Amorphous-to-microcrystalline transition in a-Si: H under hydrogen plasma: Optical and electrical detection

The exact role of hydrogen in the crystallization process is still a subject of broad controversies due to the complexity of the overall plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. We have investigated by ellipsometry the amorphous-to-microcrystalline the phase transition in intrinsic and doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films during their exposure to a hydrogen plasma in conditions of chemical transport. The whole ellipsometry diagnostics reveal that, while intrinsic and phosphorus-doped a-Si:H present a similar trend during the plasma treatment, boron-doped a-Si:H differs by special features such as a rapid formation of the hydrogen-rich subsurface layer and an early amorphous-to-microcrystalline phase transition. The particular behavior of boron-doped material is also pointed out through the time-evolution of the self-bias voltage on the radio-frequency electrode during the hydrogen plasma treatment.