Growth, optical, and electrical properties of silicon films produced by the metal-induced crystallization process

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 13; no. 11; pp. 5999 - 6004
• Main Authors: Mohiddon, M. A., Lakshun Naidu, K., Ghanashyam Krishna, M., Dalba, G., Rocca, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Annealing; Borosilicate glasses; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Crystallization; Deposition; Electrical properties; Electrical resistivity; Evaporation; Initial conditions; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Materials Science; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Nickel; Optical Devices; Optics; Phases; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Special Issue: Nanostructured Materials 2010; Stacks; Nano crystallization; Silicon; Thin film
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0444-6

Amorphous Si (a-Si) and Ni films were deposited by electron beam evaporation on to borosilicate glass (BSG) substrate maintained at ambient temperature. The BSG/a-Si/Ni stack was subjected to post deposition annealing in air at various temperatures from 200 to 500 °C for 1 h. Electron diffraction was employed to characterize the crystallographic phases appearing on the stacks that were depending on initial conditions. Clear evidence of the formation of hexagonal Si and fcc NiSi 2 was shown by TEM. In parallel, an increase of refraction index was observed. Electrical resistivity measurements showed that resistance is of the order of kilo ohms in the as-deposited films, increasing sharply to giga ohms in films annealed at T higher than 300 °C. A large band gap of 2.23 eV which is the combined contribution from a-Si, wurtzite-Si, and Ni silicide phases, is observed.