A novel method to make boron-doped microcrystalline silicon thin films with optimal crystalline volume fraction for thin films solar cell applications.

Highly conducting boron-doped microcrystalline silicon (p-type μc-Si:H) thin films have been prepared by radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (RF-PECVD). In this work, the effects of hydrogen dilution, doping ratio, plasma power, deposition pressure and substrate temperature on the growth and the properties of boron-doped microcrystalline silicon (p-type μc-Si:H) thin films are investigated. The electrical, chemical and structural properties are improved with increasing crystallite, which depends on the plasma conditions. For various plasma parameters, the crystalline volume fraction (X(c)), dark conductivity (σ(d)), activation energy (E(a)), hydrogen content (C(H)), surface roughness (S(r)), and micro void fraction (R*) were measured, and they were 0-72%, 4.17-10(-4) S/cm-1.1 S/cm, 0.041-0.113 eV, 3.8-11.5 at.%, 3.2 nm-12.2 nm, and 0.47-0.80, respectively. The film with R* of 0.47 and C(H) of about 5 at.% belonged to a region of low disorder, and acted as a good passivation layer.