The atomic hydrogen flux to silicon growth flux ratio during microcrystalline silicon solar cell deposition

The H flux to Si growth flux ratio is experimentally determined under state-of-the-art silicon thin-film deposition conditions by employing the recently introduced etch product detection technique. Under the technologically relevant high-pressure depletion conditions and for different process parameter settings such as pressure, SiH4 concentration, rf power, and excitation frequency, it was demonstrated that the microcrystalline to amorphous silicon phase transition is uniquely and reactor independently determined by the flux ratio of H and Si growth species. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.