Optical properties of chemically ordered a-Si1−xCx:H alloys

Abstract
The optical properties (n,k,ε,neff) of chemically ordered a‐Si1−xCx: H alloys have been measured and then analyzed with the effective‐medium theory. Included is the first experimental result for an amorphous binary semiconductor that is known to be almost fully chemically ordered, and represented by the formula a‐SiC0.64: H. Chemical order is induced by heavy dilution of the plasma with hydrogen. Chemical ordering shifts absorption to shorter wavelengths. Analysis using a scaling theory to define optical constants of different tetrahedron components leads to serious errors in the a‐Si1−xCx: H series.