Abstract. Following the need to improve packaging and contact layers for photovoltaics and other optoelectronic applications, a renewed interest in the fabrication of thin, low-density silicon films has arisen. We demonstrate a reactive sputtering technique utilizing a secondary plasma to crack hydrogen gas during physical vapor deposition of silicon layers. Cracking efficiency of the gas varies heavily with pressure and power from under 10% to nearly 100% conversion to hydrogen radicals. Radicals incorporated into the film produce amorphous silicon films with densities as low as 1.73  g  /  cm3, compared to 2.2  g  /  cm3 in their nonhydrogenated counterparts. Reduced density films likewise have a reduction in index of refraction comparable to other hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by other techniques with indices close to 2 across the visible portion of the spectrum. Our work represents a useful, scalable advance in the production of amorphous hydrogenated silicon for a variety of applications requiring large areas.

中文翻译：

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利用二次等离子体降低 a-Si:H 密度

摘要。随着需要改进光伏和其他光电应用的封装和接触层，人们对制造薄的低密度硅膜重新产生了兴趣。我们展示了一种反应溅射技术，该技术利用二次等离子体在硅层的物理气相沉积过程中裂解氢气。气体的裂解效率随压力和功率的变化很大，从低于 10% 到接近 100% 转化为氢自由基。结合到薄膜中的自由基产生的非晶硅薄膜的密度低至 1.73 g/cm3，而非氢化对应物的密度为 2.2 g/cm3。与通过其他技术生产的其他氢化非晶硅相比，降低密度的膜同样具有降低的折射率，在光谱的可见光部分具有接近 2 的折射率。我们的工作代表了非晶氢化硅生产的有用、可扩展的进步，可用于需要大面积的各种应用。