Study of microstructural and optical properties of a-Si:H thin films

Undoped amorphous silicon thin films pasivated by hydrogen (a-Si:H) are important for a number of industrial and research applications, especially for optoelectronics, photovoltaics, optical communications, senzorics, laser technology and so on. We experimentally studied properties of the a-Si:H thin films prepared by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method. Sample microstructure properties and the effect of the microstructure on optical properties of the a-Si:H thin films deposited by PECVD on glass were analysed. The spectral refractive index, extinction coefficient, and surface morphology were analysed for the series of a-Si:H samples prepared in different technological conditions from H diluted silane plasma. Surface morphology of studied samples was described by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. Optical properties of a-Si:H thin films were analysed by numerical optimization of the microstructural and dispersion model of optical parameters relative to the experimental spectral reflectance. The results show that at dilution between 20 and 30 the transition between amorphous and polycrystalline phase occurs. The sample becomes a mixture of amorphous and polycrystalline phase with nano-sized grains and voids with decreasing hydrogen concentration.