Deposition and characterization of amorphous silicon with embedded nanocrystals and microcrystalline silicon for thin film solar cells

Amorphous silicon thin films with embedded nanocrystals and microcrystalline silicon were deposited by the standard Radio Frequency (RF) Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique, from SiH4, H2, Ar gas mixture at substrate temperature of 200 °C. Two series of films were produced varying deposition parameters as chamber pressure and RF power density. The chemical bonding in the films was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, where it was observed a correlation between the hydrogen content and the morphological and electrical properties in the films. Electrical and optical parameters were extracted in both series of films, as room temperature conductivity (σRT), activation energy (Ea), and optical band gap (Eg). As well, structural analysis in the films was performed by Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), which gives an indication of the films crystallinity. The photoconductivity changed in a range of 2 and 6 orders of magnitude from dark to AM 1.5 illumination conditions, which is of interest for thin film solar cells applications.