Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

A. S. Ferlauto; G. M. Ferreira; R. J. Koval; J. M. Pearce; C. R. Wronski; R. W. Collins; M. M. Al-Jassim; K. M. Jones

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228

Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

A. S. Ferlauto, G. M. Ferreira, R. J. Koval, J. M. Pearce, C. R. Wronski, R. W. Collins, M. M. Al-Jassim, K. M. Jones

Materials Science

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

33 Scopus Citations

Abstract

The ability to characterize the phase of the intrinsic (i) semiconductor layers incorporated into amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin film solar cells is critically important for device optimization. In this study, a new method has been developed to extract the thickness evolution of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in mixed-phase amorphous+microcrystalline silicon [(a+μc)-Si:H] i-layers. This method applies real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) performed using a rotating-compensator multichannel ellipsometer during r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the films, in conjunction with a two-layer virtual interface analysis of the RTSE data. In this analysis, the depth profile of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in the mixed-phase growth regime can be determined simultaneously with the evolution of the surface roughness layer thickness. From this information, the microcrystallite nucleation density and cone angle can be estimated, the latter describing the preferential growth of the silicon microcrystallites. The results from RTSE analysis correlate well with structural and p-i-n solar cell device measurements.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	665-669
Number of pages	5
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	455-456
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228
State	Published - 1 May 2004
Event	The 3rd International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry - Vienna, Austria Duration: 6 Jul 2003 → 11 Jul 2003

NREL Publication Number

NREL/JA-520-36896

Keywords

Composition gradients
Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H)
Mixed-phase silicon films
Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE)
Silicon film growth

Access to Document

Cite this

Ferlauto, A. S., Ferreira, G. M., Koval, R. J., Pearce, J. M., Wronski, C. R., Collins, R. W., Al-Jassim, M. M., & Jones, K. M. (2004). Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. Thin Solid Films, 455-456, 665-669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228

@article{79c41666ffed4b4b9d70676afbc318e1,

title = "Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry",

abstract = "The ability to characterize the phase of the intrinsic (i) semiconductor layers incorporated into amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin film solar cells is critically important for device optimization. In this study, a new method has been developed to extract the thickness evolution of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in mixed-phase amorphous+microcrystalline silicon [(a+μc)-Si:H] i-layers. This method applies real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) performed using a rotating-compensator multichannel ellipsometer during r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the films, in conjunction with a two-layer virtual interface analysis of the RTSE data. In this analysis, the depth profile of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in the mixed-phase growth regime can be determined simultaneously with the evolution of the surface roughness layer thickness. From this information, the microcrystallite nucleation density and cone angle can be estimated, the latter describing the preferential growth of the silicon microcrystallites. The results from RTSE analysis correlate well with structural and p-i-n solar cell device measurements.",

keywords = "Composition gradients, Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H), Mixed-phase silicon films, Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE), Silicon film growth",

author = "Ferlauto, {A. S.} and Ferreira, {G. M.} and Koval, {R. J.} and Pearce, {J. M.} and Wronski, {C. R.} and Collins, {R. W.} and Al-Jassim, {M. M.} and Jones, {K. M.}",

year = "2004",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228",

language = "American English",

volume = "455-456",

pages = "665--669",

journal = "Thin Solid Films",

issn = "0040-6090",

publisher = "Elsevier",

note = "The 3rd International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry ; Conference date: 06-07-2003 Through 11-07-2003",

}

Ferlauto, AS, Ferreira, GM, Koval, RJ, Pearce, JM, Wronski, CR, Collins, RW, Al-Jassim, MM & Jones, KM 2004, 'Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry', Thin Solid Films, vol. 455-456, pp. 665-669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

AU - Ferlauto, A. S.

AU - Ferreira, G. M.

AU - Koval, R. J.

AU - Pearce, J. M.

AU - Wronski, C. R.

AU - Collins, R. W.

AU - Al-Jassim, M. M.

AU - Jones, K. M.

PY - 2004/5/1

Y1 - 2004/5/1

N2 - The ability to characterize the phase of the intrinsic (i) semiconductor layers incorporated into amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin film solar cells is critically important for device optimization. In this study, a new method has been developed to extract the thickness evolution of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in mixed-phase amorphous+microcrystalline silicon [(a+μc)-Si:H] i-layers. This method applies real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) performed using a rotating-compensator multichannel ellipsometer during r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the films, in conjunction with a two-layer virtual interface analysis of the RTSE data. In this analysis, the depth profile of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in the mixed-phase growth regime can be determined simultaneously with the evolution of the surface roughness layer thickness. From this information, the microcrystallite nucleation density and cone angle can be estimated, the latter describing the preferential growth of the silicon microcrystallites. The results from RTSE analysis correlate well with structural and p-i-n solar cell device measurements.

AB - The ability to characterize the phase of the intrinsic (i) semiconductor layers incorporated into amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin film solar cells is critically important for device optimization. In this study, a new method has been developed to extract the thickness evolution of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in mixed-phase amorphous+microcrystalline silicon [(a+μc)-Si:H] i-layers. This method applies real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) performed using a rotating-compensator multichannel ellipsometer during r.f. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the films, in conjunction with a two-layer virtual interface analysis of the RTSE data. In this analysis, the depth profile of the μc-Si:H volume fraction in the mixed-phase growth regime can be determined simultaneously with the evolution of the surface roughness layer thickness. From this information, the microcrystallite nucleation density and cone angle can be estimated, the latter describing the preferential growth of the silicon microcrystallites. The results from RTSE analysis correlate well with structural and p-i-n solar cell device measurements.

KW - Composition gradients

KW - Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H)

KW - Mixed-phase silicon films

KW - Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE)

KW - Silicon film growth

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=17144432814&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228

DO - 10.1016/j.tsf.2003.11.228

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:17144432814

SN - 0040-6090

VL - 455-456

SP - 665

EP - 669

JO - Thin Solid Films

JF - Thin Solid Films

T2 - The 3rd International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Y2 - 6 July 2003 through 11 July 2003

ER -

Evaluation of Compositional Depth Profiles in Mixed-Phase (Amorphous + Crystalline) Silicon Films from Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Abstract

NREL Publication Number

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this