PECVD of Nanocrystalline Si Layers on High-Tg Polymer Substrates

• Published in: Plasma processes and polymers Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 58 - 65
• Main Authors: MacQueen, Luke A., Zikovsky, Janik, Dennler, Gilles, Latreche, Mohamed, Czeremuszkin, Grzegorz, Wertheimer, Michael R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 16-01-2006; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Coating, metallization, dyeing; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; flexible electronics; high-Tg plastics; Machinery and processing; macroelectronics; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanocrystalline materials; nanocrystalline silicon; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; OLED; PECVD; Physics; Plastics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Arylate polymer; Coating process; Polyimide; Electrical conductivity; Electrical properties; Glass; Temperature effect; Etching rate; flexible electronics; Ethersulfone polymer; Experimental study; Norbornene polymer; macroelectronics; Plasma etching; OLED; high-Tg plastics; Silicon; PECVD; Pretreatment; nanocrystalline silicon
• ISSN: 1612-8850; 1612-8869
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.200500145

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc‐Si:H) was deposited by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on transparent polymers in order to qualify these for possible use as electronic substrates. As a first step, plasma etch experiments in pure H2 revealed small etch rates for these materials. Thin films of nc‐Si:H were then deposited on samples placed on the grounded electrode of a “Reinberg”‐type parallel plate RF (13.56 MHz) PECVD reactor, at various substrate temperatures (25 °C ≤ Ts ≤ 250 °C), using SiH4 diluted in H2 as the feed‐gas. Thermally induced failure of the nc‐Si:H/polymer composite was avoided within a certain range of deposition conditions, permitting structural and electrical characterization of the deposits.
Temperature‐dependent conductivity, σ(T), for nanocrystalline silicon (nc‐Si:H) films on glass and three polymer substrates, all deposited at Ts = 175 °C.