Hydrogenated amorphous silicon based p-i-n structures with Si and Ge nanocrystals in i-layers

摘要

Silicon nanocrystals and germanium nanolayers and nanocrystals were created into i-layers of p-i-n structures based on thin hydrogenated amorphous silicon films. The nanocrystals were formed using pulsed laser annealing with an excimer XeCl laser generating pulses with the wavelength of 308 nm and the duration of 15 ns. The laser fluence was varied from 100 (that is below the melting threshold) to 250 mJ/cm~2 (above the threshold). The laser treatment allowed the formation of the nanoscrystals with the average size from 2 to 5 nm, depending on the laser-annealing parameters. The size of nanocrystals (in Si and Ge layers) and their Si-Ge composition (in GeSi alloy structures) was estimated through Raman spectra analysis. The structural parameters of Si, Ge and GeSi nanocrystals were also studied using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Current-voltage measurements showed that the p-i-n structures exhibit diode characteristics. The diodes with Si nanocrystals produced the electroluminescence peak in the infrared range (0.9-1.0 eV), which spectral position was dependent on the laser annealing conditions. It was suggested that radiative transitions are related to the nanocrystal/amorphous silicon matrix interface states. The proposed approach can be used for producing of solar cells or light-emitting diodes on non-refractory substrates.