A Comparison of Grain Nucleation and Grain Growth during Crystallization of HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H Films

A. H. Mahan; S. P. Ahrenkiel; R. E.I. Schropp; H. Li; D. S. Ginley

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.036

A Comparison of Grain Nucleation and Grain Growth during Crystallization of HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H Films

A. H. Mahan, S. P. Ahrenkiel, R. E.I. Schropp, H. Li, D. S. Ginley

Materials, Chemical, and Computational Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

28 Scopus Citations

Abstract

From TEM, XRD and Raman measurements, we compare the crystallization kinetics when HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H films, containing different initial film hydrogen contents (C_H), are crystallized by annealing at 600 °C. For the HWCVD films, the nucleation rate increases, and the incubation time and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD (111) peak decrease with decreasing film C_H. However, the crystallization kinetics of HWCVD and PECVD films of similar initial film C_H are quite different, suggesting that other factors beside the initial film hydrogen content affect the crystallization process. Even though the bonded hydrogen evolves very early from the film during annealing, we suggest that the initial spatial distribution of hydrogen plays a critical role in the crystallization kinetics, and we propose a preliminary model to describe this process.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	529-532
Number of pages	4
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	516
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.036 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.036
State	Published - 15 Jan 2008

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-520-42935

Keywords

Annealing
Crystallite nucleation
Crystallization kinetics
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon
Nuclear magnetic resonance

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title = "A Comparison of Grain Nucleation and Grain Growth during Crystallization of HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H Films",

abstract = "From TEM, XRD and Raman measurements, we compare the crystallization kinetics when HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H films, containing different initial film hydrogen contents (CH), are crystallized by annealing at 600 °C. For the HWCVD films, the nucleation rate increases, and the incubation time and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD (111) peak decrease with decreasing film CH. However, the crystallization kinetics of HWCVD and PECVD films of similar initial film CH are quite different, suggesting that other factors beside the initial film hydrogen content affect the crystallization process. Even though the bonded hydrogen evolves very early from the film during annealing, we suggest that the initial spatial distribution of hydrogen plays a critical role in the crystallization kinetics, and we propose a preliminary model to describe this process.",

keywords = "Annealing, Crystallite nucleation, Crystallization kinetics, Hydrogenated amorphous silicon, Nuclear magnetic resonance",

author = "Mahan, {A. H.} and Ahrenkiel, {S. P.} and Schropp, {R. E.I.} and H. Li and Ginley, {D. S.}",

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T1 - A Comparison of Grain Nucleation and Grain Growth during Crystallization of HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H Films

AU - Mahan, A. H.

AU - Ahrenkiel, S. P.

AU - Schropp, R. E.I.

AU - Li, H.

AU - Ginley, D. S.

PY - 2008/1/15

Y1 - 2008/1/15

N2 - From TEM, XRD and Raman measurements, we compare the crystallization kinetics when HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H films, containing different initial film hydrogen contents (CH), are crystallized by annealing at 600 °C. For the HWCVD films, the nucleation rate increases, and the incubation time and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD (111) peak decrease with decreasing film CH. However, the crystallization kinetics of HWCVD and PECVD films of similar initial film CH are quite different, suggesting that other factors beside the initial film hydrogen content affect the crystallization process. Even though the bonded hydrogen evolves very early from the film during annealing, we suggest that the initial spatial distribution of hydrogen plays a critical role in the crystallization kinetics, and we propose a preliminary model to describe this process.

AB - From TEM, XRD and Raman measurements, we compare the crystallization kinetics when HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H films, containing different initial film hydrogen contents (CH), are crystallized by annealing at 600 °C. For the HWCVD films, the nucleation rate increases, and the incubation time and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD (111) peak decrease with decreasing film CH. However, the crystallization kinetics of HWCVD and PECVD films of similar initial film CH are quite different, suggesting that other factors beside the initial film hydrogen content affect the crystallization process. Even though the bonded hydrogen evolves very early from the film during annealing, we suggest that the initial spatial distribution of hydrogen plays a critical role in the crystallization kinetics, and we propose a preliminary model to describe this process.

KW - Annealing

KW - Crystallite nucleation

KW - Crystallization kinetics

KW - Hydrogenated amorphous silicon

KW - Nuclear magnetic resonance

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DO - 10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.036

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SN - 0040-6090

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SP - 529

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JO - Thin Solid Films

JF - Thin Solid Films

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A Comparison of Grain Nucleation and Grain Growth during Crystallization of HWCVD and PECVD a-Si:H Films

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

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