Analysis of controlled mixed-phase $(amorphous+microcrystalline)$ silicon thin films by real time spectroscopic ellipsometry

Engineered thin films consisting of periodic arrays of silicon microcrystallites in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon host matrix have been prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition where the hydrogen dilution of silane is modulated in multiple cycles. These types of films have been guided by a phase evolution diagram, depicting the deposition conditions and film thickness at which the material exhibits amorphous, microcrystalline, or mixed-phase $(amorphous+microcrystalline)$ characteristics, developed for intrinsic Si:H prepared with varying $H2$ dilution on unhydrogenated $a-Si:H$⁠. Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) has been used in situ to noninvasively determine the phase evolution of the resulting hydrogenated mixed-phase $(amorphous+microcrystalline)$ silicon thin films and corroborated with dark-field transmission electron microscopy. Such tailored microstructures are of growing interest as components of thin film photovoltaic devices, and RTSE is shown to be a key technique for structure verification.