Abstract
Photoluminescence (PL) has been investigated in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) samples as a function of boron doping for films prepared by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. When the dark conductivity σ is below about 10−5 S/cm, the PL spectra exhibit a shape which is close to that of the so-called band tail PL in undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) at 77 K. When σ increases, the PL intensity decreases at 77 K. For samples with σ on the order of 10−3 S/cm, the PL spectra show only a narrow, low energy PL band which peaks around 0.8–0.9 eV. In these samples, the PL at higher energy is essentially not observable. This trend is similar to that which occurs in doped a-Si:H. However, for higher doping levels (σ ~ 1 S/cm) the PL in μc-S:H, although very weak, exhibits a broad band which contains intensity at higher energies. The absorption spectra in these samples, as measured by photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS), show the same relationships with the corresponding PL spectra as do the PDS spectra in doped a-Si:H.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Material Issues in Microcrystalline Semiconductors, P.M. Fauchet, K. Tanaka and C.C. Tsai, eds (MRS, Pittsburgh, 1989), Vol. 64.
P.K. Bhat, G. Diprose, T.M. Searle, I.G. Austin, P.G. LeComber and W.E. Spear, Physica 117B&118B, 917 (1983).
P.K. Bhat, I.G. Austin and T.M. Searle, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 59&60, 381 (1983).
M.J. William, C. Wang and G. Lucovsky, Amorphous Silicon Technology -1991 (MRS, Pittsburgh, 1991), p.389.
S.Q. Gu and P.C. Taylor, Amorphous Silicon Technology - 1990 (MRS, Pittsburgh, 1990), p. 107.
E. Bustrret and M.A. Hachicha, p.211 in Ref. 1.
R.A. Street, Phys. Rev. B 21, 5775 (1980).
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge S. Girlani for some of the conductivity measurements. This research was supported in part by NREL under subcontract No. XM-91-81413.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gu, S.Q., Viner, J.M., Taylor, P.C. et al. Photoluminescence in B-doped μc-Si:H. MRS Online Proceedings Library 283, 579–583 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-283-579
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-283-579