The Effects of an Oxide Layer on the Kinetics of Metal-Induced Crystallization of a-Si:H

The effect of a native silicon dioxide layer on metal-induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) was investigated. Several samples, deposited by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique, were exposed to different ambients for different times to allow for the growth of SiO₂ layers of different thicknesses. Then, aluminum was used to crystallize the samples using metal-induced crystallization at temperatures far below the solid-phase crystallization temperature of a-Si. In this study, we focused on the effects of the native oxide layer on crystallization and crystallization rates of the samples, as determined by X-ray diffraction. Following crystallization, scanning electron microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to examine and compare the morphology and chemical composition of the surface of the different samples. Finally, an explanation of the findings is presented.