Hydrogen plasma enhanced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

K. Pangal, J. C. Sturm, S. Wagner, T. H. Büyüklimanli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report that a room temperature hydrogen plasma exposure in a parallel plate diode type reactive ion etcher can reduce the time required for the subsequent thermal crystallization of amorphous silicon time by a factor of five. Exposure to hydrogen plasma reduces the incubation time, while the rate of crystallization itself is not greatly affected. This plasma enhanced crystallization can be spatially controlled by masking with patterned oxide, so that both amorphous and polycrystalline areas can be realized simultaneously at desired locations on a single substrate. The enhancement of crystallization rate is probably due to the creation of seed nuclei at the surface. The films have been characterized by UV reflectance, x-ray diffraction, plan view transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared absorption, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and four-point probe measurement of electrical conductivity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1900-1906
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Applied Physics
Volume85
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1999

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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