Silicon oxide-nitride-carbide thin-film with embedded nanocrystalline semiconductor particles

摘要

A solar call is provided along with a method for forming a semiconductor nanocrystalline silicon insulating thin-film with a tunable bandgap. The method provides a substrate and introduces a silicon (Si) source gas with at least one of the following source gases: germanium (Ge), oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon into a high density (HD) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. A SiOxNyCz thin-film embedded with a nanocrystalline semiconductor material is deposited overlying the substrate, where x, y, z≧0, and the semiconductor material is Si, Ge, or a combination of Si and Ge. As a result, a bandgap is formed in the SiOxNyCz thin-film, in the range of about 1.9 to 3.0 electron volts (eV). Typically, the semiconductor nanoparticles have a size in a range of 1 to 20 nm.

主权项

1. A method for forming a semiconductor nanocrystalline silicon insulating thin-film with a tunable bandgap, the method comprising:
providing a substrate; introducing a silicon (Si) source gas and at least one source gas selected from a group consisting of germanium (Ge), oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon into a high density (HD) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process; depositing a SiOxNyCz thin-film embedded with a nanocrystalline semiconductor material overlying the substrate, where x, v, z≧0, and the semiconductor material is selected from a group consisting of Si, Ge, and a combination of Si and Ge; subsequent to depositing the SiOxNyCz thin-film, annealing the SiOxNyCz thin-film; and, modifying the size of the nanocrystalline semiconductor material in response to the annealing, forming a bandgap in the SiOxNyCz thin-film with a minimum value of 1.9 electron volts (eV) and a refractive index in a range of 1.9 to 3.5, as measured at a wavelength of 632 nanometers (nm).