Microcrystalline-phase p-type a-Si:O:H windows prepared by Cat-CVD

Different amounts of oxygen, boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) deposition were carried out using catalytic chemical-vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) process. Pure silane (SiH4), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), and diluted diborane (B2H6) gases were used at the deposition pressure of 0.1–0.5 Torr. The tungsten catalyst temperature (Tfil) was varied from 1700 to 2100 °C. Sample transmittance measurement shows an optical-band gap ( E g opt ) variation from 1.45 to 2.1 eV X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra have revealed silicon microcrystalline phases for the samples prepared at the temperature greater than Tfil∼1900 °C. For the used silicon oxide deposition conditions, no strong tungsten filament degradation was observed after a number of sample preparations.