An Alternative Method to Determine the Steady State Nucleation Rate in Thermally Annealed HWCVD a-Si:H Films

A. Harv Mahan; Phil A. Parilla; Helio Moutinho; Bobby To; Matthew S. Dabney; David S. Ginley

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332

An Alternative Method to Determine the Steady State Nucleation Rate in Thermally Annealed HWCVD a-Si:H Films

A. Harv Mahan, Phil A. Parilla, Helio Moutinho, Bobby To, Matthew S. Dabney, David S. Ginley

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

5 Scopus Citations

Abstract

A determination of the steady state nucleation rate r_n in thermally annealed a-Si:H has typically been performed using TEM, where the increase in grain density with isothermal sample anneal time can be directly observed for samples with small crystalline volume fractions. Using the classical model of crystallite nucleation and grain growth, this paper presents an alternative technique for determining r_n using in situ XRD measurements of the crystallization time and EBSD measurements of the final grain size, the latter in fully annealed samples. HWCVD a-Si:H samples containing different as-grown film H contents C_H have been examined by both techniques, and the agreement between these techniques is excellent. R_n is seen to decrease with increasing as-grown film C_H. Differences in the values of r_n are suggested as being due to variations in the transition rate per atom at the amorphous/crystalline interface.

Original language	American English
Pages	4455-4458
Number of pages	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332
State	Published - 2 May 2011
Event	6th International Conference on Hot-Wire CVD (Cat-CVD) Process - Paris, France Duration: 13 Sep 2010 → 17 Sep 2010

Conference

Conference	6th International Conference on Hot-Wire CVD (Cat-CVD) Process
City	Paris, France
Period	13/09/10 → 17/09/10

NREL Publication Number

NREL/CP-5200-49084

Keywords

Amorphous silicon
Crystallization
Nucleation rate
Thermal annealing

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Mahan, A. H., Parilla, P. A., Moutinho, H., To, B., Dabney, M. S., & Ginley, D. S. (2011). An Alternative Method to Determine the Steady State Nucleation Rate in Thermally Annealed HWCVD a-Si:H Films. 4455-4458. Paper presented at 6th International Conference on Hot-Wire CVD (Cat-CVD) Process, Paris, France. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332

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abstract = "A determination of the steady state nucleation rate rn in thermally annealed a-Si:H has typically been performed using TEM, where the increase in grain density with isothermal sample anneal time can be directly observed for samples with small crystalline volume fractions. Using the classical model of crystallite nucleation and grain growth, this paper presents an alternative technique for determining rn using in situ XRD measurements of the crystallization time and EBSD measurements of the final grain size, the latter in fully annealed samples. HWCVD a-Si:H samples containing different as-grown film H contents CH have been examined by both techniques, and the agreement between these techniques is excellent. Rn is seen to decrease with increasing as-grown film CH. Differences in the values of rn are suggested as being due to variations in the transition rate per atom at the amorphous/crystalline interface.",

keywords = "Amorphous silicon, Crystallization, Nucleation rate, Thermal annealing",

author = "Mahan, {A. Harv} and Parilla, {Phil A.} and Helio Moutinho and Bobby To and Dabney, {Matthew S.} and Ginley, {David S.}",

year = "2011",

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doi = "10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332",

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Mahan, AH, Parilla, PA, Moutinho, H, To, B, Dabney, MS & Ginley, DS 2011, 'An Alternative Method to Determine the Steady State Nucleation Rate in Thermally Annealed HWCVD a-Si:H Films', Paper presented at 6th International Conference on Hot-Wire CVD (Cat-CVD) Process, Paris, France, 13/09/10 - 17/09/10 pp. 4455-4458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.332

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AU - Mahan, A. Harv

AU - Parilla, Phil A.

AU - Moutinho, Helio

AU - To, Bobby

AU - Dabney, Matthew S.

AU - Ginley, David S.

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N2 - A determination of the steady state nucleation rate rn in thermally annealed a-Si:H has typically been performed using TEM, where the increase in grain density with isothermal sample anneal time can be directly observed for samples with small crystalline volume fractions. Using the classical model of crystallite nucleation and grain growth, this paper presents an alternative technique for determining rn using in situ XRD measurements of the crystallization time and EBSD measurements of the final grain size, the latter in fully annealed samples. HWCVD a-Si:H samples containing different as-grown film H contents CH have been examined by both techniques, and the agreement between these techniques is excellent. Rn is seen to decrease with increasing as-grown film CH. Differences in the values of rn are suggested as being due to variations in the transition rate per atom at the amorphous/crystalline interface.

AB - A determination of the steady state nucleation rate rn in thermally annealed a-Si:H has typically been performed using TEM, where the increase in grain density with isothermal sample anneal time can be directly observed for samples with small crystalline volume fractions. Using the classical model of crystallite nucleation and grain growth, this paper presents an alternative technique for determining rn using in situ XRD measurements of the crystallization time and EBSD measurements of the final grain size, the latter in fully annealed samples. HWCVD a-Si:H samples containing different as-grown film H contents CH have been examined by both techniques, and the agreement between these techniques is excellent. Rn is seen to decrease with increasing as-grown film CH. Differences in the values of rn are suggested as being due to variations in the transition rate per atom at the amorphous/crystalline interface.

KW - Amorphous silicon

KW - Crystallization

KW - Nucleation rate

KW - Thermal annealing

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T2 - 6th International Conference on Hot-Wire CVD (Cat-CVD) Process

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An Alternative Method to Determine the Steady State Nucleation Rate in Thermally Annealed HWCVD a-Si:H Films

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Keywords

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