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

Abstract Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-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 μc-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 μc-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 (Tft) was found to enhance passivation. For films treated at Tft above 1700 °C, post-oxidation and nitridation hardly occurred, whereas films treated at Tft below 1400 °C were oxidized and nitrided even after post-treatment.