Electron paramagnetic resonance study of defects in rapid thermal chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline silicon

Intrinsic polycrystalline silicon, grown by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD), is characterized with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). It is shown that the obtained EPR signal consists of two components. One symmetrical signal due to dangling bonds at grain boundaries is typically found in polycrystalline material. Another asymmetrical signal is attributed to the multivacancy or multivacancy-oxygen complex formed at the grain boundaries. It is also shown that the contribution of the asymmetric component gradually decreases as the deposition temperature increases, meaning growth of a film with fewer defects at the grain boundaries.