Effect of hot-wire passivation on the properties of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon films to reduce post-deposition oxidation

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (mu c-Si:H) films have a large number of grain boundaries that oxidize after deposition, leading to deterioration of device performance. In this study, post-treatment of pc-Si:H thin films was carried out with methane-related radicals generated by a hot wire. The effect of the hot-wire passivation on the properties of the mu c-Si:H thin films was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) transmission spectroscopy. Through post-treatment, hydrogen on the silicon-crystallite surface was substituted with hydrocarbon. Further, an increase in filament temperature (T-ft) was found to enhance passivation. For films treated at T-ft above 1700 degrees C, post-oxidation and nitridation hardly occurred, whereas films treated at T-ft below 1400 degrees C were oxidized and nitrided even after post-treatment. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.