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In situ X‐ray diffraction studies of aluminium‐induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon
Author(s) -
Kishore Ram,
Hotz Chris,
Naseem H. A.,
Brown W. D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889803014912
Subject(s) - crystallization , materials science , silicon , amorphous silicon , aluminium , diffractometer , amorphous solid , annealing (glass) , thin film , vacuum evaporation , nanocrystalline silicon , analytical chemistry (journal) , crystalline silicon , crystallography , chemical engineering , composite material , metallurgy , nanotechnology , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , chromatography , engineering
Thin intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α‐Si:H) films (5000 Å thickness) were deposited on (111)‐oriented n ‐type silicon substrates by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition. A 4000 Å thick Al film was then deposited on the α‐Si:H film by vacuum evaporation. In situ annealing of these films was carried out in an evacuated temperature‐controlled (Model TTK) camera of an X‐ray diffractometer at a glancing angle of 5° using a thin‐film optics attachment. The crystallization behavior of aluminium‐capped α‐Si:H was monitored using the 111 silicon peak as a function of annealing temperature between 273–523 K. The results show that aluminium‐induced crystallization of α‐Si:H initiates at a temperature between 413 and 423 K. The crystallization rate increases with increasing temperature, and saturates for an anneal of 30 min at a temperature of 523 K.