Authors: Prashant Kumar
Publish Date: 2009/10/10
Volume: 98, Issue: 2, Pages: 473-
Abstract
DC electricfield mediated nanocrystallization of thermally evaporated silicon thin films with nickel as seed/cap layer has been attempted in complete absence of any external heat input When 60 nm Si thin film coated onto 5 nm Ni thin film was treated by a direct current DC electric field up to 33 kV/cm up to 5 minutes after the deposition amorphous silicon thin films became nanocrystalline 6–10 nm Silicon nanograins average diameter 90 nm grow to larger sizes average diameter 240 nm with sharpening of grain size distribution Huge grain growth 4fold increase has been observed when nickel was used as cap layer 5 nm Ni/60 nm Si XRD data show the signature of nickel silicide formation on the surface in nickel cap layer case Field treatment has changed the optical absorption edge shifts left in nm units and the refractive index of silicon thin film when nickel was used as under layer and an almost negligible effect on the optical properties has been observed when nickel was used as cap layer
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