with this configuration (Up-down) are stoichiometric, with a ratio 28 Si/ 12 C = 0.95, compared to the one elaborated with conventional configuration (Down-up), which is 1.75. The optical gap is 1.84 eV and 1.48 eV for a-SiC: H and aSiC respectively. This behavior of optical gap may be related to the hydrogen concentration present in the films or other impurities inducing such a decrease in optical gap.

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Thermal annealing of SiC thin films with varying stoichiometry

Cited by 34 publications

References 29 publications

Si and SiC nanocrystals in an amorphous SiC matrix: Formation and electrical properties

Si and SiC nanocrystals in an amorphous SiC matrix: Formation and electrical properties

Structural and optical properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon carbide: Comparison of single layers and multilayer structures

SIMS and auger investigation of thin a-SiC and a-SiC:H films by Up-Down sputtering DC magnetron, impact on optical properties

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