Enhanced Photoluminescence of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films by Means of a Fast Thermal Annealing Process

In this paper, the photoluminescence (PL) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-Si1−xCx:H) thin films obtained by Plasma Enhancement Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) is reported. Strong PL is obtained after a fast annealing process for 60 s at temperatures of 200, 400, 600, and 800 °C. The t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Materials 2020-06, Vol.13 (11), p.2643
Main Authors: Vivaldo, Israel, Ambrosio, Roberto C., López, Roberto, Flores-Méndez, Javier, Sánchez-Gaspariano, Luis A., Moreno, Mario, Candia, Filiberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amorphous materials
Amorphous silicon
Annealing
Carbon
Chemical vapor deposition
Emission analysis
Fourier transforms
Gas flow
Gases
Hydrogenation
Light
Optoelectronics
Oxidation
Photoluminescence
Photovoltaic cells
Radio frequency
Silicon carbide
Solar cells
Spectrum analysis
Structural analysis
Thin films
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Summary:In this paper, the photoluminescence (PL) of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-Si1−xCx:H) thin films obtained by Plasma Enhancement Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) is reported. Strong PL is obtained after a fast annealing process for 60 s at temperatures of 200, 400, 600, and 800 °C. The thin films are characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), PL spectroscopy, and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). According to the results of the structural characterization, it is deduced that a structural rearrangement of the amorphous matrix is carried out during the fast annealing process, which results in different degrees of oxidation on the a-Si1−xCx:H films. The PL peak position shifts towards higher energies as the temperature increases. The sample deposited with a silane/methane flux ratio of 37.5 at an Radio Frequency (RF) power of 6 W experiences an increase in PL intensity of more than nine times, with a displacement in the peak position from 2.5 eV to 2.87 eV, at 800 °C. From the PL analysis, we observe two emission bands: one centered in the near infrared and other in the visible range (with a blue peak). This study opens the possibility to use such thin films in the development of optoelectronics devices, with potential for application in solar cells.
ISSN:1996-1944
1996-1944
DOI:10.3390/ma13112643