Metal silicide-mediated microcrystalline silicon thin-film growth for photovoltaics

Microcrystalline thin Si films were grown by the metal-induced growth method. The metal catalyst (Co, Ni, or Co-coated Ni) first reacted to sputtered Si forming a silicide layer. Then a Si film was epitaxially grown above the silicide seed template. The crystallinity of Si films was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirming Si film growth with CoSi2 or NiSi2 as an intermediate step. The grown Si films were fabricated into Schottky photodiodes. The Co-coated Ni modulated the silicide formation and gave a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 10.6 mA/cm2, which is one order higher than that for the single Co catalyst case.