Low-temperature Si epitaxy on large-grained polycrystalline seed layers by electron–cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2004-10, Vol.270 (3-4), p.396-401
• Main Authors: Rau, B., Sieber, I., Schneider, J., Muske, M., Stöger-Pollach, M., Schattschneider, P., Gall, S., Fuhs, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A1. Crystal structure; A3. Aluminium-induced crystallization; A3. Electron–cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition; A3. Epitaxial growth; Applied sciences; B2. Semiconducting silicon; B3. Solar cells; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Natural energy; Photoelectric conversion: solar cells and arrays; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2004.07.034

The epitaxial thickening of polycrystalline Si films on glass substrates is of great interest for the realization of crystalline Si thin film solar cells and other large-area thin film devices. In this paper we report on the epitaxial growth of Si at temperatures below 600∘C on polycrystalline seed layers using electron–cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition. The Si seed layers were prepared by aluminum-induced crystallization. The quality of the ECRCVD-grown films strongly depends on the orientation of the underlying seed layer grains. Due to a mainly favorable orientation of the seed layers more than 73% of the substrate area were epitaxially thickened. It turned out that a (100) preferential orientation is favorable for epitaxial thickening. This, however, is not the only requirement for successful low-temperature epitaxial growth of Si.