Efficient Boron Incorporation in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Films by a Novel Combination of RF Glow Discharge Technique and Heated Filament

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Abstract
Boron doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon films were prepared by a novel method involving a combination of plasma chemical vapour deposition (PCVD) and a heated filament. The films were characterized by electrical conductivity measurements. A combination of Raman scattering experiment and infrared (IR) vibrational spectroscopy were performed to study the structural characteristics of the a-Si:H films. Higher conductivities were obtained for the films prepared under the heated filament in comparison to those for the films prepared away from it. It was inferred that growth conditions mainly governed by BH3 radicals led to highly conducting films. For conditions conducive to the production of more atomic hydrogen, SiH3 and BH2 radicals were expected to govern the growth and put the boron atoms into the inactive three-fold coordination.