Structural characteristics of as-deposited and crystallized mixed-phase silicon films

Silicon depositions are performed in a conventional, hot-wall, tubular low-pressure CVD reactor utilizing 20% silane in nitrogen as the source gas. Mixed phase films consist of crystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix. Mixed-phase films can crystallize in a much shorter time than as-deposited amorphous films, due to the combination of the growth of the preexisting crystallites and the higher nucleation rate of new crystallites within the amorphous matrix of the mixed-phase film. The structure of both as-deposited and crystallized single and composite mixed-phase films is found to be identical for films deposited on both oxidized silicon and Corning Code 1735 glass substrates.