Silicon nanoparticle optimization and integration into amorphous silicon via PECVD for use in photovoltaics.

摘要

An alternative approach to traditional growth methods of nanocrystalline material is co-deposition by injection of separately synthesized silicon nanoparticles into amorphous silicon. Current methods of co-deposition of silicon nanoparticles and amorphous silicon via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition allow the two reactors' pressures to affect each other, leading to either poor amorphous silicon quality or uncontrollable nanoparticle size and deposition rate. In this thesis, a technique for greater control of stand-alone silicon nanoparticle size and quality grown was achieved by using a slit nozzle. The nozzle was used to separate the nanoparticle and amorphous reactors, allowing for the ability to control nanoparticle size, crystallinity, and deposition rate during co-deposition, while still allowing for high quality amorphous silicon growth. Changing the width of the nozzle allowed for control of the size of the nanoparticles from 10 to 4.5 nm in diameter, and allowed for the precursor gas flow rate, and thus deposition rate, to be changed with only a 6 % change in size estimated from luminescence emission wavelength. Co-deposited samples were grown within a broad range of flow rates for the silicon nanoparticle precursor gas, resulting in each sample having a different crystal fraction. FTIR, PL, Raman, and XRD were used to analyze their composition. The silicon nanoparticle synthesis was separately optimized to control size and crystallinity, and the influence of the nanoparticle process gases on amorphous silicon growth was also explored. Finally, COMSOL simulations were performed to support and possibly predict Si-NP growth variables that pertain to Si-NP size.