Tapering-free monocrystalline Ge nanowires synthesized via plasma-assisted VLS using In and Sn catalysts.

In and Sn are the type of catalysts which do not introduce deep level electrical defects within the bandgap of germanium (Ge). However, Ge nanowires produced using these catalysts usually have a large diameter, a tapered morphology, and mixed crystalline and amorphous phases. In this study, we show that plasma-assisted vapor-liquid-solid (PA-VLS) method can be used to synthesize Ge nanowires. Moreover, at certain parameter domains, the sidewall deposition issues of this synthesis method can be avoided and long, thin tapering-free monocrystalline Ge nanowires can be obtained with In and Sn catalysts. We find two quite different parameter domains where Ge nanowire growth can occur via PA-VLS using In and Sn catalysts: (i) a low temperature-low pressure domain, below âˆ¼235 °C at a GeH4partial pressure of âˆ¼6 mTorr, where supersaturation in the catalyst occurs thanks to the low solubility of Ge in the catalysts, and (ii) a high temperature-high pressure domain, at ∼400 °C and a GeH4partial pressure above âˆ¼20 mTorr, where supersaturation occurs thanks to the high GeH4concentration. While growth at 235 °C results in tapered short wires, operating at 400 °C enables cylindrical nanowire growth. With the increase of growth temperature, the crystalline structure of the nanowires changes from multi-crystalline to mono-crystalline and their growth rate increases from ∼0.3 nm s-1to 5 nm s-1. The cylindrical Ge nanowires grown at 400°C usually have a length of few microns and a radius of around 10 nm, which is well below the Bohr exciton radius in bulk Ge (24.3 nm). To explain the growth mechanism, a detailed growth model based on the key chemical reactions is provided.

Comparative Study on the Quality of Microcrystalline and Epitaxial Silicon Films Produced by PECVD Using Identical SiF4 Based Process Conditions.

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si:H) and epitaxial silicon (epi-Si) films have been produced from SiF4, H2 and Ar mixtures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 200 °C. Here, both films were produced using identical deposition conditions, to determine if the conditions for producing µc-Si with the largest crystalline fraction (XC), will also result in epi-Si films that encompass the best quality and largest crystalline silicon (c-Si) fraction. Both characteristics are of importance for the development of thin film transistors (TFTs), thin film solar cells and novel 3D devices since epi-Si films can be grown or etched in a selective manner. Therefore, we have distinguished that the H2/SiF4 ratio affects the XC of µc-Si, the c-Si fraction in epi-Si films, and the structure of the epi-Si/c-Si interface. Raman and UV-Vis ellipsometry were used to evaluate the crystalline volume fraction (Xc) and composition of the deposited layers, while the structure of the films were inspected by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Notably, the conditions for producing µc-Si with the largest XC are different in comparison to the fabrication conditions of epi-Si films with the best quality and largest c-Si fraction.

Influence of deposition rate on the structural properties of plasma-enhanced CVD epitaxial silicon.

Solar cells based on epitaxial silicon layers as the absorber attract increasing attention because of the potential cost reduction. In this work, we studied the influence of the deposition rate on the structural properties of epitaxial silicon layers produced by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (epi-PECVD) using silane as a precursor and hydrogen as a carrier gas. We found that the crystalline quality of epi-PECVD layers depends on their thickness and deposition rate. Moreover, increasing the deposition rate may lead to epitaxy breakdown. In that case, we observe the formation of embedded amorphous silicon cones in the epi-PECVD layer. To explain this phenomenon, we develop a model based on the coupling of hydrogen and built-in strain. By optimizing the deposition conditions to avoid epitaxy breakdown, including substrate temperatures and plasma potential, we have been able to synthesize epi-PECVD layers up to a deposition rate of 8.3 Å/s. In such case, we found that the incorporation of hydrogen in the hydrogenated crystalline silicon can reach 4 at. % at a substrate temperature of 350 °C.

Electronic properties of embedded graphene: doped amorphous silicon/CVD graphene heterostructures.

