I n s i t u spectroscopic ellipsometry investigation of the nucleation of microcrystalline silicon

Abstract

In situ spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to reveal the structural changes that occur in the initial stages of the growth of microcrystalline silicon (μc‐Si) deposited by glow discharge decomposition of a (SiH₄,H₂) mixture on silica substrates. In a first step, the real time measurements can be described by the following nucleation model: stable nuclei are created, with an average distance between them estimated to be ∼100 Å, followed by the growth of three‐dimensional crystalline islands. In a second step an interfacial component composed of amorphous silicon and voids is produced as a consequence of the incomplete coalescence of the crystalline islands.