Hydrogen solubility limit in hydrogenated amorphous silicon


Hydrogen solubility limit in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Danesh, P.; Pantchev, B.; Schmidt, B.; Grambole, D.

Hydrogen solubility has been studied in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition with hydrogen-diluted silane. Post-hydrogenation experiments have been carried out using hydrogen plasma and hydrogen ion implantation. Thermal annealing and silicon ion implantation have been used to change the defect density in the amorphous silicon network. Hydrogen concentration has been established by means of nuclear reaction analysis and infrared spectroscopy. It has been shown that the hydrogen solubility in a-Si:H is strongly related to the density of the hydrogen trapping sites in the silicon network and the value of the solubility limit is determined by the material structure and consequently by the a-Si:H preparation conditions. The ratio between the hydrogen concentration and its solubility limit has been discussed in the context of the light-induced degradation of a-Si:H.

Keywords: a-Si:H; ion implantation; hydrogen concentration; NRA

  • Semiconductor Science and Technology 19(2004)12, 1422-1425
    ISSN: 0268-1242

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-7069
Publ.-Id: 7069