Lowering of thickness of boron-doped microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon film by seeding technique

By using a seeding technique it has been possible to reduce the thickness of p-μc-Si:H film to 230 Å, with an improved electrical conductivity (0.93 S cm−1) and lower optical absorption compared to those of conventional p-μc-Si:H layers without a seed layer, for use at the tunnel junction and as the top layer of a double junction n–i–p structured a-Si solar cell. Undoped-μc-Si:H has been used as the seed layer. The layers were prepared by the radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (RF-PECVD) method (13.56 MHz) at 40 mW/cm2 rf power density and low substrate temperature (200 °C). The ultrathin seed layer (∼30 Å) enhances the growth of microcrystallinity of the p-type μc-Si:H film as confirmed by the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis and Raman spectroscopy.