Large-area graphene film is of great interest for a wide spectrum of electronic applications, such as field effect devices, displays, and solar cells, among many others. Here, we fabricated heterostructures composed of graphene (Gr) grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on copper substrate and transferred to SiO2/Si substrates, capped by n­ or p-type doped amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Using Raman scattering we show that despite the mechanical strain induced by the a-Si:H deposition, the structural integrity of the graphene is preserved. Moreover, Hall effect measurements directly on the embedded graphene show that the electronic properties of CVD graphene can be modulated according to the doping type of the a-Si:H as well as its phase i.e. amorphous or nanocrystalline. The sheet resistance varies from 360 Ω sq(-1) to 1260 Ω sq(-1) for the (p)-a-Si:H/Gr (n)-a-Si:H/Gr, respectively. We observed a temperature independent hole mobility of up to 1400 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) indicating that charge impurity is the principal mechanism limiting the transport in this heterostructure. We have demonstrated that embedding CVD graphene under a-Si:H is a viable route for large scale graphene based solar cells or display applications.

Understanding light harvesting in radial junction amorphous silicon thin film solar cells.

The radial junction (RJ) architecture has proven beneficial for the design of a new generation of high performance thin film photovoltaics. We herein carry out a comprehensive modeling of the light in-coupling, propagation and absorption profile within RJ thin film cells based on an accurate set of material properties extracted from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. This has enabled us to understand and evaluate the impact of varying several key parameters on the light harvesting in radially formed thin film solar cells. We found that the resonance mode absorption and antenna-like light in-coupling behavior in the RJ cell cavity can lead to a unique absorption distribution in the absorber that is very different from the situation expected in a planar thin film cell, and that has to be taken into account in the design of high performance RJ thin film solar cells. When compared to the experimental EQE response of real RJ solar cells, this modeling also provides an insightful and powerful tool to resolve the wavelength-dependent contributions arising from individual RJ units and/or from strong light trapping due to the presence of the RJ cell array.

Multi-resonant absorption in ultra-thin silicon solar cells with metallic nanowires.

We propose a design to confine light absorption in flat and ultra-thin amorphous silicon solar cells with a one-dimensional silver grating embedded in the front window of the cell. We show numerically that multi-resonant light trapping is achieved in both TE and TM polarizations. Each resonance is analyzed in detail and modeled by Fabry-Perot resonances or guided modes via grating coupling. This approach is generalized to a complete amorphous silicon solar cell, with the additional degrees of freedom provided by the buffer layers. These results could guide the design of resonant structures for optimized ultra-thin solar cells.

Plasma-enhanced low temperature growth of silicon nanowires and hierarchical structures by using tin and indium catalysts.

Plasma-enhanced low temperature growth (<300 degrees C) of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and hierarchical structures via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism are investigated. The SiNWs were grown using tin and indium as catalysts prepared by in situ H(2) plasma reduction of SnO(2) and ITO substrates, respectively. Effective growth of SiNWs at temperatures as low as 240 degrees C have been achieved, while tin is found to be more ideal than indium in achieving a better size and density control of the SiNWs. Ultra-thin (4-8 nm) silica nanowires, sprouting from the dendritic nucleation patterns on the catalyst's surface, were also observed to form during the cooling process. A kinetic growth model has been proposed to account for their formation mechanism. This hierarchical structure combines the advantages of the size and position controllability from the catalyst-on-top VLS-SiNWs and the ultra-thin size from the catalyst-on-bottom VLS-ScNWs.

Synthesis, morphology and compositional evolution of silicon nanowires directly grown on SnO(2) substrates.

We here propose an all-in situ method for growing vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) silicon nanowires (SiNWs) directly on SnO(2) substrates in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The tin catalysts are formed by a well-controlled H(2) plasma treatment of the SnO(2) layer. The lowest temperature for the tin-catalyzed VLS SiNWs growth in a silane plasma is ∼250 °C. The effects of substrate temperature and H(2) dilution of silane on the morphology and compositional evolution of the SiNWs were systematically investigated. The catalyst content in the SiNWs can be effectively controlled by the deposition temperature. Moreover, enhanced absorption (down to ∼1.1 eV) is achieved due to the strong light trapping and anti-reflection effects in the straight and long tapered SiNWs.