Effect of the nanoparticles on the structure and crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films produced by rf glow discharge

Thin films of nanostructured silicon (ns-Si : H) were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in the presence of silicon nanoparticles at 100°C substrate temperature using a silane and hydrogen gas mixture under continuous wave (cw) plasma conditions. The nanostructure of the films has been demonstrated by diverse ways: transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction, which have shown the presence of ordered silicon clusters (1-2 nm) embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix. Because of the presence of these ordered domains, the films crystallize faster than standard hydrogenated amorphous silicon samples, as evidenced by electrical measurements during the thermal annealing.