Nanocrystalline silicon thin films on PEN substrates

Abstract

We study the structural and electrical properties of intrinsic layer growth close to the transition between amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), deposited on glass and PEN without intentional heating. These samples showed different behaviour in Raman shift and XRD spectra when compared with that of samples deposited at 200 °C. Electrical properties of these films also reflect the transition between a-Si:H and nc-Si:H, and put in evidence some differences between the microstructure of the films grown on PEN and on glass. P- and n-doped layers were deposited onto glass substrate without intentional heating and at 100 °C with thicknesses ranging from 1000 nm to 35 nm. Conductivity measurements indicate the capability of doping this material, but, for very thin layers, substrate heating was found to be essential.