Low-temperature growth of nano-structured silicon thin films on ITO initiated by metal catalysts

• Published in: Thin solid films 2009-10, Vol.517 (23), p.6405-6408
• Main Authors: Alet, Pierre-Jean, Palacin, Serge, Cabarrocas, Pere Roca i.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemical Sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Chemistry; Copper; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Gold; Material chemistry; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nano-structure; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition; Silicon; Theory and models of film growth; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Thin films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2009.02.106

Nano-structured silicon thin films have been grown on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) at temperatures lower than 200 °C. Nanometer-scaled aggregates of metal (copper or gold) obtained from evaporated layers were necessary to initiate the nano-structuring growth. Different deposition conditions have been investigated. The highest aspect ratio was obtained with copper and high-pressure plasmas with SiH 4 diluted in H 2. The metals help dissociating silane so the deposition starts faster on the aggregates than around them, which leads to nano-structuration. It is likely that the metal remains confined at the interface between ITO and silicon and do not diffuse in the silicon layer.