Mechanical and electrical properties of the phosphor-doped nano-silicon film under an external electric field

• Published in: Surface and interface analysis 2009-05, Vol.41 (5), p.384-388
• Main Authors: Cheng, G. G., Ding, J. N., Xie, G. X., Kan, B., Ling, Z. Y., Fan, Z.
• 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; electrical control of friction; Electrical properties of specific thin films; Electrical properties of specific thin films and layer structures (multilayers, superlattices, quantum wells, wires, and dots); Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Mechanical and acoustical properties; mechanical and electrical properties; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; nano-ECR; phosphor-doped nano-silicon film; Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
• ISSN: 0142-2421; 1096-9918
• DOI: 10.1002/sia.3033

The mechanical and electrical properties of the phosphor‐doped nano‐silicon film (nc‐Si:H) prepared by the plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method under electric field have been studied by Tribolab system, which is equipped with nano‐electrical contact resistance (ECR) tool. During indentation, different voltages and loads were applied. The topography of the sample surface was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experimental results show that the roughness of the film is 5.69 nm; the electric current was measured through the sample/indenter tip with different loads at a fixed voltage, and it increased nonlinearly during the indentation. The maximum current value depth was shallower than the maximum depth of each indent due to the plasticity of the film. When the loading speed is increased to 250 µN/s, the microcrack occurred on the film; the hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) changed with the voltage applied both in open circuit and in short circuit case, which resulted in different values of H/E rate from 0.082 to 0.096. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.