Textured (111) crystalline silicon thin film growth on flexible glass by e-beam evaporation

We have demonstrated the growth of a (111) preferentially oriented crystalline silicon thin film on a flexible glass substrate at 725 °C by utilizing a Thin Film Vapor Liquid Solid (TF-VLS) method. The silicon (Si) thin film growth was accomplished on a flexible glass substrate from an aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) eutectic melt deposited by electron beam evaporation. The resulting oriented crystalline film was subsequently characterized by symmetrical Bragg Brentano geometry X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Raman Spectroscopy for the detection and characterization of Si crystallization. By avoiding high temperature depositions and secondary annealing steps this process permits a low thermal budget and has the capability for high rate, roll-to-roll depositions without breaking vacuum. Furthermore, this method has the theoretical feasibility to induce single crystalline Si growth on the glass substrate, consequently translating to a highly cost effective process for display manufacturing and with the potential to play a major role in the adoption of thin film silicon solar cell technology.