Phosphorous and boron doping of nc-Si:H thin films deposited on plastic substrates at 150 °C by Hot-Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition

• Published in: Thin solid films 2008-01, Vol.516 (5), p.576-579
• Main Authors: Filonovich, S.A., Ribeiro, M., Rolo, A.G., Alpuim, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diborane; Doping; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Hot-Wire CVD; Low-temperature deposition; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; nc-Si:H; Phosphine; Physics; Plastics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2007.06.176

Gas-phase phosphorous and boron doping of hydrogenated nanocrystalline thin films deposited by HWCVD at a substrate temperature of 150 °C on flexible-plastic (polyethylene naphthalate, polyimide) and rigid-glass substrates is reported. The influence of the substrate, hydrogen dilution, dopant concentration and film thickness on the structural and electrical properties of the films was investigated. The dark conductivity of B- and P-doped films ( σ d = 2.8 S/cm and 4.7 S/cm, respectively) deposited on plastic was found to be somewhat higher than that found in similar films deposited on glass. n- and p-type films with thickness below ∼ 50 nm have values of crystalline fraction, activation energy and dark conductivity typical of doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon. This effect is observed both on glass and on plastic substrates.