This paper investigates the morphological evolution of hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers obtained by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at different H dilutions in the regime close to the formation of the nanocrystalline phase. The role of hydrogen in the transition from the amorphous to the crystalline phase is investigated by accurate structural and chemical characterization, from the early stages of nucleation, where the nuclei present size slightly larger than the critical nucleus, i.e., about 0.8 nm in radius, up to the formation of crystalline grains larger than 30 nm in radius. A correlation between the structural characteristics of such crystalline phase and the bonding mechanism of Si with H through multiple hydrides, such as Si-H2 and Si-H3 is found, particularly the tri-hydrides are found to be directly correlated to the shape and the size of the nanocrystallites present in the films. The multiple hydrides are found to play a role also in the electrical characteristics of p-i-n a-Si:H solar cells whose intrinsic layer is realized in the above H dilution conditions. An explanation of the experimental data in terms of the different bonding mechanism of H in the Si matrix is provided.

1.
D. L.
Staebler
and
C. R.
Wronski
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
31
(
4
),
292
(
1977
).
2.
M.
Kondo
,
T.
Matsui
,
Y.
Nasuno
,
H.
Sonobe
, and
S.
Shimizu
,
Thin Solid Films
501
,
243
(
2006
).
3.
M.
Ito
,
N.
Myojin
,
M.
Kondo
,
A.
Matsuda
,
M.
Shiratani
, and
Y.
Watanabe
, in
Proceeding of the 3rd World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
, (IEEE,Osaka, Japan,
2003
), edited by
K.
Kurokawa
.
4.
A. M.
Funde
,
N. A.
Bakr
,
D. K.
Kamble
,
R. R.
Hawaldar
,
D. P.
Amalnerkar
, and
S. R.
Jadkar
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
92
,
1217
(
2008
).
5.
N.
Kopidakis
and
E. A.
Schiff
,
J. Non-Cryst. Solids
226–269
,
415
(
2000
).
6.
S.
Zafar
and
E. A.
Schiff
,
Phys. Rev. B
40
(
7
),
5235
(
1989
).
7.
H.
Branz
,
Solid State Commun.
105
(
6
),
387
(
1998
).
8.
T.
Takagi
,
R.
Hayashi
,
G.
Ganguly
,
M.
Kondo
, and
A.
Matsuda
,
Thin Solid Films
345
,
75
(
1999
).
9.
D. V.
Tsu
,
B. S.
Chao
,
S. R.
Ovshinsky
,
S.
Guha
, and
J.
Yang
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
71
(
10
),
1317
(
1997
).
10.
S.
Sriraman
,
S.
Agarwal
,
E. S.
Aydil
, and
D.
Maroudas
,
Nature
418
,
62
(
2002
).
11.
M.
Ito
,
C.
Koch
,
V.
Svrcek
,
M. B.
Schubert
, and
J. H.
Werner
,
Thin Solid Films
383
,
129
(
2001
).
12.
S.
Guha
,
J.
Yang
,
D. L.
Williamson
,
Y.
Lubianiker
,
J. D.
Cohen
, and
A. H.
Mahan
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
74
(
13
),
1860
(
1999
).
13.
R. J.
Koval
,
J.
Koh
,
Z.
Lu
,
L.
Jiao
,
R. W.
Collins
, and
C. R.
Wronski
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
75
(
11
),
1553
(
1999
).
14.
H.
Miyahara
,
M.
Takai
,
T.
Nishimoto
,
M.
Kondo
, and
A.
Matsuda
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
74
,
351
(
2002
).
15.
A.
Matsuda
,
M.
Takai
,
T.
Nishimoto
, and
M.
Kondo
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
78
,
3
(
2003
).
16.
W. A.
Lanford
,
Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B
66
,
65
(
1992
).
17.
H.
Shanks
,
C. J.
Fang
,
L.
Ley
,
M.
Cardona
,
F. J.
Demond
, and
S.
Kalbitzer
,
Phys. Status Solidi B
110
,
43
(
1980
).
18.
G.
Lucovsky
,
R. J.
Nemanich
, and
J. C.
Knights
,
Phys. Rev. B
19
,
2064
(
1979
).
19.
D. V.
Tsu
,
B. S.
Chao
,
S. R.
Ovshinsky
,
S. J.
Jones
,
J.
Yang
,
S.
Guha
, and
R.
Tsu
,
Phys. Rev. B
63
,
125338
(
2001
).
20.
T.
Kamei
,
P.
Stradins
, and
A.
Matsuda
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
74
(
12
),
1707
(
1999
).
21.
R. W.
Collins
,
A. S.
Ferlauto
,
G. M.
Ferreira
,
C.
Chen
,
J.
Koh
,
R. J.
Koval
,
Y.
Lee
,
J. M.
Pearce
, and
C. R.
Wronski
,
Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells
78
,
143
(
2003
).
22.
A. S.
Ferlauto
,
R. J.
Koval
,
C. R.
Wronski
, and
R. W.
Collins
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
80
(
15
),
2666
(
2002
).
23.
D. J. H.
Cockayne
,
Annu. Rev. Mater. Res.
37
,
159
(
2007
).
24.
P.
Debye
,
J. Math. Phys.
4
,
133
4
(
1925
).
25.
J.
Fortner
and
J. S.
Lannin
,
Phys. Rev. B
39
,
5527
(
1989
).
26.
U.
Kroll
,
J.
Meier
,
A.
Shah
,
S.
Mikhailov
, and
J.
Waber
,
J. Appl. Phys.
80
,
4971
(
1996
).
27.
A.
Achiq
,
R.
Rizk
,
F.
Gourbilleau
,
R.
Madrante
,
B.
Garrido
,
A.
Perez Rodriguez
, and
J. R.
Madrante
,
J. Appl. Phys.
83
,
5797
(
1998
).
28.
A. H.
Mahan
,
J.
Yang
,
S.
Guha
, and
D. L.
Williamson
,
Phys. Rev. B
61
(
3
),
1677
(
2000
).
29.
H.
Wagner
and
W.
Beyer
,
Solid State Commun.
48
,
587
(
1983
).
You do not currently have access to this content.