Structural, optical and electrical properties of μc-Si:H deposited by ECR

The structural and optoelectronic properties of undoped hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon deposited by ECR–CVD technique have been studied as a function of microwave power and substrate temperature. Films with crystallite grain sizes in the range 100–200 Å and crystalline fractions up to 0.6 were obtained at low temperatures. The transition from amorphous to microcrystalline occurs under conditions of low hydrogen concentration and high microwave power. Changes in optical absorption and electrical conductivity with varying deposition conditions, such as microwave power and substrate temperature, are also discussed.