Use of hexamethyldisiloxane for p-type microcrystalline silicon oxycarbide layers

¹ Air Liquide, Centre de Recherche Paris Saclay, 78354 Jouy-en-Josas, France
² Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
³ LPICM- LPICM, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France

^a e-mail: prabal.goyal@polytechnique.edu

Received: 6 June 2015
Accepted: 30 November 2015
Published online: 13 January 2016

Abstract

The use of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) as an oxygen source for the growth of p-type silicon-based layers deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition is evaluated. The use of this source led to the incorporation of almost equivalent amounts of oxygen and carbon, resulting in microcrystalline silicon oxycarbide thin films. The layers were examined with characterisation techniques including Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Dark Conductivity, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Transmission Electron Microscopy to check material composition and structure. Materials studies show that the refractive indices of the layers can be tuned over the range from 2.5 to 3.85 (measured at 600 nm) and in-plane dark conductivities over the range from 10^-8 S/cm to 1 S/cm, suggesting that these doped layers are suitable for solar cell applications. The p-type layers were tested in single junction amorphous silicon p-i-n type solar cells.