Wide optical bandgap p-type μc-Si:Ox:H prepared by Cat-CVD and comparisons to p-type μc-Si:H

Oxygen-impurity boron-doped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (p-μc-Si:Ox:H) films have been deposited using catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD). Pure silane (SiH4), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), and diluted diborane (B2H6) gases were used. The tungsten catalyst temperature (Tfil) was varied from 1900 to 2100 °C and films were deposited on glass substrates at temperatures of 100 to 300 °C. Different catalyst-to-substrate distances were employed and single- or double-coiled filaments were used. In addition to p-μc-Si:Ox:H deposition, we have also deposited conventional p-type microcrystalline silicon (p-μc-Si:H) in order to compare their electrical and optical properties to p-μc-Si:Ox:H.