Thin film silicon deposited at 100 °C by VHF PECVD: optoelectronic properties and incorporation in solar cells

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of producing amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon using very high frequency PECVD at a low substrate temperature of 123 °C at high deposition rate of 0.4-0.7 nm/s. The quality of these amorphous layers remains similar to that obtained in layers deposited at low deposition rate of 0.1 nm/s. The amorphous-to-nanocrystalline transition is sensitive to deposition chamber history. The microstructure parameter of the best nanocrystalline layers amounts to 0.4