Structural characterization of microcrystalline hydrogenated silicon thin films produced by neutron irradiation

The structural properties and volume fraction of the ;IR and TEM data indicated that the phase stability and the crystalline morphology were strongly dependent upon the residual stress level in the thin films. It was observed that the diamond cubic structure was still preserved at a stress level of 6.2 N/m with a spherical grain morphology. The stress level of 6.2 N/m is within the range of force constant for Si-Si bond bending, k;Based on the XPS and IR data, electron charge transfer from the Si;Isothermal annealing of neutron irradiated hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films at 475 K produced a phase transformation from amorphous to microcrystalline silicon at short annealing time (30 min.). Longer annealing (90 min. at 475 K) led to the development of needle-shaped crystals and an increase in the volume fraction of amorphous material.