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Electron Scattering and Doping Mechanisms in Solid-Phase-Crystallized In2O3:H Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition
Bart Macco1, Harm C M Knoops1, Wilhelmus M M Kessels1,2
1†Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 14, 2015
Summary
Hydrogen-doped indium oxide (In2O3:H) films achieve high conductivity and transparency for solar cells. Low-temperature atomic layer deposition and crystallization yield excellent carrier mobility, surpassing conventional materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Physics
- Semiconductor Technology
Background:
- Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are crucial for solar cells, balancing electrical conductivity and optical transparency.
- Hydrogen-doped indium oxide (In2O3:H) offers high electron mobility, making it promising for silicon heterojunction solar cells.
- Conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) faces limitations in performance and material stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop high-quality In2O3:H films using a low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
- To investigate the doping mechanism and electron scattering limiting carrier mobility in In2O3:H.
- To compare the performance of In2O3:H with conventional ITO for solar cell applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of In2O3:H films via ALD at 100 °C.
- Solid-phase crystallization of amorphous In2O3:H at 150-200 °C.
- Characterization using Hall measurements for electrical properties and Drude response analysis for optical properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved excellent carrier mobility of 128 ± 4 cm(2)/(V s) at a carrier density of 1.8 × 10(20) cm(-3) after crystallization.
- Identified phonon and ionized impurity scattering as dominant electron scattering mechanisms.
- Determined that less than 4% of incorporated hydrogen acts as an active dopant, with inactive hydrogen not significantly contributing to defect scattering.
Conclusions:
- Low-temperature ALD followed by crystallization produces high-quality In2O3:H films with superior carrier mobility.
- The doping mechanism and scattering processes in In2O3:H allow for higher mobility compared to ITO.
- These findings enable the optimization of In2O3:H for advanced solar cell technologies.
Keywords:
Atomic layer depositioncarrier mobilitydopingionized impurity scatteringphonon scatteringsolid-phase crystallizationspectroscopic ellipsometrytransparent conductive oxideMore Related Videos
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