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Effects of high‐temperature treatment on the hydrogen distribution in silicon oxynitride/silicon nitride stacks for crystalline silicon surface passivation
Author(s) -
Schwab Christoph,
Hofmann Marc,
Heller Rene,
Seiffe Johannes,
Rentsch Jochen,
Preu Ralf
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201329308
Subject(s) - silicon oxynitride , silicon , materials science , nanocrystalline silicon , silicon nitride , passivation , amorphous silicon , hydrogen , stack (abstract data type) , amorphous solid , crystalline silicon , chemical engineering , plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition , chemical vapor deposition , layer (electronics) , nitride , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , chemistry , crystallography , organic chemistry , computer science , engineering , programming language
This work investigates a double layer stack system that can be used for surface passivation of crystalline silicon. The stack consists of amorphous silicon‐rich silicon oxynitride and amorphous silicon nitride on top. Both layers are fabricated by means of plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition. We investigate the stack in terms of changes in the hydrogen content and distribution within the different stack layers due to a high temperature treatment. For that purpose the stack is studied by Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis before and after fast firing at 850 °C. Our results determine the bottom silicon oxynitride layer as very hydrogen‐rich. Furthermore, we identify the silicon nitride capping layer as diffusion barrier to atomic hydrogen but still allowing an effusion of molecular hydrogen. We present a qualitative model that explains our findings and distinguishes between atomic and molecular hydrogen.