Interface Processing of Amorphous-Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Prior to the Formation of Amorphous-to-Nanocrystalline Transition Phase

Two effective interface optimizations, i.e., hydrogenplasma treatment (HPT) and oxygen incorporation (OIn), have been investigated to optimize the interface structure and promote the formation of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si: H) with an amorphous-to-nanocrystalline transition phase based on the surface passivation of crystalline silicon. Both multistep HPT and intentional OIn are capable of producing a compact interface and a transition phase in the case of initial a-Si: H films deposited under different conditions. An appropriate multistep HPT is responsible for modifying the a-Si: H into a transition phase, whereas an effective OIn forms a disordered and more compact interface, as well as a crystallite-isolated and more transparent structure.