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Comparative Study on the Quality of Microcrystalline and Epitaxial Silicon Films Produced by PECVD Using Identical
Mario Moreno1, Arturo Ponce1,2, Arturo Galindo2
1Electronics Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Puebla 72840, Mexico.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 27, 2021
Summary
Optimizing plasma conditions for hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) and epitaxial silicon (epi-Si) films revealed distinct fabrication requirements for maximizing crystalline fraction in each material. The H2/SiF4 ratio critically influences film quality and interface structure.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Semiconductor Physics
- Thin Film Technology
Background:
- Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) and epitaxial silicon (epi-Si) are crucial for advanced electronic devices like thin-film transistors (TFTs) and solar cells.
- Selective growth and etching of epi-Si films are vital for novel 3D device architectures.
- Understanding the relationship between µc-Si:H and epi-Si deposition conditions is key to optimizing material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if identical plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) conditions optimize both hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) and epitaxial silicon (epi-Si) films.
- To determine the impact of the H2/SiF4 ratio on the crystalline fraction (Xc) of µc-Si:H and the quality of epi-Si films.
- To analyze the structure of the epi-Si/c-Si interface under varying deposition parameters.
Main Methods:
- Deposition of µc-Si:H and epi-Si films using PECVD at 200 °C from SiF4, H2, and Ar mixtures.
- Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis ellipsometry to quantify crystalline volume fraction (Xc) and film composition.
- High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for structural analysis of the films and interfaces.
Main Results:
- The H2/SiF4 ratio was found to significantly affect the Xc of µc-Si:H films.
- The same ratio influenced the c-Si fraction and interface structure in epi-Si films.
- Crucially, the optimal deposition conditions for maximizing Xc in µc-Si:H differed from those yielding the highest quality and c-Si fraction in epi-Si films.
Conclusions:
- Identical PECVD deposition conditions do not simultaneously optimize µc-Si:H and epi-Si films for maximum crystalline fraction and quality.
- The H2/SiF4 ratio is a critical parameter that must be independently optimized for each silicon film type.
- Tailoring deposition parameters is essential for fabricating high-performance µc-Si:H and epi-Si layers for diverse semiconductor applications.
