Determination of Raman emission cross-section ratio in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon

The determination of the crystalline volume fraction from the Raman spectra of microcrystalline silicon involves the knowledge of a material parameter called the Raman emission cross-section ratio y. This value is still debated in the literature. In the present work, the determination of y has been carried out on the basis of quantitative analysis of medium-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs performed on one layer deposited by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) close to the amorphous/microcrystalline transition. Subsequent comparison of these data with the crystallinity as evaluated from measured Raman spectra yields a surprisingly high value of y = 1.7. This result is discussed in relation to previously published values (that range from 0.1 to 0.9).